For Immediate Release: September 3, 2009
Contact:
Keith P. McKeever | Public Relations | Adirondack Park Agency
contact@apa.ny.gov | (518) 891-4050
RAY BROOK, NY – The Adirondack Park Agency (APA) is accepting public comments on Adirondack Park State Land Master Plan compliance for proposed guidance on snowmobile trail siting, construction and maintenance on State Lands in the Adirondack Park.
The draft standards and guidance document is available from the APA website at:
http://www.apa.state.ny.us/Mailing/0909/stateLand.htm or by contacting the APA at 518.891.4050. This public comment period will remain open until September 30, 2009.
Please address all written comments pertaining to State Land Master Plan compliance to: James Connolly, Deputy Director - Planning Adirondack Park Agency P.O. Box 99 Ray Brook, NY 12977
Or e-mail: apa_slmp@gw.dec.state.ny.us
The proposed draft guidance document is a follow up to the October 2006 Snowmobile Plan for the Adirondack Park/Final Generic Environmental Impact Statement.
The 2006 Snowmobile Plan established a framework to reconfigure the Adirondack Park State Land snowmobile trail system through the Unit Management Plan process. The goal of this comprehensive plan is to improve safe connections between Park communities and minimize potential adverse environmental impacts. In addition, this plan promotes relocating snowmobile trails from the remote interior to the periphery of Wild Forest classified State Lands.
The following are highlights of the proposed staff guidance document.
• Shift snowmobile use from the remote interior or Wild Forest areas to the periphery of Wild Forest areas. • Establish ”community connector” or Class II snowmobile trails, to be located in the periphery of Wild Forest areas, with slightly wider than present standards (9ft maximum width; 12 ft width on curves and steep slopes over 15% grade); • Establish “secondary” or Class I snowmobile trails which would provide recreational opportunities other than connecting communities. The Class 1 trails would be maintained at a maximum 8ft cleared trail width at all locations; • Allow grooming of “community connector” trails with small tracked groomers; • Allow grooming of “secondary” trails by snowmobiles with drags only; • Ensure both “community connector” and “secondary” snowmobile trails will retain essential characteristics of foot trails; • Ensure snowmobile route design, construction and maintenance activities will be carried out pursuant to Snowmobile Trail Work Plans developed by DEC staff in consultation with APA staff.
The APA State Land Committee will deliberate whether the draft standards and guidelines are consistent with the State Land Master Plan at its September 10, 2009 monthly meeting.
Following this meeting, Agency staff will continue to collect public comments and provide them to the Agency Board prior to the October 8-9 monthly meeting. During the October meeting the Full Agency may render a formal State Land Master Plan determination on the snowmobile standards and guidelines document.
The Agency will accept public comments on the proposed snowmobile standards and guidelines draft until September 30, 2009. Any written comments received by September 30 will become part of the public record. Written comments received after September 30, will be provided to Agency members but will not be part of the official record.
The proposed staff standards and guidelines draft is available from the APA website at:
http://www.apa.state.ny.us/Mailing/0909/stateLand.htm
The New York State Adirondack Park Agency was created in 1971 by the State Legislature to develop long-range land use plans for both public and private lands within the boundary of the Adirondack Park. With its headquarters located in Ray Brook, the Agency also operates two Visitor Interpretive Centers, in Newcomb and Paul Smiths. For more information, call the APA at (518) 891-4050 or visit www.apa.state.ny.us.
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