MOUNTAIN BIKING

Action Alert! Cyclists Urged to Respond
to Proposed Trail Closures

Guest Commentary
by Jon Sundquist

Photo by Darryl Caron Jim McNaughton, MHCC Vice President for Mountain Biking, completing trail work in the Pittstown State Forest.

Bicyclists around the state were good all year, but still got a lump of coal in their stocking this Christmas when the state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Region 7 released its draft comprehensive recreation management plan for all state forests in Central New York. The restrictions include closing all trails unless designated by signage to be open, as well as closing all trails for six months out of the year.

But before you say "Good thing I don't live in Region 7," be advised that the draft plan recommends that these restrictions be incorporated straight into state forest use regulations, so that they would apply statewide. While DEC has assured cyclists that region-specific input would be solicited for each region's comprehensive recreation management plans, new regulations would limit the options. And Region 7's plan, being first out of the blocks, most likely will be looked at as the model for elsewhere in the state. Bicyclists who like to ride on state land are encouraged to submit comments to Region 7 by Feb. 28, or risk possible trail access loss in the future. The address for comment submission follows at the end of this article.

What does the plan recommend? There are many specifics in the plan, all 242 pages of it, and it makes sense for the concerned public – bicyclists and beyond – to read exactly what it says. It is available online at: www.dec.state.ny.us/website/dlf/publands/ump/reg7/recplan/reg7rec.pdf.

The plan is not just about bicycles, but addresses all recreational uses of state forests. Nineteen specific activities are identified, from hiking to hang gliding. However, new restrictions fall almost entirely on bicycles, and to a lesser extent on equestrians.

The plan does not ban bicycles from state forests. It identifies several forests that will have some trails open to bicycles. However, it makes the major and dramatic change in bicycle management from the current state forest policy of trails open to bicycles unless designated closed to the exact opposite approach: closed-unless-designated-open. This applies not only to trails, but also to roads in state forests.

Furthermore, trails would not be designated open until after Region 7 inspections that may take years. There are many state forests, including all those located wholly within Cortland County, which will not even be considered for review and thus never be opened to bicycles. Additionally, the plan proposes to prohibit mountain bike use on almost all trails from Nov. 1 to April 30 because of wet conditions.

Formulating a Response
The New York Mountain Bicycling Coalition (NYMBC) has developed a guide to responding to this proposal at the NYMBC Web site: www.ggw.org/nymbc. Cyclists are urged to visit this site for more details. Some of NYMBC's positions and recommendations on these pages are summarized here:

1. Retain the current "open-unless-designated-closed" bicycle management policy. This is the most important issue to NYMBC and its member organizations. There is no supportable justification presented in the draft plan for abandoning this management approach. The NYMBC Web site includes a point-by-point rebuttal of the arguments used by the plan to justify the proposed change in management policy, which are based mainly on trail impacts. The current management strategy, open-unless-designated-closed, is the mode of management used throughout the rest of the state and it works. NYMBC supports closing unsustainable trails to bicycles, and in most cases, to other users as well.

Not only is it not justified; this change will have a significant impact on bicycle access. On the face of it, the draft plan's intention to open sustainable trails to bicycles and NYMBC's recommendation to close unsustainable trails (to all users) should result in the same trail designation pattern. However, NYMBC is not convinced that Region 7 has a comprehensive enough inventory of the existing trails on the region's 195,000 acres to efficiently and timely designate which trails are to open to bicycles. Many sustainable trails that are important to cyclists would be closed.

2. Reduce the duration of the wet season closure. The six-month closure of all trails is excessive and not justified. Fall and spring typically produce wet conditions even on the most sustainable trails. However, the impacts on trails arise disproportionately from springtime usage. Fall usage generally is much reduced due to lack of daylight, deer hunting season, and the fact that many cyclists have just finished a great summer of cycling, and don't feel as inclined to hit the trails in these wetter and colder conditions.

Any impacts from the few riders in the late fall are minor in scope and are generally erased by frost heaves and the weight of snow cover during the winter. In contrast, in spring, there is a pent-up demand for cycling, resulting in some people going out earlier than they should. It is during this period that seasonal restrictions are required.

Comments – from cyclists and others – are accepted
until only Feb. 28, which is coming up fast.

The seasonal closure period should be flexible. Granted, it is difficult to survey the condition of the trails through all the forests. However, authority to review trail conditions at popular forests could be delegated to volunteer organizations. Where it is not practical to evaluate the trails or designate organizations, a default closure period of Feb. 15 – April 15 is all that is appropriate. During winter, it is important to keep bicycles off trails suitable for skiing. However, this is simply addressed by designating trails "closed when snow sufficient for skiing is present on the trails."

3. The final plan should require all trail closure plans be submitted to organized cycling groups prior to implementation. Trails should be managed as open unless designated closed. For each state forest, Region 7 should work with a local cycling organization to review planned closures before they are implemented. Some trails may need permanent closure due to soil conditions. Others may need reroutes, drainage work, or other maintenance work. For these latter trails, Region 7 and local cycling group should agree upon what needs to be done, set a schedule for the changes to be satisfactorily completed, and only close them if this schedule is not met.

4. The draft plan's recommendations should not form the basis of statewide regulations. Recommendations developed by one regional office, which has not solicited statewide input, should not form the basis of regulations that apply to all state forests throughout the state.

Comments are accepted until only Feb. 28, which is coming up fast. Written comments are preferred and most effective, however email comments will be accepted at r7forest@gw.dec.state.ny.us. After you take a look at the plan and the NYMBC Web site, please send your comments to:

NYS DEC
Division of Lands and Forests
Re: Recreation Master Plan
1285 Fisher Ave.
Cortland, NY 13045

The NYMBC Web site also has a list of officials in Albany who should receive a copy of your letter as well. Please write today – this is a very important issue!

Jon Sundquist lives in East Aurora, and is chair of NYMBC, and is Upstate New York IMBA representative.

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