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Recreation Plan will deny ATV access to the entire Region 7 |
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[Region 7 Draft Recreation Plan (PDF 752kb)] [Link to sample letter text]
The draft Recreation Plan for Region 7 was
released in December 2001, and contains a proposal ban to trails from being
developed on state lands for ATVs and off-highway motorcycles. This is a
the state’s ironic reaction to overwhelming requests for ATV access to be
developed on state lands and is an outgrowth of the denial of the Treaty Line ATV Trail
proposal denied in 2001. TLUMP was a “close call” for those in state
government and anti-access groups who opposed state land ATV trails, and likely
drove the lock-down in the proposed Rec. Plan.
Members of
the OHV community participated in the January 2000 meetings that lead to the
creation of a draft recreation plan for state lands in DEC Region 7 which you
can read in full in PDF at: http://www.dec.state.ny.us/website/dlf/publands/ump/reg7/recplan/reg7rec.pdf
The draft is comprehensive
in its addressing of many uses, including those dear to our readers hearts like
snowmobiling, horseback riding, and mountain biking. It proposes only
accommodation of ATV activity for the benefit of persons with disabilities and does
not propose to serve the general riding public otherwise. The full text of the
letter from DEC regarding the release of the draft plan, info on submitting
comments, and public meeting dates and locations is copied at the bottom of
this page.
- Send a comment to DEC (Deadline:
- Advise your State
Assembly Member and Senator so that your views can shape
their position on the recreation Plan. Please encourage them to help you
fight to ensure that the ATV trail ban is removed from the final plan (Region
7 doesn't have to be in your district for your representative to have
influence over the outcome). To look up your State Senator and Assembly
Member on the Internet using your zip/zip+4 postal code, go to Project Vote Smart. For
those without Internet access, your Town Clerk can give out the names of
State Senators and Assembly Members for your area. (If you used our Trail
Funding Bill Letter Writing Application during
2000, you would have already received the addresses of your members in a
copy of your letters sent to you via e-mail.) The main switchboard numbers
for the Legislature are 518-455-2800 for the Senate, and 518-455-4100 for
the Assembly.
Also,
please pass this page or link on to as many people as possible, and check back
on it for often for updates on fighting for trails in Treaty Line (remember to
reload/refresh the web page on each visit).
People
interested in receiving a paper copy of the Draft Plan document contact either
of the following DEC forestry office:
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NYS
DEC Region |
Thank
you for you help in this matter,
Sample E-mail Text for the Region 7 Planners, and the Governor:
For
both messages below, select and copy the text (CTRL+C), click on the e-mail
link, past into the body of the message (CTRL+V), and complete your personal
information. Be sure to give your message a subject that identifies your
position such as "Opposed to ATV ban in DEC Region 7"
DEC
Region 7: mailto:r7forest@gw.dec.state.ny.us
Dear DEC Forester,
I strongly oppose
language in DEC Region 7’s Draft Recreation Pan which would arbitrarily ban
even the proposition of ATV trail development in future individual unit management
plans in Region 7. This Plan if implemented will unfairly remove the OHV-riding
public’s ability to participate in the planning process of land units.
I respectfully
request that you see to it that the DEC region 7 Draft Recreation Plan be
stripped of language preventing future trail proposals in the region and which
discounts the participation of New York's more than a quarter-million ATV
riders in the public process. Thank you for your consideration in this matter.
Phone
Governor:
gov.pataki@chamber.state.ny.us
Dear Governor
Pataki,
I strongly oppose
language in DEC Region 7’s Draft Recreation Pan which would arbitrarily ban
even the proposition of ATV trail development in future individual unit management
plans in Region 7. This Plan if implemented will unfairly remove the OHV-riding
public’s ability to participate in the planning process of land units.
I respectfully
request that you see to it that the DEC region 7 Draft Recreation Plan, be
stripped of language preventing future trail proposals in the region and which
discounts the participation of New York's more than a quarter-million ATV
riders in the public process. Thank you for your consideration in this matter.
Name
Address
City, State ZIP
Phone
New
York State Department of Environmental Conservation Division of Lands and
Forests, Region
Phone:
(607) 674-4036 •
FAX: (607) 674-9034
P.O
Box
Phone:
(607) 753-3095 •
FAX: (607) 753-8532
Website:
www.dec.state.ny.us
December,
2001
Draft
Region 7 Recreation Master Plan
The
Department of Environmental Conservation Division of Lands and Forests
announces the release of the Draft Region 7 State Forest Recreation Master
Plan. This draft plan addresses recreational activities on all
The
draft plan is the result of extensive work from a team of DEC foresters from
Region 7 and
Copies
of the draft plan are available on line through the DEC web page at: http://www.dec.state.ny.us/website/dlf/publands/ump/index.html
or you may request a copy from either the
Comments
on the draft plan may be submitted by letter, by e-mail, or in person at any of
five public meetings in January. The public meetings on the draft plan are
scheduled to start at
•
•
•
Please
note, to provide all attendees an opportunity to speak, there may be time
restrictions on comments given at the public meetings. Letters should be mailed
or faxed to either the Sherburne or Cortland Office. E-mails may be sent to: mailto:r7forest@gw.dec.state.ny.us
.
Written
comments to the draft plan will be accepted through
Notable Excerpts
from Plan:
[Full
plan at http://www.dec.state.ny.us/website/dlf/publands/ump/reg7/recplan/reg7rec.pdf]
Page
8 paragraph 1 "The private sector also has an important role in providing
recreational opportunities including some which are not found on public lands.
A multitude of opportunities are available on private lands. These range from
camping and cross country skiing to riding personal watercraft or racing
motorcycle dirt bikes. In general, private lands are capable of offering a
wider variety of recreation opportunities than public lands since they do not
have as many laws and regulations governing their use."
Page
10 paragraph 2 "a. Overall User Satisfaction
Most
respondents did not find fault with the existing forest conditions. For trail
users, important concerns are erosion control, well-marked trails, and
brochures. ATV users said trail riding opportunities are insufficient. Shared
trails are acceptable to horseback riders, mountain bikers and ATV riders.
Single use trails are desired by cross country skiers, hikers, and wildlife
viewers. Most conflicts are strongly inferred to be between motorized and
non-motorized users."
Page
10 paragraph 3 "b. Importance of Providing Various Activities The
questionnaire asked about the importance of providing opportunities for various
activities on state forests. Responses for activities given high importance
were: wildlife viewing, hiking, camping, skiing, and picnicking; of moderate
importance were: canoeing, fishing, mountain biking, hunting, and horseback
riding; of low importance were snowmobiling, ATV riding, trapping, target
shooting, and hang gliding. The report noted a discrepancy between the
importance of providing certain activities and actual participation in those
activities."
Page
10 paragraph 5 "c. Determining The Needs of Special Activities ...• ATV riders
want access to existing trails or to have trails constructed. They feel that
the benefits they receive are not proportional to the registration fees paid. At
present there are no trails open to ATV use on state forests in Region 7."
Page
89 last paragraph "Decision with Actions
1.
Development of an ATV trail system is incompatible with the cultural and
recreational demands, uses and natural characteristics of state forests in
Region 7."
[See
pages 84-91 for an extensive discussion of the issues that affected this
position.]
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