Catskill Master Plan Review

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Summary

Have your say on the quality of the Catskill hiking experience for the next 25 years.

DEC has announced September hearings for a draft revision of the Catskill Park State Land Master Plan (Plan). The adoption of the revised Master Plan will affect the management of the Catskill Forest Preserve and the quality of the hiking experience there for the next 25 years. Most of the provisions are supported by ADK and the NY/NJ Trail Conference. Revisions to the Master Plan include:

• Designation of additional Wilderness Areas with an increase in protected Wilderness of 50,000 acres
• Positive trail designations for the use of mountain bikes and snowmobiles
• Provisions for scenic vista maintenance
• Designation of the 3500 trailless peak canisters as conforming and permitted
• Creation of the 27,000 acre Hunter-West Kill Wilderness, ensuring stronger protection for Hunter Mountain
• Creation of the 18,000 acre Windham-Blackhead Range Wilderness

ADK and the Trail Conference need you to attend one of the public hearings listed at the end of this alert to help ensure that the Plan revisions are approved. We also ask you to make some additional suggestions to DEC as noted herein.

Summary of Provisions:

The most important aspect of the revised Master Plan is the re-designation of two Wild Forest Areas to Wilderness Areas. First, a major portion of the Windham High Peak Wild Forest is to be added to the Blackhead/Blackdome Wilderness Area. ADK and the Trail Conference support this re-designation. However, we urge you to make the following suggestions to DEC:

• Inclusion of the proposed Elm Ridge Wild Forest (near the Windham High Peak trail parking lot on Route 23) in the Windham-Blackhead Wilderness Area to discourage snowmobile and mountain bike trespass on Windham High Peak.
• Extension of the southern boundary of the Windham-Blackhead Wilderness Area to the 2,500-foot contour line south of North Mountain to ensure that all of the Escarpment Trail will remain a hiking trail.

The revised Master Plan would also expand the West Kill Wilderness Area to include most of the Hunter Mountain Wild Forest. An exception would be made for the Spruceton Trail (jeep road) and summit land containing a fire tower. This narrow corridor would be designated as part of a Rusk Mountain Wild Forest.

If this revised Plan is approved, the Catskill Forest Preserve will be 50% Wilderness and 50% Wild Forest compared to today’s 40% Wilderness and 60% Wild Forest. ADK and the Trail Conference have carefully evaluated DEC’s proposal to replace the 2700-foot rule with a 3100-foot rule. The 2700-foot rule now in place states that all Wild Forest areas above 2700 feet are to be managed as Wilderness areas. DEC wished to modify the 2700-foot rule because it limited mountain bike trail designation in several suitable areas and limited camping party size in some Wild Forest areas. ADK and the Trail Conference concluded that we could accept this rule change for the following reasons:

• Mountain bikes will now be allowed only on trails specifically designated and signed for mountain biking and the use of mountain bikes will be prohibited in Wilderness areas. Hiking trails in Wild Forest areas will not be marked for mountain bike use on steeper, single-track trails where there are potential user conflicts and safety issues. The importance of this last point needs to be emphasized in your oral or written statements. That said, we expect that there will be a significant number of designated mountain bike trails in suitable locations in the Catskill Wild Forest areas as the Plan is implemented in unit management plan revisions.
• 50,000-acre increase in Forest Preserve designated as Wilderness, a 54% increase.
• 3,100-foot rule protects the Dry Brook Ridge and Mill Brook Ridge from snowmobile use. All other higher elevation areas currently protected by the 2700-foot rule will now be designated as Wilderness. The substitution of the 3100-rule for the 2700-foot standard will not result in the designation of any new snowmobile trails.
• Motor vehicle and all terrain vehicle use will be prohibited on all trails in the Catskill Forest Preserve.

