By DENISE A. RAYMO
MALONE — Franklin County named people to a task force Thursday to begin studying the feasibility of pursuing a trail system for all-terrain vehicles.
A larger working committee will be named in the future to carry out the duties the task force develops under the leadership of County Tourism Director Neil Seymour, who was named chairman of the group.
Its first meeting is tentatively set for 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 3, in the County Courthouse and may include State Department of Environmental Conservation Region 5 Director Betsy Lowe or her designee.
County leaders want representation from all sides of the issue involved, said Legislator Timothy Burpoe (D-Saranac Lake), including environmentalists who have been vocal in their opposition to any ATV access.
"They can either put up or shut up when they are at the table and be part of the process versus (spreading) innuendo in the newspapers and information that is not exactly accurate," he said.
Included on the initial task force are Theron "Butch" White of the Ruff Riders Club in Dickinson, representing ATV clubs; Ray Miles of John Harvey Gasoline Alley in Malone, representing businesses; Ron Reyome of the County Traffic Safety Board; a representative from the County's Soil and Water Conservation District Office; someone from law enforcement; and the three legislators serving on the Economic Development and Planning Committee: Burpoe, Daniel Crippen (D-Burke) and Raymond Susice (D-St. Regis Falls).
The first steps for Seymour will be to ensure people want to serve and to get an idea of the scope of trail system everyone has in mind.
That means reviewing property maps and Geographical Information System capabilities within the county's Real Property Tax Service Office.
Hugh Hill, director of the Greater Malone Chamber of Commerce, said one hurdle for the task force and committee will be reversing the reputation ATVs had when they were used years ago by younger people.
He said trails had been torn up and damaged by irresponsible users, "but the demographics have changed, and we're seeing older people and families."
Hill added that the vocal opponents "don't represent the mainstream environmentalists."
Area that could be looked at include the use of existing logging trails on former Champion and Domtar lands, abandoned railroad beds, utility-owned property and easements on privately owned lands.
The hope is to join a Franklin County trail system to existing ones in Clinton and St. Lawrence counties, with connections to Lewis, Jefferson, Oneida, Oswego and Cayuga counties and possibly Vermont.
Burpoe said the wording of an easement he read specifically mentions that the state purchased Champion lands for recreational access, particularly ATVs, so he believes a trail system can be successfully negotiated.
E-mail Denise A. Raymo at: draymo@pressrepublican.com
