For Immediate Release: September 29, 2009
Contact:
Keith P. McKeever | Public Relations | Adirondack Park Agency
contact@apa.ny.gov | (518) 891-4050
Public Comment Period Extended for Draft Snowmobile Trail Construction and Maintenance Guidance
Comment Period Extended until October 16, 2009
RAY BROOK, NY – The Adirondack Park Agency (APA) announced today that it was extending the public comment period for proposed guidance on snowmobile trail siting, construction and maintenance on State Lands in the Adirondack Park. Discussion by the Agency’s State Land Committee has been postponed until the Agency’s regularly scheduled meeting in November in order to allow for additional comments to be submitted by interested individuals and organizations.
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 October 16, 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The proposed draft guidance document is a follow up to the October 2006 Snowmobile Plan for the Adirondack Park/Final Generic Environmental Impact Statement.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 November monthly meeting.
Agency staff will continue to collect public comments and provide them to the Agency Board prior to the November monthly meeting. Any written comments received by October 16th will become part of the public record. Written comments received after October 16th 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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