http://www.dec.state.ny.us/website/dlf/publands/ump/reg7/recplan/reg7rec.pdf
The plan does not prohibit mountain bicycling. However, it does severely restrict mountain bicycling and changes the management approach to all-trails-closed-unless-designated open, which is unacceptable. The DEC has put a lot of work into this, and is trying to please everybody. But there are some restrictions in here that are unacceptable, and it is very disappointing. Below are some excepts. However, you are strongly urged to read the whole thing so that you get everything in context.
The plan recommends that its recommendations be put into state regulations and thus would apply state wide. Even if regulations are not amended, discussions with Lands and Forests officials in Albany indicate that this plan may form the basis for similar regulations state wide. This is not just a Region 7 issue! Note, however, that additional public input would be solicited before these or similar regulations were adopted state-wide. Still, the best time to comment on them is now.
NYMBC and IMBA have submitted comments on this plan. Copies of the comments are available here:
Cover Page
Table of Contents
Comment Text
Appendix A (Appendix A provides
the page-by-page comments)
Appendix B (parts only)
Appendix C
Appendix
D (parts only)
NYMBC and IMBA have also prepared a detailed analysis of the plan, and have provided guidelines that you should use in developing your response to this plan. This guidance is available on a series of web pages.
Please start by looking at the
Overview Page
that goes over the basics.
This links to four separate pages that go into details about
Please review this information and respond. The in-a-nutshell version
is presented below.
First of all, the biggest problem with the draft plan:
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1. Restrict mountain bike use to designated trails.
In order to minimize erosion, prevent user conflicts and eliminate
unauthorized trail construction, mountain bike use will be restricted to
designated trails. Mountain bike trails may be part of multipurpose
trail systems.
2. Existing multiple use trails, where mountain bike use is proposed,
will be designated after inspection shows that the trail is in a suitable
location and in satisfactory condition. Trails in an unsatisfactory condition
or location will need to be upgraded or rerouted before they can become a
formally designated trail. Trails not suitable for mountain bikes will be
closed.
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We fully support closing unsustainable or illegally built trails. But the procedure must be to designate these trails as such and close them. Not open the trails one by one.
Although there is a lot of implementation scheduling in the plan, there is nothing about when these designations will be made.
next..
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5. To protect the quality of the trails, allow mountain bike use from
May 1 to October 31. Mountain bike use will be prohibited from November 1
to April 30 to protect the trails. The Shindagin Hollow Trail System will
be open throughout the year on an experimental basis.
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Again, we support keeping bikes off trails during muddy conditions.
But when you have conditions like you had this fall, when things were dry
as a bone, the trails should be open. The policy as to when trails
are closed has got to be much more flexible, and take into account the better
quality (e.g. faster drying abilities) and variations in the climate.
The DEC may rightly point out the sections such as "3. Develop four new trail
systems where mountain biking will be allowed." But unless the policy
is kept as the current "open unless closed", development of new systems will
not make up for other lost opportunities. In appendix 6, there is a
comparison of miles of current MTB trails compared to miles under the proposed
plan, and it shows a great increase under the current plan. However,
when "current" situation for Shindagin hollow lists zero miles and the "proposed"
situation (and remember, trails will be closed unless open) has only 15
miles, this inventory clearly does not adequately reflect current
situations, and does not support any claims of increases in biking opportunities.
OK, so what can you do? Two things: written comments and attend public meetings.
NYMBC and IMBA have prepared, and are continually updating some detailed guidelines on how to respond to this plan. This information is available here. Please review the information provided on these links. However, for convenience, the contact information is repeated here as well:
Send your comments (**before February 28**) to:
NYS DEC
Division of Lands and Forests
Re: Recreation Master Plan
2715 State Hwy.
Sherburne, NY 13460
or email:
r7forest@gw.dec.state.ny.us
or
NYS DEC
Division of Lands and Forests
Re: Recreation Master Plan
1285 Fisher Ave.
Cortland, NY 13045
Please copy your letters to the higher ups in the DEC. These would include:
Thomas Wolfe
Chief, Bureau of Public Lands
Robert Davies
Director, Division of Lands and Forests
Peter Duncan
Executive Deputy Commissioner
these three official are at:
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
625 Broadway
Albany, NY 12233
also consider:
Kenneth Lynch
Director, Region 7
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
615 Erie Blvd. West
Syracuse, NY 13204-2400
For the record, the meeting dates and locations were:
Jan. 7, Homer High School, 80 West Road, Homer
Jan. 8, BOCES, Butterfly Road, Mexico
Jan. 9, SUNY Forestry school, Syracuse, Baker Lab
Jan 15, Johnson City High, 666 Reynolds Road, Johnson City
Jan 17, Norwich High, Midland Drive, Norwich.
What **not** to do:
Don't fly off the handle with comments you wish you didn't make, especially online. Remember that the DEC has worked hard to put this together to balance competing interests. If you want to influence their opinion, you need to make well reasoned points. There is a large body of literature that contradicts the impact issues on which they are basing most of their restrictions. Furthermore, there are plenty of examples where such restrictions are not required to maintain great trail and other outdoor opportunities.
Finally, please forward this information to as many people as you know and are interested, but please forward it all, and not just the snippets. Please read, and encourage others to read, the whole document. Comments made that do not reflect what is actually in the document will fall on deaf ears. Don't comment based on just what you read here.