Robert Johnson, II

To: NH House Resources, Recreation and Development Committee C/o The Honorable Robert Herb, Chairman Re: HB 1095, increasing the maximum weight of a utility terrain vehicle to 3,000 pounds. Dear Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee: NH Farm Bureau opposes HB 1095. We oppose increasing weight limits on some state-owned trails and state lands, as the bill does, without a corresponding commitment of enforcement by the state. Farm Bureau members own and manage hundreds of thousands of acres of farm and forest land in the state, much of it with OHRV trails running through it that are open to the public. OHRV enthusiasts utilizing the trails governed by the statute being amended – trails in Coös County, and the Ammonoosuc and Warren recreational trails - do not and will not restrict their travels to these trails. A vast majority of trails in the state are located on private property and an increase in weights on some state-owned lands and certain other trails will have impacts on trails throughout in the state, most of which are located on private property. These impacts will cost landowners time and money. Heavier vehicles result in greater wear and tear on trails. This concern may result in landowners closing or restrict public access to their land. It should be noted that landowners already see significant impacts to their property at current weight limits. Landowners take pride in making their land available for public use but unless resources for enforcement are provided, which this bill does not do, we ask the committee to recommend HB 1095 as Inexpedient-to-Legislate. We thank you for your consideration of our testimony. Sincerely, Robert Johnson, II, Policy Director/Administrator New Hampshire Farm Bureau (NHFB) is a non-profit federation, established in 1916, of New Hampshire’s 10 county Farm Bureau organizations which consist of 2,500 NH farm families and supporting members statewide. NHFB is dedicated to advocating for and educating the public about agriculture. NHFB is a general farm organization where the members establish policy and direction through a member driven policy development process. We are “The Voice of Agriculture” in New Hampshire.