PARIS – Town officials will be required to prohibit motor vehicles from driving on Hall Pond in the winter, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife has ruled.

The decision to ban the vehicles was submitted to a department advisory council by Commissioner Roland Martin on Thursday and approved.

“It does not take effect until I file it with the secretary of state,” department representative Andrea Erskine said Thursday.

Erskine said the department may be asked to consider other regulations for the pond as well.

Hall Pond is in Paris. It serves as a water supply for the town of Hebron.

Hebron Water Co. General Manager Lewis Williams has said pollutants could be introduced into the water by vehicles using the pond in the winter, especially if one fell through the ice. Although Paris officials have the right to regulate use of the pond, it was Williams who requested that the wildlife department impose winter vehicle restrictions.

The restrictions apply only to passenger vehicles like cars and trucks, not to all-terrain vehicles.

Lewis has hinted that the water district may seek further restrictions on the pond.

On Thursday, Erskine said a water company official had told her they may “proceed with a petition for restricting horsepower on motorboats.”

Paris officials have said they are concerned about losing public access to a popular fishing and recreation spot.