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Show Close That Gate to Assure Future Use Clsoing any gates that you open will help your hosts who are good enough to let you use their land for recreation and also ensure that you can continue that use. Carelessness in closing gates across the road may result ultimately in locked gates and more restricted access to some of the most attractive parts of the county. The most important thing to remember is to close the gate again after you've driven past. In traveling back roads, time and again the traveler will come to a closed livestock gate. These gates serve an important function on all lands. . Livestock operators and private landowners suffer the most when gates are left unclosed. By failing to close gates behind them, strained relationships between recreationists open the way for cattle and sheep to roam away from the land they should be on. This causes the owners to face the necessity of retrieving their stock and often paying fines for trespassing. It frequently causes neighbors, too. In many cases, abuse of gate privileges has led private landowners lan-downers to lock gates and not let anyone pass. Leaving gates down also has legal implications and can cause penalties of up to $299 fine and up to six months in Jail plus liablity for all damages that might be sustained. |