Other provisions in the revised Plan include:

• Limitation of group size to 12 in Wilderness and 20 in Wild Forest areas
• Creation of new scenic vistas and maintenance of existing scenic vistas will be permitted in Wild Forests, maintenance of existing scenic vistas will be permitted in Wilderness through the UMP process

The Hearings (note: wrong day of week for the 18th now corrected)

September 8 (Monday), 7-9pm
Guilderland Town Hall
5209 Route 20
Guilderland
(the Capital District site)

September 9 (Tuesday), 7-9pm
Windham Town Hall
371 State Route 296
Hensonville

September 18, (Thursday), 7-9pm
Neversink Town Hall
273 Main Street (State Route 55)
Grahamsville

September 20, (Saturday), 10am
Discovery Lodge (the lower lodge)
At Belleayre Ski Center
County Rt. 49A (1/2 mile south of Rt. 28)
Highmount

Written Comments (Due by October 15th, 2003)

If you are unable to attend one of the hearings listed above please send written comments to:
Peter J. Frank
Bureau Chief, Forest Preserve Management
NYSDEC
625 Broadway
Albany, NY 12233-4254
Email: pjfrank@gw.dec.state.ny.us

For any written input to DEC, please send a copy addressed to:
Neil Woodworth
ADK's Public Affairs Office
301 Hamilton Street; Albany, NY 12210.
Tel: 518-449-3870 Fax: 518-449-3875
E-mail: nwoodwor@nycap.rr.com

Suggested comments

• Support positive trail designations for the use of mountain bikes and snowmobiles.
• Mountain bikes are to be treated like snowmobiles and horses – that is, bikes will be allowed on trails specifically designated and signed for their use (and, additionally they will be prohibited in wilderness areas) unlike the current plan which is silent on bikes, allowing them to go anywhere they wish! Some bikers are actively campaigning against this provision ... so the importance and reasonableness of designated bike trails absolutely needs to be emphasized in your statement. We are not trying to ban bikes or limit them to a few minor places.
• First person narratives are good. Tell them about the special places you have been and why a particular area needs additional protection.
• Read the ADK/TC written comments below for additional suggestions.

Pictures

View to the north towards Hunter and the Escarpment range from the tower	Newly restored firetower at Balsam Lake Mountain

Testimony

Testimony of the Adirondack Mountain Club & the NY-NJ Trail Conference on Revisions to the Catskill Park State Land Master Plan

For more information: Neil F. Woodworth, Counsel (518) 439-2864

I am Neil F. Woodworth, Counsel for the Adirondack Mountain Club (ADK) and the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference (Trail Conference). We would like to take this opportunity to comment on the proposed revisions to the Catskill Park State Land Master Plan (Master Plan). Over the last few years, ADK and the Trail Conference have communicated to the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) our hopes and recommendations for a revised Master Plan that addresses the future uses and protection needs of the Catskill Forest Preserve.

Overall, ADK and the Trail Conference are very pleased with the draft revisions of the Master Plan, which includes the designation of additional Wilderness Areas, a new policy that requires positive trail signing for the use of mountain bikes and snowmobiles and an express provision for scenic vista maintenance.

ADK and the Trail Conference Strongly Favor the Designation of New Wilderness

In our opinion, the most important aspect of the revised Master Plan is the re-designation of two Wild Forest Areas to Wilderness Areas.

We strongly support the addition of a major portion of the Windham High Peak Wild Forest to the Blackhead/Blackdome Wilderness Area. However, we would like to make a few suggestions concerning this re-classification. ADK and the Trail Conference believe that the proposed Elm Ridge Wild Forest should be included in the Windham-Blackhead Wilderness Area to discourage snowmobile and mountain bike trespass on the Windham High Peak hiking trail. We also suggest that DEC consider extending the southern boundary of the Windham-Blackhead Wilderness Area to the 2500-foot contour line south of North Mountain to ensure that all of the Escarpment Trail remains a hiking trail.

ADK and the Trail Conference support the expansion of the West Kill Mountain Wilderness to include most of Hunter Mountain Wild Forest. We concur with the addition of the Spruceton Trail and the fire tower footprint as part of a Rusk Mountain Wild Forest. We do not believe the Colonel’s Chair hiking trail is suitable for shared use as a hiking and mountain bike trail. We are concerned that bicycle use will proliferate into the sensitive ecological areas of the summit south of the fire tower.

