After debating with several friends, reading over forums, etc the 1/4 mile rule remains a vague rule in the regs.
Reading other forum members misfortune of getting a ticket from the troopers when they did their research and believed themselves to be in the right as they were 1/4 mile from a publicly maintained road or trail. However the law sees it differently.
I too received a ticket a few years ago for being too close to a publicly maintained road.
This “road” had 4-6ft willows and alders growing down the middle. Was gated off. The only folks with access were the troopers and the logging company using the beginning section of the road(I was 1/4 mile from any maintained part of the road).
Google earth, the gps, maps, etc all told me that this was not any sort of established road other than a logging road.
After researching the definition of “publicly maintained” I discovered there is not really any set definition. Only that publicly maintained means it has state taxpayer dollars being used to maintain it so that it is suitable for driving a highway vehicle on.
Therefore as I saw the overgrown road it was not “publicly maintained”...troopers said otherwise. Lesson learned, haven’t had any other problems moving forward.
Looking on google earth at other potential spots and all. It still causes me to worry however when one trooper could say this is a road when no other documentation says otherwise.
Just curious how you guys have been able to define if you’re access point, trail, road, etc is a publicly maintained trail, etc?
One of those grey areas. I.e. powerlines,
Logging roads, etc.
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