Somerset County to develop ATV-access application after contested public comment on Moxie Lake Road

Commissioners in Somerset County heard an extended public comment period about requests to open roughly a 5.5-mile stretch of Moxie Lake Road to ATV and UTV traffic and agreed to develop a county application and workshop the criteria before making a decision. Public speakers included an assessor for The Forks Plantation who reported a town straw poll "14 to 5 in favor" and a longtime resident who said neighbors and commercial operators raised safety and emergency-response concerns.

Justin Stimpson, an assessor for The Forks Plantation, submitted a formal letter and told commissioners the town's meeting produced a straw poll result: "that vote was 14 to 5 in favor." In public comment opposing the road opening, a resident with longstanding ties to the area cited proximity of residences to the road, potential collisions with commercial raft buses, uncertain EMS response times, and a recently formed social-media group mobilizing supporters for access.

A county official on the dais described drafting a county application based on state Department of Conservation criteria and Title 12 authority, saying, "I took the liberty this afternoon of drafting up a county, Somerset County application for ATV access route permission." The official recommended that the trail master supply an official request letter and that commissioners adopt objective criteria (sight lines, speed, distance and other state-based measures) at a workshop before any formal action.

Commissioners debated whether a simple letter from an ATV organization would be sufficient to place the matter before them or whether to require a formal application and broad notice to camp owners and residents. Several commissioners emphasized the need to notify every camp owner and to consider liability if an accident occurs on a county road. Staff were asked to overlay existing ATV trails on county maps, provide mailing addresses for notice, and arrange a workshop that will set out the county's application and decision criteria.

The chair closed the public comment period and directed staff to proceed with a workshop and to accept an official written request from the trail organization (the Forks Area Trail Club) before bringing the substantive decision back to the commissioners. No final decision to open the road was made; the process will include public notice and a future opportunity for formal comment and a hearing.