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This e-mail newsletter is distributed by:
New York State Off-Highway Recreational Vehicle Assn., Inc.
PO Box 338
Ravena, NY 12143-0338

Please copy and distribute to all interested parties. Your participation affects the quality of this newsletter: Please submit your pertinent material for inclusion in subsequent issues.

Editor: Alex Ernst, aernst@albany.net

Our Official Homepage is located at http://www.nysorva.org

An index of past newsletter issues is available at http://www.nysorva.org/news/newslist.htm

To request an addition to or removal from the list, e-mail aernst@albany.net listing name and e-mail address.

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SUBJECTS FOR THIS NEWSLETTER ARE:

1: Editor's Notes
2: ATV Raffle Winner Announced
3: Land Reclassification Threatens Trail Closures
4: NYSSA Raffles Kids’ Snowmobile
5: County Resolution Draft Available on Web

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1) EDITOR'S NOTES

This will be an abbreviated issue of the newsletter. It is released early in the month to give you a heads-up on an issue of great concern if you ride in the Northwest region of New York, or you think that the possible closure of 50% of State Land riding areas is, well, "a problem." We also announce in this issue what many of you have been waiting to hear with anticipation: Who won the NYSORVA ATV Raffle?

Also, if you need to get a hold of me, know that I will be unavailable from 9/11 through 9/21. NYSORVA president Al MacKenzie will also be out of reach from today until 9/18 while he attends the NOHVCC National Conference in Boise, Idaho. If you need to contact a NYSORVA staffer during this period, please direct an email to Matthew Guilbault at mattyg_587@hotmail.com.

2) ATV RAFFLE WINNER ANNOUNCED

By Al MacKenzie, NYTRO & NYSORVA president, nytroatv@netsync.net

It was a great day for NYSORVA at the races at Broome-Tioga AMA/Mazda Trucks 125-250 Pro National Motocross (round 11) in Binghamton, New York this past Sunday. We were treated like royalty as our first ever statewide raffle went off without a hitch. We were given a prime spot to sell tickets next to the track in the vendor area and did a good bit of business! Honda Motorcycle Press Coordinator Greg Wright jumped in with both feet and got us hooked up with Top Honda rider for the day Kevin Windham to do our raffle drawing. Honda again has proven themselves as the leaders in the industry as they showed us nothing but professionalism, assistance and respect.

Our thanks go out to Tom & Peggy Hurd of Broome-Tioga Sports Center, the AMA, American Suzuki (who went out or their way to ensure our participation at a Suzuki sponsored event), Mazda Trucks (main sponsor), American Honda (without whom we would have had no raffle); and to the Honda Factory race team especially #14 Kevin Windham, who not only won both mains but did us a big favor and drew the winning ticket from the winners' podium after his champagne toast for victory.

The winner of the 1999 Honda Foreman TRX450es 4x4 ATV is Mark Ellsworth from Palmyra, NY. Mark purchased one ticket from a NYTRO of Central NY member. The NYTRO of Central NY chapter will receive a check for $250 for selling the winning ticket and the club member who actually sold the ticket will receive $100. Not bad for one minute's work!

We will post the winner's picture on our website as soon as we have one available.

Our thanks go out to all members who sold tickets for this worthwhile cause. Money collected by NYSORVA will go to the legal fund, which pays in part for our lobbyist and other operational expenses of the organization.

[Editor: Check the web site for shots from our first roll of film - http://www.nysorva.org/pics/btmx99.htm]

3) APA LAND RECLASSIFICATION THREATENS TRAIL CLOSURES

The Adirondack Park Agency (APA) is commencing a process, including holding public hearings, to classify newly acquired lands, and to reclassify related existing units within the Adirondack Forest Preserve. Classification of Forest Preserve (FP) land units as required by law dictates what types and level of usage may occur on any given unit. The importance of FP classification to the OHV community is that, the only classification of an FP unit where motorvehicle access may be authorized for by the public and/or DEC staff who administer the unit, is "Wild Forest." The Adirondack Master Plan prohibits motorvehicle use, either administrative or public, from lands classified specifically as "Wilderness."

The notice regarding the matter as published by APA reads in part "...classification of the 23,000± acre Watson’s East Triangle/Lassiter Tract including the potential reclassification of 10,000± acres of State land adjoining the Tract classified Wild Forest..." The noted adjoining Wild Forest unit, although not specifically named, would be the Aldrich Pond Wild Forest. The significance of this should not be lost on OHV enthusiasts in this region: Aldrich Pond is the only forest unit in the FP with a Unit Management Plan (UMP) that explicitly allows for OHV access to "motorvehicle roads" by the general public. Re-designation of this unit to a Wilderness classification will immediately result in the closure of the approximately 40 miles of current and planned routes to the public and also for DEC administrative access. Aldrich Pond Wild Forest is one of only two state forest areas (the other being the Brasher Falls reforestation area) where OHV access is currently legally available to the general public in all of New York State.

