Snowmobilers in Upstate New York rejoice – popular access trails often used for the gateway to the southeastern Tug Hill Region will remain open this season.
After a longstanding dispute between snowmobiling advocates and company landowners in Oswego County, New York Upstate is reporting that a resolution has been found, and the trails will remain open for riders to access the popular region.
According to the report, New York State Sen. Patty Ritchie announced on Nov. 14 that snowmobilers would be able to access the route after both she and state Assemblymen Will Barclay intervened to find a resolution.
The Tug Hill region is popular with snowmobilers in the east due to its often-plentiful amounts of snowfall. Snowmobilers often use the trail as a main route to ride between northeastern Oswego County and neighboring Lewis County.
But for a decision that has an end-result rooted in joy, the route taken to arrive at the decision was contentious and allegedly political.
Earlier this fall, Matt Smith, director of operations for the Salmon River Timberlands LLC – a Woodwise Land Company – informed Redfield Snowmobile Association President Edward B. Montieth in a letter that his company would not open snowmobile trails to the public, alleging the Redfield Town Board had, “rejected the idea of working with our company in a reasonable manner.”
The hang-up? Although never officially mentioned in a statement, it was widely circulated the original decision was the result of a rejected windmill proposal in the towns of Redfield and Worth in Oswego and Jefferson counties – a 125-turbine project proposed on nearly 200 acres of Timberland’s 20,000-acre property.
Click here to read the full report from New York Upstate.
