TOPSHAM – Conflicts surrounding ATV use in northern New England prompted the New Hampshire Bureau of Trails to recently hire Woodlot Alternatives Inc. of Topsham to evaluate ATV trail use in the state. The company will also assist the bureau in developing a statewide ATV and Trail Bike Trails Plan.

“This is a controversial topic in New England,” said Woodlot vice president and project manager Steve Pelletier. “It comes down to a classic conflict between available recreational resources, private property rights, and the impacts of use.”

As a trained ecologist, a native of Rumford and a former logger, Pelletier has an appreciation for all sides of the ATV issue. He uses an ATV for remote field work and regularly observes both the obvious and more obscure effects of the machines.

The primary goals of the study are to assess the number of additional trail miles needed to accommodate the growing use and identify locations of potential new trails that might be acquired or constructed by the state.

Woodlot Alternatives is a full-service environmental consulting firm headquartered in Topsham.