Mountain Bikes in Finger Lakes State Forest

[00:00:00] Lindsay: Oh hey, it's me, your horse that likes to pull its flysheet up and over its face so it can't see where it's going and really freak you out like a ghost, Lindsay LaBella. And today I want to tell you about a project going on in the Finger Lakes State Forest. This is in the towns of Hector and Lodi, and it is the Finger Lakes Mountain Biking Enhancement.

[00:00:18] Because you're listening to Rochester Trail Riders.

[00:00:26] This one came across the Rochester Trail Riders page and I glanced over it about a week ago and finally had time to commit to it and I think it's worthy of telling you guys what is going on in the Finger Lakes State Forest Area. I'm not quite sure how many of you actually Ride out there. I personally haven't had the opportunity to bring my horse there.

[00:00:48] However, I did go camping there and did a lot of backpacking in the area. In my younger years, we're going to say, and it's a fantastic place. It has the ability for you to actually camp with your horses. There's plenty of trails, lots of areas to work with. , so much so that there's actually an endurance race, a 50 mile race that goes through this area.

[00:01:10] When I saw this post that says, Hey, the government's looking to do a mountain bike project through there, it kind of gave me a little red flag and I wanted to look more into it. Right now, this is fully in the discovery phase. Nothing is set in stone. They are looking for feedback right now and are asking the public for information before they actually do this enhancement.

[00:01:38] the scoping phase is due to start around September 1st. Then there's going to be a comment period, an objection period, a decision making will be by December 1st of 2024, and they are looking to start the project in March of 2025. Things do move a little fast here and I wanted to make sure that you guys are aware of what's going on so you have the time and the ability to put in your two cents and I'm going to help you do that.

[00:02:11] What is this project? Right now there is limited information. It is so much so in the beginning phases that we don't need to freak out just yet, as I said. This project is going to enhance mountain biking opportunities by the adoption of some existing user created trails and authorize use changes to some existing trail systems.

[00:02:35] What's that mean? Right now, we don't know. It sounds like they're going to create a new trail system and potentially make a Either current trails, mountain bike only or make them, multi purpose, which is a little scary at some phases. I want to state right now, I am full in sharing trail systems. I am not going to stand on, pedestals here and be like, No, it's horses and horses only and we rule.

[00:03:09] It's been like this for generations. No, that is not the way the wind favors in my book. I am all up for responsible trail use spanned against hikers, bikers, and horseback riders. My feedback that I gave is from that standpoint. Right now there is nothing in here, and I mean nothing. If you go to the project page, which I will put in the show notes, the overview is pretty simple.

[00:03:36] Pretty much what I just stated it tells you what the milestones were and that's about it If you go to the details of this one page, there's not much more information. It is Just a decision type is what it's telling me Trail management is the activity. I mean, it's Incredibly limited on the information the scope of the project they have if you click on the link asking for project location All it tells you is the county, and it says Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forest.

[00:04:08] That's it. And it's the Hector Ranger District. It's, as I said, we are so much in the discovery phase right now that we have time for this to be a voice for us to say, Hey. We're all up for you creating this thing. Please take into account equestrian activities. And the fact that bikes and equestrian users rarely mix well.

[00:04:33] We want to make sure that when they're doing this planning phase that we say, Hey, can you. Take a look and and provide us with some opportunities where we both can coexist equally. There is a get connected Link on here, and there's a click on here that says hey request more info Please use your project contact and there's a project contact on here of Matthew Clark And he has an email of Matthew.

[00:04:57] Clark at USDA. gov. And what I'm going to offer you is an actual email that I've formulated that you can copy, paste, and send to him, , with your name and contact information. I'm going to make it a form format. I'm going to read you my version of it because I did speak on behalf of the Rochester Trail Riders and give you a little idea what is, what's the viewpoint I'm coming from.

[00:05:21] You're welcome to formulate your own. Email, response to this, and have your own opinions. You are in no way obligated to do anything that I've set forth, and I encourage you to give your two cents in this matter.

[00:05:36] What does my email to Mr. Lark actually say? It starts off, Dear Mr. Lark, I'm writing to you as the coordinator of Rochester Trail Riders. A local group whose followers enjoy the Finger Lakes and Hector Trails on horseback. I'd specifically like to discuss the proposed mountain bike enhancement project number 65926.

[00:05:58] As a trail enthusiast, I appreciate the efforts to improve and diversify the recreational opportunities available in this beautiful area. However, I have some concerns about the potential impact of this project. This project could have on the safety and enjoyment of the trails by equestrians. The trails in this group are cherished by many horseback riders and even host a 50 mile endurance race.

[00:06:23] Introducing enhanced mountain biking facilities could significantly increase bike traffic, leading to heightened risks of accidents. Horses can be easily started by fast moving cyclists, potentially causing dangerous situations for both riders and bikers. I believe that the enjoyment and safety of trail users can be maintained with careful planning and consideration, and I would like to propose the following suggestions.

[00:06:51] Number one, designated trail days. Allocate specific days or time slots for mountain biking and equestrian activities to minimize interactions between the two groups. Trail segregation. Where possible, create separate trails for equestrians and bikers, or widen the trails to allow for safe passing.

[00:07:10] Signage and education. Increase the signage to alert users of shared trail sections. And possibly provide educational materials on how bikers and equestrians can coexist safely on shared trails. 

[00:07:24] Lindsay: Thank you for considering my concerns. If there are any open forums, or you would like to have a personal discussion, I'm open to constructive dialogue on how we can continue to enhance our beloved trails without compromising the safety and enjoyment of any group. Sincerely, moi, Lindsay LaBella, and I put the Rochester Trail Riders link in there.

[00:07:45] I will have a form letter for you to use. I will put it in the show notes where you can copy and paste and put it into an email, put your name on there and send it off. A lot of times people ignore emails. I will make sure this gentleman's, snail mail address is in there too.

[00:08:00] Lindsay: If you would like to send a pipe or copy again, I'm not advocating that we go, Oh my gosh, we can only be a questions. You have to kick bikers off. I'm just saying. If you're going to expand mountain biking, to have them do it in a responsible manner, and to make sure they take into account the fact that equestrians do use this trail.

[00:08:21] Once they do have a plan, it will be posted on the page that I have. Again, the link will be in the show notes if you want to get to it. And they will have, , objection to it. , opportunities in there, but this is the perfect time to tell Mark, Hey, there's a ton of equestrians out there. We'd really do like to use the trail systems.

[00:08:43] And when you actually put the thought and plan together for this trail use for the mountain bikers to please consider the fact that there's a lot of people that are out there that ride horses and a lot of people out there do biking and they don't mix. And if you do have to have a shared area to make sure the signage and education is out there and that people understand the rules and that what the safety concerns are so everybody can enjoy everything as safely as possible.

[00:09:12] All right. Well, that's going to wrap it up today. It's a short show, and I just want to make sure that you guys are out there. Respect the trail, wear a brain bucket and clean up at your trailer sites. Happy trails.