ADK and the Trail Conference Accept the Replacement of the 2700-foot rule

A critical aspect of the revised Master Plan is DEC’s proposal to replace the 2700-foot rule with a 3100-foot rule. ADK and the Trail Conference have carefully evaluated the proposal and have concluded that we are able accept this rule change for the following reasons:
• Mountain bikes will now be allowed only on trails specifically designated and signed for mountain biking and the use of mountain biking will be prohibited in Wilderness Areas.
• A 50,000-acre increase in Forest Preserve designated as Wilderness, a 54 percent increase. This significant increase in lands classified as Wilderness provides greater protection for sensitive lands in the Catskill Forest Preserve
• The 3100-foot rule, which prohibits snowmobiles in Wild Forest Areas above 3100-feet, will protect the Dry Brook Ridge and Mill Brook Ridge from snowmobile use.

All other higher elevation areas currently protected by the 2700-foot rule will be classified as Wilderness under the revised Master Plan. Snowmobiles are prohibited in Wilderness Areas. ADK and the Trail Conference do not object to the grandfathering of the Kaaterskill Round Top snowmobile trail, which at its highest elevation does not exceed 3,000 feet. ADK and the Trail Conference concur with DEC that the 3100-foot rule avoids possible exceptions to the rule.

Motor Vehicle Use and Road Closure

The revised Master Plan states that motor vehicle and all terrain vehicle use will be prohibited on all trails in the Catskill Forest Preserve and roads passing through the Forest Preserve will be legally closed and barricaded. The prohibition of motor vehicles, especially ATVs is especially critical on high elevation lands such as the Dry Brook Ridge and Mill Brook Ridge hiking trails. ADK and the Trail Conference urge DEC to ensure that the Plan provides for strict enforcement of this provision. We are very pleased that under the statement of Actions necessary to implement the CPSLMP, the revised Master Plan states that the Commissioner will order the abandonment of Town highways passing through lands wholly owned by the State pursuant to Section 212 of the Highway Law. The Plan states that regional staff will then erect barriers.

ADK and Trail Conference Recommendation on Mountain Bike Use

ADK and the Trail Conference believe that steeper, single track hiking trails in Wild Forest Areas should not be marked for mountain bike use because of safety issues and the potential for user conflicts. ADK and the Trail Conference would like to see the guidelines in the revised Master Plan for the designation of mountain bike trails revised to be consistent with the recommendations of the Catskill Park Public Access Plan (PAP). Page 60 of the PAP states that:

"opportunities for future bicycle trail development should be investigated on wild forest lands with relatively gentle terrain, an abundance of old roads, and light use by hikers."

The Master Plan guidelines for the designation of bicycling trails should be amended to include criteria that guides future bicycle trail development to wild forest lands with relatively gentle terrain, old roads, and light use by hikers. The designation guidelines should preclude the designation of steeper, single track hiking trails for bicycle use because of safety issues and the potential for user conflicts.

ADK and Trail Conference Position on Group Size Limits

ADK and the Trail Conference also concur with other provisions in the revised Master Plan. We agree with the Master Plan’s limitation on group size to 12 in Wilderness and 20 in Wild Forest units. In order to protect the Catskill Forest Preserve it is important that reasonable group size limitations be in place, especially for those groups on overnight trips.

Maintenance of Scenic Vistas

Maintenance and creation of scenic vistas is also addressed in the revised Master Plan. Maintenance of Wilderness vistas will only be permitted through the UMP process. It is important to note that the revised Master Plan will not permit the creation of vistas in Wilderness Areas. Creation and maintenance of scenic vistas will be permitted in Wild Forest units through the UMP process. ADK and the Trail Conference support this provision.

3500 Trailless Peak Canisters

ADK and the Trail Conference endorse the designation of the 3500 trailless peak canisters as conforming and permitted. We believe that retaining the canisters is preferable to a proliferation of summit herd paths created by those seeking the “actual” summit.

Conclusion

ADK and the Trail Conference commend DEC for its commitment to revising the Catskill Park State Land Master Plan. We feel that the draft revision of the Master Plan makes a strong commitment to protecting the Catskill Forest Preserve while also providing for responsible recreation. We sincerely hope that you will keep our suggestions in mind.

Thank you for this opportunity to present our views.