ATV Registrations Now Required for 2020-2021

Amended Executive Order lifts interim suspension on ATV registrations

ATV owners must register or renew registrations for 2020-2021. ATV registrations are valid for 12-months, July 1 to June 30, and easy registration renewals are available online. New registrations must occur through a registration agent or the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife main office in Augusta. Riders unable to register an ATV online or at a town office should call (207) 287-8000.

ATV registration fees provide the funding to build and maintain Maine's trail system and support ATV clubs and volunteers who provide the critical work to maintain trails systems. Annual registration also assists private landowners who allow trail access. Riders are encouraged to remember that without the use of private land, most trails would not exist. The ability to ride is a privilege granted by the landowner, and all riders must respect their wishes and treat private land as if it were their own. Learn more about Maine's ATV program.

Tips for ATV riders

• Never drink and ride!
• Stay on marked ATV trails (ATV trails have green and white signs. Not all snowmobile trails are ATV trails).
• Drive to the right and at an appropriate speed.
• Tread lightly - Don't tear up the trail!
• Remember that modified exhausts are illegal.
• Be respectful of ATV access routes - yield to all traffic and never pass a vehicle.

Avoid crowded trails, spread out a bit and explore

Overcrowding can make recreation experiences less enjoyable and negatively impact the ecology of the wonderful parks and lands we all share. And with social distancing being so important to public health, overcrowding also risks your health and the health of our communities. Thankfully, there are some steps you can take to avoid overcrowding recreation destinations.

One step to combat crowding is to seek out lesser-known, less heavily visited destinations. Already overflowing this spring have been places such as Tumbledown Mountain Public Land, campgrounds at the Bigelow Preserve Public Land, Camden Hills State Park, the Sunrise and Four Seasons Rail Trails, as well as some sites not managed by the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands.

Other wonderful destinations await without the crowding

• Maine Trail Finderand Adventure Local Maine are great tools for discovering places to hike and bike. It also includes listings for water trails.
• The Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands' Find Parks and Landsfeature helps direct you to information on the Bureaus varied destinations.
• Look for public boat launchesfor on-the-water adventures across the state.
• Maine ATV clubssupport trail maintenance and management. Joining a club is a great way to learn about riding opportunities and to give back to the trails.

More Tips:

• Visit on the traditionally less busy days: Monday through Thursday. If it safely suits your activity, consider a visit earlier or later in the day.
• Make a back-up plan in case your first choice of location or activity is crowded or full.
• If camping in an area without reservations, plan to arrive early enough in the day to adjust if your anticipated site is already taken. This is especially important for backpacking and paddling trips.
• Learn about Leave No Traceskills and ethics to better prepare for minimizing your impacts and staying safe.

 Record Number of Unclaimed Property Claims Returned in Fiscal Year

Office of the State Treasurer has paid over 30 thousand claims worth more than $17 million during the fiscal year.

The State Treasurer announced the completion of a record year of unclaimed property returned to Mainers. The office has paid $17.009.612.08 to 30,527 owners. The number of individual owners paid beats the previous record set in fiscal year 2018 by over 1,000 claims.

Unclaimed property consists of money and other financial assets that are considered lost or abandoned when an owner cannot be located after a specified period of inactivity. It includes items such as bank accounts, uncashed checks, life insurance policies, unpaid wages, stocks and dividends, refunds, and safe deposit box contents.

At present, the Treasurer holds $260,982,994 of Unclaimed Property. It is easy and free to file a claim. To file a claim, go to https://www.maineunclaimedproperty.gov/ and follow the easy to use instructions or call 207-624-7470 for assistance.

With Improving Public Health Metrics, Administration Exempts Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey From Quarantine & Testing Requirement

The administration announced that it is exempting visitors from the States of Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey from the 14-day quarantine requirement or negative COVID-19 testing alternative, effective Friday, July 3, 2020.

The decision comes after the administration reviewed public health data in other states to determine the appropriateness of additional exemptions, like those previously extended to New Hampshire and Vermont. In evaluating these exemptions, the administration takes into consideration several data measurements, which include but are not limited to, the prevalence of the virus and the positivity rates in other states. In reviewing these metrics, Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey, for example, demonstrate a lower positive rate than Maine’s. Additionally, the prevalence of the virus in these states is similar and continues a downward trend.

Visitors can find COVID-19 testing sites near them via the website https://get-tested-covid19.org/. Those taking reservations for lodging facilities in Maine should advise all visitors that testing is encouraged, even if no longer required for people coming from certain states.

Report Released on Maine’s State and Local Initiatives to Improve Outcomes for Children

 New America released a report describing efforts to expand and improve early education in Maine: Building Systems in Tandem – Maine’s State and Local Initiatives to Improve Outcomes for Children by David Jacobson. Find the report here.

The report describes the efforts of 13 Maine schools who, in collaboration with partners within their communities, have crafted and begun to implement First 10 plans designed to better support children and their families from birth through the first 10 years of children’s lives by attending to all domains of development, wrap around supports, parenting skills, and transitions across early learning experiences.

Simultaneously, while the 13 communities were developing their plans, a team composed of specialists from Maine DOE, Maine DHHS, and CDS formed to learn more about First 10 Schools and Communities, other national models, and strategies in which state level administration can engage to support this work at the local level. Findings from Maine’s work in this area are included in this report along with next steps.

The State Team members from Maine DOE, Maine DHHS, and CDS continue to meet to explore how to expand on this work.