ATV Use of Cayuga Trails Extended
Louise Hoffman Broach / Wayuga Editor
Wednesday, February 3 2010
CATO-FAIR HAVEN - The Oswego Valley ATV Club now has access to the entire county-owned Cato-Fair Haven trail. The Cayuga County Legislature last month agreed to a year’s experiment to see how all-terrain vehicles work with the trail’s other uses.
The agreement is an expansion of one that was put in place at the beginning of 2009 that allowed the club to use the east end of the Hojack Trail out of Fair Haven and the north end of the Cato-Fair Haven Trail.
The county agreed to extend access because the club is required to maintain the trails its members use, which saves the county money and members have done a good job with the trails they are already using, officials said.
Besides, lawmakers argue, even without permission, ATV riders use the trails. Parks and Trails Commissioner Gary Duckett said the only place he’s had problems has been on the sections that the club does not have permission to use and hence doesn’t maintain.
Jim Marra, the club’s president, said the club has 600 members, of which 300 or 400 use the Cayuga County trails. He said a maintenance team works weekly from April to October keeping the trails in good condition. Club members follow a code of conduct that gives the right of way to pedestrians and is strict about where riders can ride. The club also has its own insurance.
He said club members monitor other users and report inappropriate actions. It’s unfair to paint every ATV rider as problem creators; he has said club members usually ride as families and are respectful of the environment.
Eventually, the club would like to have enough of a trail system to connect to trails that are maintained by the All County ATV Club in Montezuma.
Michael Chapman, the Cayuga County legislator who represents Cato, did not support allowing the club to use the trails last year, but has since changed his mind and backed the resolution to extend permission. He said people in his town have been pleased with the maintenance the club has done on the trails.
Not everyone is happy with ATVers, however. Amy D’Angelo, who lives along the Hojack trail to the west of the intersection with the Cato-Fair Haven Trail, said ATVs destroy the trails and make it difficult for those who use the trails for other purposes.
She suggested the county should do more to enforce proper registration of trail riders.
Christopher Palermo, the legislator representing Sterling, Fair Haven and Victory, said most people are neutral to positive about mixed use of the trails. He said the trails can be safe for all users, and that having the club involved in the best way to keep the situation under control.
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