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Kingdom Trails. Lyndon, VT

Aaand unlike the Spanish inquisition, the fat mafia shows up with a high degree of predictability.

So far the same source has offered two "confirmed" causes. I'm waiting to see if we'll ever know what actually caused the brouhaha. There are two or three topics in vermont-new-hampshire-maine discussing the issue. I read 'em all, which gave me a headache and a faint sense of nausea.
 

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
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Interesting that the four land owners are not even willing to talk to Abby, et. Al...
my best guess is that the rumored incident that led to the decision to ban cyclists was not an isolated incident, rather the straw that broke the camels back after on-going issues over a longer time frame, and they aren't ready to come back to the table yet. the article made it sound as if there are other landowners with the same frustrations who haven't hit their breaking point yet.
 

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
54,232
20,015
Sleazattle
interesting about the landowner liability. i was not aware of that.

It looks like Washington has a similar law, which is awesome. So much trail sterilization happened back in VA because of liability concerns, and any private trails required signed disclaimers. Then I move to Washington and you can find plenty of trails on private land including sketchy jump lines on corporate property that no one cares about.
 

Adventurous

Starshine Bro
Mar 19, 2014
10,261
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Crawlorado
What a shame. After moving back to MA I was looking forward to returning. I have good memories of attendeding a Monkeyfest in 2008, but last rode there circa 2012. It was never the most technically challenging, but it was a great place to link trails together and ride for the entire day.
 

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
85,562
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Leafy

Monkey
Sep 13, 2019
542
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I think KTA should turn the trail passes into number plates that you have to afix to your handlebars. That way if they do put in cameras to monitor closed trails and do have landowner complaints they can hopefully link the asshole act with the asshole and ban them from the trail system.

Its too bad Vermont doesnt have the same lane use rules as NH, here you have to allow public use on your large properties (with no liability if they get hurt) or else you have to pay a higher tax rate on the land. On some of those 100+ acre farm lots in VT that would be many thousands of dollars per year they'd have to pay in taxes to keep riders off the trails.
 
I think KTA should turn the trail passes into number plates that you have to afix to your handlebars. That way if they do put in cameras to monitor closed trails and do have landowner complaints they can hopefully link the asshole act with the asshole and ban them from the trail system.

Its too bad Vermont doesnt have the same lane use rules as NH, here you have to allow public use on your large properties (with no liability if they get hurt) or else you have to pay a higher tax rate on the land. On some of those 100+ acre farm lots in VT that would be many thousands of dollars per year they'd have to pay in taxes to keep riders off the trails.
Vermont law is equivalent.
 

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
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Vermont law is equivalent.
the PB article seemed to indicate that VT landowners are covered by the additional liability protection as long as they receive no financial incentives. other states were cited regarding tax incentives for public access which also covered recreational purposes. made it seem like there are no tax incentives for recreational use in VT, is that not the case?
 
the PB article seemed to indicate that VT landowners are covered by the additional liability protection as long as they receive no financial incentives. other states were cited regarding tax incentives for public access which also covered recreational purposes. made it seem like there are no tax incentives for recreational use in VT, is that not the case?
Yes.

If one wants "current use" tax relief, one needs to periodically harvest timber. I have watched this fuck up a lot of trails. I looked at it and never enrolled, no idea what that has cost me in taxes over decades, but use of my land remains under my own control.
 

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
85,562
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Yes.

If one wants "current use" tax relief, one needs to periodically harvest timber. I have watched this fuck up a lot of trails. I looked at it and never enrolled, no idea what that has cost me in taxes over decades, but use of my land remains under my own control.
is that personal use timber harvest or does it have to be commercial?
 

dan-o

Turbo Monkey
Jun 30, 2004
6,499
2,805
i figured as much. commercial logging is........ disruptive. a family member in Maine maintains a parcel they own as a wood lot, and there are some special requirements around that.
Our camp's on a woodlot.
Need to harvest a portion commercially every 10 years in exchange for tax break.
Do it in winter when grounds frozen, and cut selectively (no clear cutting) and impact is minimal.
Skidder tracks gone within a summer, forest grows with a vengeance.
 

jstuhlman

bagpipe wanker
Dec 3, 2009
16,624
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@johnbryanpeters help me understand-from my quick read act250 seems to apply specifically to new developments in the housing and commercial realm and specifically to developers. i understand its historical intent, but am still not clear how it would apply to KT? i get how criteria 5 and 8 might apply to KY, but it's not a new commercial development...
 

StiHacka

Compensating for something
Jan 4, 2013
21,560
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In hell. Welcome!
@johnbryanpeters help me understand-from my quick read act250 seems to apply specifically to new developments in the housing and commercial realm and specifically to developers. i understand its historical intent, but am still not clear how it would apply to KT? i get how criteria 5 and 8 might apply to KY, but it's not a new commercial development...
They shot down another trail system in VT recently (on the owners' land) because the state asked them to apply for act 250 permit...
 
The hinge point that triggers Act 250 seems to be whether money is charged for use of the trails. One is supposed to purchase either a season or a day pass to ride at KT. I don't know how the Kingdom Trails Association's legal status as a non-profit affects all this.
 

jstuhlman

bagpipe wanker
Dec 3, 2009
16,624
12,916
Cackalacka du Nord
The hinge point that triggers Act 250 seems to be whether money is charged for use of the trails. One is supposed to purchase either a season or a day pass to ride at KT. I don't know how the Kingdom Trails Association's legal status as a non-profit affects all this.
ahh-didn't realize the day pass/permit issue. but yes, the whole "nonprofit" issue will be the key, as 250 seems to be centered around new commercial (for-profit) developments. i say if you're trying to push 250 on KT you can fuck right the fuck off.