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Potential Off-Highway Vehicle Trails in Treaty Line State Forests |
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UPDATE: As
of 8/14/01, NYS DEC has decided to deny the ATV/OHM trail proposal contained in
the May 2000 draft unit management plan, opting to approve a final UMP stripped
of the trail proposal.
Link
here to a copy of the decision from DEC Commissioner Erin Crotty denying the
proposal.
The draft Unit Management Plan
("UMP") for Treaty Line Unit (a complex of 10 state forests located
in the Southern Tier northeast of Binghamton) was released in April, and
contains a proposal to construct up to 100 miles of trails for ATVs and
off-highway motorcycles. Ensuring the final UMP retains the off-highway vehicle
(OHV) trail proposal should be a priority for all OHV enthusiasts since it is
the best opportunity yet to see trails built on New York State's (your) public
land.
That
is the very good news. The bad news as you probably could guess is that many
environmentalists and anti-OHV groups are organizing on a large scale to fight
against the trails proposal. We can stop the opposition from rolling over us
again by participating in the UMP process, advising our politicians that OHV
enthusiasts have been shut out of state lands for too long, and standing up for
our rights. At the same time we must recognize that there are legitimate
environmental concerns that need to be addressed as part of any trail proposal,
and simply attacking opponents and their concerns is not constructive; in fact
it is harmful to our cause. Also keep in mind that Treaty Line is especially
important as it represents an opportunity to show that by working together, the
DEC and OHV enthusiasts can achieve positive results, making it more likely
that ATV trails can be constructed in other regions of the state.
Here's
what's going on: A "Unit Management Plan" is part of the official
process the DEC uses to designate acceptable activities on parcels of state
land, including recreational activities. The UMP process is open to the public
who must speak out when the DEC holds its public meeting on May 2nd [now
past of this revision], and during the comment period that extends through
June 2, 2000. The opposition will oppose these trails as best they can, and if
we don't support DEC to the maximum possible extent, we'll lose the trails and
a huge opportunity--it's as simple as that!
Here's
what we all need to do:
- Submit your written
comments regarding the UMP [official comment period ended
6/2/00, but we encourage continued input]. State that you are strongly in
favor of the ATV trail proposal contained in the draft UMP for Treaty
Line, and thank the DEC planners for "sticking their necks out"
to provide trails to us. The DEC is looking for informed, sensible
commentary and arguments in response to the content of the Draft UMP (click here to view), not
reactions of borderline hysteria that some ATV-opposition groups purvey at
times. Remember, merely attacking the opposition and their concerns in not
constructive. If you have legitimate concerns about the environmental
considerations contained in the Draft UMP, please express them
thoughtfully. Refraining from "mudslinging" helps ensure our
comments are taken seriously.
Send your positive comments to:
NYSDEC, 2715 SR 80, Sherburne, NY 13460
FAX 607-674-9034
Or e-mail rgpancoe@gw.dec.state.ny.us.
(Comments submitted after 6/2/00 will not be part of the official record
but will be useful in reminding them that we are still interested in seeing the
plan go though.)
- Express your support
to the DEC Commissioner and the Governor [even after the
June 2 cutoff date!] letting them know you are an ATV or OHM
enthusiast, by mail, phone, fax, or e-mail. You need not include
commentary on the UMP, but a supporting statement on why you think you
should have a real trail system on public lands would be appropriate to
explain your support. See the sample text at the bottom of this page.
|
Governor
George E. Pataki |
DEC
Commissioner |
- Advise your State
Assembly Member and Senator now [even after the June 2 cutoff date!] so
that your views can shape their position on Treaty Line. Please encourage
them to help you fight to ensure that the proposed ATV trails are retained
in the final UMP (Treaty Line 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.
Remember,
this is the best chance we've seen since the early 1990s to get some trails on
state land. We need to see trails approved for Treaty Line so that we have a
legal place to ride and, just as important, to demonstrate that building OHV
trails on state land is consistent with the state's interest in serving it's
residents and wisely managing the public's resources. Please do your part to
ensure the final UMP retains the OHV trails proposal by speaking out!
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 Treaty Line UMP"
document including maps, which outline the trail proposal for the unit, should
contact either of the following DEC forestry offices:
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NYS
DEC Region 4 |
NYS
DEC Region 7 |
Again,
we have posted an excerpt version of the UMP draft (maps
omitted) here on the site. There will also be a future link to the UMP on the
DEC site that may include the maps contained in the plan, which we will
announce here when available.
Thank
you for you help in this matter,
[removed], Project Coordinator []
Sample E-mail Text for the DEC Commissioner and 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 "In support of ATV trails in Treaty Line UMP."
Governor:
gov.pataki@chamber.state.ny.us
Dear Governor
Pataki,
I strongly
support the DEC's proposal to develop up to 100 miles of dedicated trails for
all terrain vehicles in state forests encompassed in the Treaty Line Unit in
DEC Regions 4 & 7 and New York's Southern Tier.
I respectfully
request that you see to it that the DEC's UMP, to be finalized in June, retains
the ATV trail proposal included in the original draft plan and that the trails
be built as soon as is practical. Doing so will be a long-overdue response to
DEC’s 1993 Position Statement on ATVs and the first real response to the many
requests of New York's more than a quarter-million ATV riders for a properly
designed and maintained trail system dedicated to this use. Thank you for your
consideration in this matter.
Name
Address
City, State ZIP
Phone
DEC
Commissioner: jcahill@gw.dec.state.ny.us
Dear
Commissioner,
I strongly
support the proposal to develop up to 100 miles of dedicated trails for all
terrain vehicles in state forests encompassed in the Treaty Line Unit in DEC
Regions 4 & 7 and New York's Southern Tier.
I respectfully
request that you see to it that the final UMP draft retains the trail proposal
included in the February 2000 draft document and that the trails be built as
soon as is practical. Doing so will be a long-overdue response to DEC’s 1993
Position Statement on ATVs. Thank you for your consideration in this matter.
Name
Address
City, State ZIP
Phone
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