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Pennsylvania Statutes Title 72 P.S. Taxation and Fiscal Affairs § 1720-E. Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

Current as of January 01, 2026 | Updated by Findlaw Staff

(a) Appropriations.--The following shall apply to appropriations for the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources:

(1) The department shall, in consultation with the Department of Transportation, develop, open and maintain an ATV trail connecting the Whiskey Springs ATV trail to the Blood Skillet ATV trail by utilizing existing State roads and State forest roads by April 1, 2020.

(2) The department shall, in consultation with the Department of Transportation, implement the full Northcentral Pennsylvania ATV initiative and create a network of ATV trails connecting Clinton County to the New York State border by utilizing existing State roads and State forest roads by April 1, 2024.

(b) Regional ATV pilot program for department lands.--

(1) The department shall establish a regional pilot program for ATV use on department lands.

(2) As part of the pilot program, by December 31, 2020, the department shall:

(i) evaluate department forest districts, including Elk, Moshannon, Sproul, Susquehannock and Tioga, for roads and trails to serve as potential regional connectors and to provide local access or serve as a trail complex for ATV use;  and

(ii) perform an assessment regarding charging fees for access to the department ATV pilot area.

(3) Beginning January 2021, the department shall:

(i) consult with local community leaders to assess their interest in and the feasibility of a department ATV pilot area;

(ii) perform outreach to affected communities and stakeholders;  and

(iii) map, mark and designate roads and trails in the department ATV pilot area for use as permitted under this subsection.

(4) Upon completion of the requirements under paragraphs (2) and (3), the department may apply a fee and sell tags for access to the department ATV pilot area using a tag system to designate access.

(5) The department shall provide access to the department ATV pilot area for the 2021 summer ATV riding season from the Friday before Memorial Day through the last full weekend in September, in addition to an extended season to be determined by the department based on local conditions.

(5.1) The department shall provide access to the department ATV pilot area for at least the 2024 and 2025 summer ATV riding season from the Friday before Memorial Day through the last full weekend in September, in addition to an extended season to be determined by the department based on local conditions.

(6) In order to access the department ATV pilot area roads or trails, a person with a registration under 75 Pa.C.S. § 7711.1 (relating to registration of snowmobile or ATV) must apply for, obtain and prominently display a department ATV pilot area tag upon the ATV machine.

(7) The fee per tag shall be determined by the department during the pilot program assessment under paragraph (2)(ii).  The tags shall be dispersed on a calendar-year basis.

(8) All fees collected under this subsection shall be deposited into the restricted account as provided for under 75 Pa.C.S. § 7706(a)(1) (relating to restricted accounts) and shall be allocated to the department's ATV Fund which funds ATV activities, enforcement and maintenance on department lands, as provided for in 75 Pa.C.S. § 7706(b).

(9) The department shall monitor the use, enforcement, maintenance needs and any associated impacts to State Forest land resources, value and forest users resulting from the department ATV pilot area.  On or before December 31, 2023, and every three years thereafter, the department shall submit a report to the General Assembly on the department ATV pilot area.

(10) As used in this subsection, the term “department” means the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources of the Commonwealth.

(c) Pennsylvania Game Commission lands.--Money appropriated from the Motor License Fund for the maintenance and mitigation of dust and sediment pollution from parks and forestry roads under 75 Pa.C.S. § 9106 (relating to dirt, gravel and low-volume road maintenance) may not be used on lands owned or otherwise under the control of the Pennsylvania Game Commission.

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Cite this article: FindLaw.com - Pennsylvania Statutes Title 72 P.S. Taxation and Fiscal Affairs § 1720-E. Department of Conservation and Natural Resources - last updated January 01, 2026 | https://codes.findlaw.com/pa/title-72-ps-taxation-and-fiscal-affairs/pa-st-sect-72-1720-e/

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