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Highlands Today

Looks Like Carter Creek Fence Is Working

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Highlands Today Staff

Published: February 11, 2008

Sometimes, a fence helps — and helps a lot.

For all those who thought no fence could keep overzealous all-terrain vehicle riders away from the Carter Creek Scrub area, there is some good news.

The gates to the Carter Creek fence, installed to keep ATVs out, have not been installed yet, but Riverdale Road and surrounding areas have been a lot more quieter with the fence nearly completed, authorities say.

There are believed to be few ATVs in the area in recent weeks, or at least authorities have received much fewer complaints.

We are assuming that the fence is keeping some of these riders out even though the 4-foot-high wire mesh fence has a cut in its northern part, presumably made by a rider who wanted to sneak in.

Once the gates are installed, authorities have promised tougher enforcement, crucial for long-term protection of the environmentally sensitive land.

But the fence is not just serving as a warning to trespassers, it's also letting unwary riders know that the land is off-limits to them.

While some anti-ATV groups would like to think that all ATV riders want to tear up the Earth and trample on sensitive land just for the thrills, it's not the case.

Some of these ATV riders, out-of-towners perhaps, were possibly not aware of the environmental implications of what they thought was open land. The fence is keeping such riders out.

If the initial success of the Carter Creek fence project is any indication, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is right in buying land around other areas for the same protection.

It's been worth the cost and the ruckus it caused in the community.

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