A publication of The New York State Off-Highway Recreational Vehicle Assoc.
Please copy to all interested parties.

This e-mail newsletter is distributed by:

NYSORVA, Inc.

PO Box 338

Ravena, NY 12143-0338

http://www.nysorva.org

Editor: Alex Ernst, aernst@albany.net

Contents:

1. FPAC Quarterly Meeting
2. Leatherstocking UMP
3. APA Lawsuit
4. Trail Fund Legislation Update
5. Champion Lands Recreational Easements to Include ATV Access
6. Upcoming NYS Trails Council Meeting

A meeting of the DEC's Forest Preserve Advisory Committee was held Friday, the 31st. As NYSORVA's delegate to the FPAC, I was present to represent NY's OHV interests. I have some info I'd like to share with you that came out of the meeting, along with other items.

Although this was not on the FPAC agenda, a friend of ours within DEC approached me and STRONGLY encouraged all OHV enthusiasts to contact, UMP director Paul Wenner, DEC Commissioner , and Gov. Pataki regarding this UMP which contains a plan for a 10-mile ATV trail loop (no, it's not much but a start). The reason he gave me was that the opponents of OHV use from all over the state are flooding these offices with letters containing misinformation and misrepresentation of the usual sort regarding OHV use on public land-- our community has communicated its opinions about the proposal very minimally, and the anti's will get their as usual way if we don't speak up! It was recommended that all three of these officers should receive letters as this is the strategy of the anti's. I appreciate his candor, and we should all take this opportunity to show such officials that the many of us are out here and would like to relate some reasonable arguments regarding this and any other potential ATV trail project on DEC reforestation lands.

PLEASE take a few minutes to write a short note to all three of these people. State one reasonable, simple argument why you as a trail rider should have recreational opportunities on public land regardless of what people with exclusionist attitudes say about us.

Please write to:

UMP Planner-- Paul Wenner, NYSDEC, Jefferson Road, Stamford, NY 12167-9503

DEC Commissioner-- John P. Cahill, NYSDEC, 50 Wolf Road, Albany, NY 12233

Governor-- George E. Pataki, State Capitol, Albany, NY 12224, or to E-mail The Governor:

gov.pataki@chamber.state.ny.us

NYSORVA continues to stress that it is not in any way involved in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-based lawsuit regarding three persons whom wish to gain access to Adirondack Forest Preserve lands via ATV. An injunction recently opened up 8 DEC administrative roads to certified disabled persons. This ruling however overlaps Policy CP-3 of the Governors Office, which opened 7 of the same roads to the disabled.

(By law there remains no such thing as an "ATV trail" allowable on Adirondack FP parkland. ATVs may only use park roads (such designated as "motorvehicle trail") that have been authorized for such use by the general public under a UMP. So far the only such trails exist in Aldrich Pond Wild Forest, just under 40 miles worth.)

Non-motorized recreational groups will continue to oppose the recently introduced ATV trail funding bills S632/A1060 as long as they remain in their current state of language. I solicited commentary from such groups asking for comments on reasonable objections to the legislation (other that "we just don't like ATVs") that we may present to the sponsors of the bills for amending. Although NYSORVA's focus is to push hard and fast for the timely bills' movement, we must consider anything that makes them more viable than previous versions (no disrespect is intended to the sponsors).

We reiterate our call to you to contact the bills' sponsors and district's your Assembly and Senate representatives regarding these bills (and the Gov. while you're at it). See documents at www.eguides.com/nysorva for the information previously released by NYSORVA for addresses and additional detail on the matter of the bills.

Great news for Northern & N. Western Adirondackers-- A ranking DEC official announced to FPAC members that DEC is working with Champion Paper Company to secure recreational easements on three large parcels of forest production land (some 140,000+ acres), with the possible stipulation of ATV access to existing forest roads. One FPAC member said 140 miles, another suggested up to 400 miles! Anti-OHV-inclined groups will put up a fight since this proposal regards lands almost completely within the Forest Preserve (remember the no "ATV trail" rule in the FP). Such furious opposition will take a lot of countermeasure on our part to ensure DEC's vision of ATV access in these units. The easements, along with fee-purchase of river corridor lands, should close in early summer. At that time the public will be asked to comment on use planning. I will keep you up to date on this matter.

The next NYSTC meeting is Febraury 6 at the DEC office at 50 Wolf Road, Rm 668, 10:45AM. I will be joining the Council to replace former ATV deligate, Paul Pignatelli. Our thanks to Paul for his past service in this office. NYSORVA will have four members total on the TC for ATV and trail bike seats: Cheryl Nelson (ATV), Amos Nelson (trail bike), Matthew Guilbault (ATV), and Alex Ernst (ATV).

The TC Chair and a DEC official have requested that I give a presentation regarding the Trail Fund bills on behalf of the OHV user community.

(c) 1999 NYSORVA, Inc. May be redistributed in whole.