Pipeline Work Begins in Sterling Forest & Harriman State Parks

A natural gas pipeline that extends through portions of Harriman and Sterling Forest State Parks, is set to be replaced this summer as part of the Millennium Pipeline project. Some trails may be disturbed and occasionally closed during this project, which, according to a Millennium newsletter, is expected to take place in the parks this summer and fall.

In Harriman, the following trails either cross or are immediately adjacent to the pipeline at one or more points: Kakiat, Triangle, Ramapo-Dunderberg, Blue Disk, Pine Meadow, Stony Brook, Seven Hills, Hillburn-Torne-Sebago, Raccoon Brook Hill, and Suffern-Bear Mountain Trails. In Sterling Forest the Allis Trail and Sterling Valley Loop will be affected.

Trail Conference area supervisor John Mack reports that according to project managers, the trails will generally remain open, though they may be disturbed. Construction may require occasional trail closures. For information about the status of specific trails on specific days, call the park superintendent’s office: 845-786-2701.

At the June 14 meeting of Trail Conference delegates, PIPC Executive Director Jim Hall noted that the typical construction work area within the two parks will be 75 feet wide; this area will be cleared and graded to create a safe work zone. According to a project newsletter, an additional 25 feet of ungraded temporary storage space will be used to stockpile logs, branches, brush and excess rock. Within the 25-foot temporary storage area, ground disturbance will be minimized, and Millennium intends to avoid removal of any mature trees. The pipeline corridor through the parks is on nearly 8 miles of right-of-way and associated construction areas.

The Millennium consortium also says that after the pipe is installed and the trench is backfilled, they will complete rough and final grading and standard restoration of the construction work area. This includes re-grading the construction work area to preconstruction contours as close as practicable; dispersing rock and brush; installing permanent erosion and sediment control devices; fertilizing, seeding and mulching the construction work area. Some of this work will be completed in 2008.

V3 Last updated: June 22, 2007   Copyright © 1996-2006  New York-New Jersey Trail Conference Privacy Statement.