Help Make A Difference And Lets Build Some Trails

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ACTION ALERT

Minnewaska State Park Preserve in New Paltz, NY is currently looking for comments to help guide them in their master planning process. The park is over 20,000 acres of forest with 30 miles of scenic carriageways for biking, hiking and equestrian use along with 35 miles of hiking trails which connect to waterfalls, lakes and vista points that provide many 200 degree views up to 60 miles away. The park has recently expanded by more than 8,000 acres and has significant potential for new, sustainable single track trails.

This is also the time to let the park staff know that single track mountain biking is an activity that is compatible with hiking and should be included on the existing hiking trails, not just the carriageways.

Please let the park staff know that they should include the expansion of single track mountain biking opportunities during the master planning process. There currently is no single track mountain biking in any of the 20,000 acres of Minnewaska.

Some speaking points for your letter should include the following:

• The impact of bikes vs. hiking on sustainable single track trail
• The fact that most trail erosion is not user based erosion but due primarily to poor trail design
• Mountain biking helps to get more users people out to appreciate nature
• Health benefits, today’s obesity rates, inactivity of kids…
• Other trail related interests you may have such as hiking, birding, nature watching in addition to biking.

For more speaking points or just to learn some good information, go to the following pages

http://www.imba.com/resources/conservation/index.html
http://www.imba.com/resources/land_protection/index.html
http://www.imba.com/resources/science/index.html

Minnewaska Web Page
http://nysparks.state.ny.us/parks/info.asp?parkId=78

Send comments to;
Mark Hohengasser
Park Planner
NYS OPRHP
Empire State Plaza, Agency Building 1
Albany, New York 12238
Mark.Hohengasser@oprhp.state.ny.us

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NEW YORK STATE PARKS - PRESS RELEASE
The public is invited to participate in the development of a master plan for Minnewaska State Park Preserve.
Under the direction of Commissioner Carol Ash, the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation is undergoing a master planning effort to advance the agency’s goals of park revitalization, natural resource stewardship, education and interpretation, create new connections with other green space and improve sustainability practices.

Staff will provide a brief overview of the planning effort and an introduction to all of the resources and uses of the park. The public is invited to provide suggestions on issues, impacts and alternatives that should be addressed in the Minnewaska State Park master plan.

Two meetings will be held: the first on Tuesday July 8, 2008 at the SUNY New Paltz Lecture Center Building, Room 100 from 6:30PM to 8:30PM. The second meeting will be held Thursday July 10, 2008 at the Ellenville High School Auditorium from 6:30PM to 8:30 PM.

If you are not able to attend either of these meetings, you may provide written comments, suggestions and ideas by August 11, 2008 to:

Mark Hohengasser
Park Planner
NYS OPRHP
Empire State Plaza, Agency Building 1
Albany, New York 12238
Mark.Hohengasser@oprhp.state.ny.us

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Everyone please e-mail Mark Hohengasser or take the time to write an actual letter and help to get some single track built in this vast land area.  In a time when many moutain bike trails are threatened we have the opportunity to gain some new trails to explore.

Even if you are not from the area please contact Mark and let him know that you support more single track moutain bike trails.  Out of state support also shows the park planners what sort of tourism opportunities might be out there.  This could be the British Columbia of the North-East.  You could have endless mountain bike trails in such a huge area.

Also be sure to share this with any one you know that may be interested.  Getting a lot of support in the planning phase is critical to having trails in the future.