In order for the Aldrich unit to remain classified as Wild Forest and for the access by OHV enthusiasts under the UMP to remain in effect, concerned citizens must voice their opinions to the APA either in writing or by attending one or more of the scheduled public hearings. A copy of the APA memo and schedule is included below.

It is our concern that the loss access to 50% of the legal trails on State land will unrealistically signal to State government that the burgeoning OHV community requires even less of the minute respect than it gets now, and that the State can continue to do nothing to meet the challenge of providing a reasonable share of OHV opportunities to its citizens. This will be occurring at the same time as many localities are working to open roads to ATV travel for connecting trail sections, and providing for positive outlets for OHV activity. This should be evidence enough that the State government is moving in the wrong direction regarding OHV issues.

From the APA:

STATE OF NEW YORK
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT
ADIRONDACK PARK AGENCY
P.O. Box 99, Route 86
RAY BROOK, NEW YORK 12977
(518) 891-4050, FAX: (518) 891-3938

September 1, 1999

Re: Classifications of State Land

As required by the Adirondack Park Agency and the Adirondack Park State Land Master Plan, the State of New York periodically classifies newly acquired State land and reclassifies State land currently classified pursuant to the Adirondack Park State Land Master Plan.

The classification process is conducted by this agency in consultation with the Department of Environmental Conservation. The final classification must be approved by the Governor.

Four parcels are proposed for classification or reclassification by the Agency staff at this time. The official hearing notice is enclosed.

Please contact me if we can be of further assistance.

Sincerely,
Charles W. Scrafford
Supervisor of Regional Planning

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to Section 816(2) of the Adirondack Park Agency Act and to the Adirondack Park State Land Master Plan, the Adirondack Park Agency will hold hearings regarding potential amendments to the Plan: (a) classification of the 14,780± acre William C. Whitney Tract; (b) reclassification of all or part of the 7,215± acre Lake Lila Primitive Area; (c) classification of the 23,000± acre Watson’s East Triangle/Lassiter Tract including the potential reclassification of 10,000± acres of State land adjoining the Tract classified Wild Forest; and (d) reclassification of the Alice Brook Tract (2,000± acres) from Wilderness to Wild Forest.

The purpose of the hearings is to afford an opportunity for public review and comment. Any person may present an oral or written statement in regard to the proposed amendments. Written comments will be received by the Agency through October 15, 1999.

Wednesday, September 22, 1999, 7:00 p.m.; Wanakena Ranger School
257 Ranger School Road, Wanakena, New York

Thursday, September 23, 1999, 7:00 p.m.; Museum & Science
Center, Gannett School Classroom, 657 East Avenue, Rochester, New York

Monday, September 27, 1999, 7:00 p.m.; Gore Mountain Ski Center
North Creek, New York

Tuesday, September 28, 1999, 7:00 p.m.; Long Lake Town Hall
Route 30, Long Lake, New York

Wednesday, September 29, 1999, 7:00 p.m.; Albany Law School, East
Wing, 80 New Scotland Ave., Albany, New York

Monday, October 4, 1999, 6:00 p.m.; Arthur Levitt State Office
Building, Room 818, 8th Floor, 270 Broadway, New York, New York

For further information regarding the proposed amendments, contact Charles W. Scrafford, Adirondack Park Agency, P.O. Box 99, Ray Brook, New York 12977; phone (518) 891-4050.

JOHN S. BANTA, DIRECTOR OF PLANNING

4) NYSSA SNOWMOBILE RAFFLE

The NYS Snowmobile Association is raffling a child's size snowmobile to raise money for the Association. For more information about this promotion and to learn about NYSSA, see their web site: http://www.nyssnowassoc.org.

5) COUNTY RESOLUTION DRAFT

I have had several requests for a copy of the proposed draft of a resolution that we are encouraging County Legislative bodies across the state to adopt. You can now download a version in Word97 from the web site: http://www.nysorva.org/documents/countyreso.doc.

The document will open directly in your browser if the browser is equipped with a "Word Reader" at which point you would do a File/Save to copy it to your hard drive. Otherwise you will be asked directly for a download-save location.

The resolution if accepted by a county would signal to the State Legislature its support for passage of the ATV Trail Funding bills (A1060/S632). So far Franklin County has adopted a version of the resolution. We are proud to have initiated this bottom-up strategy and expect it will signal to the State body citizens' interest in this legislation.

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