NYSDEC Grants Support Four Bicycling Projects
Saranac Lake, Tupper Lake, Caroga and Keene have received New York Department of Environmental Conservation Smart Growth Grants for bicycling related projects.
The state handed out $3,284,250 in Smart Growth grants this week for a variety of Adirondack projects, including four of interest to bikers.
“Smart Growth grants are an investment in our communities and foster sustainable development, economic growth, and enhanced recreational opportunities for all New Yorkers,” said Amanda Lefton, commissioner of the state Department of Environmental Conservation.
The Barkeater Trails Alliance, which maintains several mountain-bike networks, received two of the grants, for improvements at the East Branch Community Trails in Keene and Mount Pisgah in Saranac Lake.
East Branch Community Trails
BETA got $100,000 to complete the construction of the popular East Branch Community Trails on land owned by Essex County off Route 9N between Keene and Upper Jay.
In recent years, the non-profit organization has built three miles of trails on the parcel. BETA plans to build four new trails, totaling a mile.
Glenn Glover, executive director of BETA, said one of the trails will be built this year, using money from an earlier grant. Work on the other three will not begin until next year.
The East Branch trails are a “stacked” network. The easiest trail, Leepoff Loop, is the first trail encountered. Uphill from Leepoff the trails get harder. Most are rated intermediate, but there is one expert trail, Duzzi. In keeping with that pattern, the new trails, located higher on the slope, will be for intermediates and experts.
“We won’t have a green [easy] trail at the top of the mountain,” Glover said. He added that the most difficult trail probably will be harder than Duzzi.
Most of the East Branch trails were built by machine. The new trails will be a mix of hand-built and machine-built.
Glover said BETA will create a skills park at the base of the mountain this year, using money from the earlier grant. Next year, with the new grant, BETA will expand the main parking area and refurbish the picnic shelter.
Mount Pisgah
The state awarded $125,000 to BETA and the town of St. Armand to improve the bike trails at Mount Pisgah, a ski hill owned by the village of Saranac Lake.
BETA maintains about four miles of trail at Pisgah. With the new grant, it will be able to modernize the 15-year-old network, rerouting, improving, and decommissioning trails as needed.
Glover said two primary objectives are building a high-quality climbing trail and a beginner’s trail (which is currently lacking). BETA still needs to raise funds for the project, so work is not expected to begin until next year.
In a separate project, BETA hopes to build an access trail this year so bikers can reach Pisgah from Park Avenue.
Glover credited four local residents with helping secure the new Smart Growth grant: Karen and Chris Miemis, Ezra Schwartzberg, and Chris Gosling.
Wheelerville Trails
The town of Caroga in the southern Adirondacks received $125,000 to add three beginner and intermediate trails to its Wheelerville network. The new trails will be designed for riders with disabilities. The grant also will be used to create a management plan for the existing trails. The network now has about six miles of trail.
Tupper Lake Depot
The town of Tupper Lake received $141,365 to finish the rehabilitation of the depot at the western end of the Adirondack Rail Trail. The depot is also the terminus of the Crossroads of the Adirondacks Trail, which can be used to reach the village’s uptown.
The rail trail extends 34 miles from Lake Placid to Tupper. At the eastern end, the Open Space Institute this year plans to build a parking lot, bathrooms and other amenities near the former Lake Placid depot, which now houses a history museum.
