By PAULA TRACY, InDepthNH.org

PITTSBURG – A request to extend the OHRV riding season for the next two weeks, during upland bird hunting season on the Connecticut Lakes Headwaters tract here was rejected Monday.

Sarah L. Stewart, commissioner of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, said she would consider future requests with a deadline of April 1 to allow people to plan for it.

She was asked to reconsider an earlier decision which was the same, but in the end sided with New Hampshire Fish and Game Commission which opposed the extension due to concerns for the timing with hunters also in those woods during small game and upland bird season.

The decision was opposed by Executive Councilor Joe Kenney, R-Wakefield, whose district includes this massive tract of land at the very northernmost tip of the state.

He said in an email Monday that a “reasonable solution” would have been to give a one-year extension, noting the damage to the trail system and the impact on the economy by closing before the lucrative Columbus Day Weekend.

Torrential rains both in 2023 and the same day in 2024 wreaked havoc on the trails and closed many on the tracts for months this summer while repairs are underway.

Kenney was approached by Jude Marquis, owner of the Buck Rub pub in Pittsburg, with a petition to extend the season based on lost revenue to the region’s lodging and hospitality industry.

He said the state should be willing to “work together based on unforeseen natural events.”

But Stewart decided to listen to those who expressed concern for safety and the stressful time on Fish and Game conservation officers already in the woods with multiple hunting seasons now underway or about to be underway.

Small game and upland bird season open Tuesday with many traveling great distances to pursue ruffed grouse, and woodcock from Oct. 1 through Nov. 19.

While the major deer hunting season does not start until November, there are archery hunters for deer in the woods and they began pursuing their prey Sept. 15 along with archery turkey hunters, and black bear.

The 146,500-acre Connecticut Lakes property is owned privately but a conservation easement on it is held by the state.

The tract, which is the single largest in the state located in Pittsburg, Clarksville and Stewartstown, is privately owned but the state holds an easement which allows for recreation, hunting and logging.

In her Sept. 30 letter to the members of the Great North Woods Riders ATV Club, Stewart noted the Connecticut Headwaters Property “is a shared resource with many different user groups being able to enjoy recreating on the property.”

She explained that extending the OHRV season from Sept. 30 to Columbus Day, Oct. 14 “would have a negative impact on other user groups, especially hunters.”

She noted the state has been maintaining this calendar over the years to ensure the various user groups can share the state resource in the most equitable way.

In her letter she reviewed correspondence since June asking for this extension, her department’s initial decision and then subsequent input which led her to maintain her stance.

The Connecticut Lakes Headwaters Citizens Committee Recreation Sub-Committee met five times since 2022 to discuss public access and recreation goals, solicit and evaluate proposals for new or expanded recreational use and make recommendations. In addition, a survey was released to ask what new or expanded uses to be considered or to address current management needs. 

“Not once was there a request to extend the ATV season on this property. The CLHCC voted to recommend adoption of the 5-year management plan at their May 10, 2024, meeting,” Stewart wrote.

On Aug. 13 Fish and Game Executive Director Scott Mason and his staff along with DNCR Parks Director Brian Wilson and his team met in person with a group of Pittsburg business owners. 

On Aug. 20, the Fish and Game Commission met. 

She said Mason reported that the department was opposed to the season extension, and that it would now go before the headwaters citizens’ advisory committee to provide information to Stewart for her to decide. 

Commissioner Eric Stohl moved to oppose the extension of the ATV season and reported that Gene Chandler of Bartlett, a former State Representative who has been nominated to become a member of the Fish and Game Commission is also involved in the headwaters task force.

He was the sponsor of a bill years ago and was the co-sponsor to close the ATV season on Oct. 1 due to it being a safety issue and conflicting with bird season. He further reported that roads in the North Country are heavily traveled during bird season, hilly, and if a hunter shoots at a bird in the road and an ATV is coming the other direction, it would be very dangerous. He asked that this be a unanimous vote of the Commission, according to the minutes of the meeting. 

Commissioner A.J. DeRosa stated that he felt it was a safety issue, as well, as there are a great deal of dogs in the roads during bird season. 

The Fish and Game Commission vote to oppose the extension of the ATV season on the Connecticut Lakes Headwaters Tract was unanimous.

But the Town of Pittsburg Selectmen asked Stewart for reconsideration.

To acknowledge the various opinions about the ATV trail extension request, the DNCR asked the CLHCC to have a special meeting to hear from the public.

On Sept. 12, the CLHCC held an open meeting at the Pittsburg fire station to hear from both sides. 

At the end of the meeting the advisory committee voted 6 to 3 to oppose the request to permanently extend the ATV trail season on this property, Stewart wrote.

“The recommendation to me, therefore, is to keep the existing calendar to maintain the balance of multiple constituencies/user groups. This, plus the recommendation from Fish and Game to maintain the status of the existing trail calendar on this property is why I have decided to deny the request for extending the OHRV trail season this year.” 

In the future, any requests to alter the ATV riding season on the Connecticut Lakes Headwaters Property should be submitted in writing to her by April 1 so landowners and managers and other stakeholders can work towards agreement for yearly operations, Stewart concluded.

Kenney, a Republican who is running for re-election, said when it comes to natural disasters, the state should be willing to work more with the business community to find a temporary solution and there would have been “no harm” to at least extend the OHRV season on the tract for one year.