[MA-RPC] FW: [at-l] Motocross Track Plans Fuel Debate

Sun Dec 11 12:28:02 EST 2005

No, you're correct, Tede.  That's one of the overriding reasons for renaming
the organization.  "Conservancy" brings home the point that our main
purpose, now that the trail is built and basically protected, is the
conservation of the greenway and its resources (natural, cultural, scenic,
aural, etc.).  The name change was meant to indicate an awareness of this
larger challenge, and the reorganization was meant to give us a structure to
meet that challenge.  Our role, as a RPC, primarily involves the
coordination of these conservation activities between the "global" and local
organizations.  We can also act as leaders, in these activities, by alerting
our partners (agency partners, maintaining clubs, and ATC regional
personnel) about situations such as the proposed motocross track, proposing
solutions to the problems, and initiating Conservancy policy proposals.

At the risk of sounding wishy-washy, I agree with both Al and Hal (we need a
Sal in this group).  Hal is being realistic in understanding that we won't
be able to protect everything.  AT hikers in Maryland already understand
that.  The trail there traverses some relatively remote areas, as well as
occasional short stretches through suburban back yards.  There is really no
alternative.  No one has the money to buy the thousands of acres that would
be required to guarantee a sense of solitude along the areas where
civilization encroaches, and there's no place left to put the trail.  We'll
need to prioritize our efforts, in order to make intelligent decisions about
how to use limited resources.

As Al points out, though, there are resources going untapped, and our
efforts to protect and expand the trail corridor could be greatly improved,
if we can muster the volunteer and financial resources.  The larger clubs
probably already have committees dedicated to land conservation, but this
seems like something that each maintaining club could initiate (with our
help).  Local landowners (and prospective landowners) need to be educated
about the benefits of conservation easements, partnership ties with other
conservation organizations need to be initiated and strengthened, and
financial support needs to be encouraged among local commercial interests
and governments.

The Mid Atlantic region seems particularly vulnerable to these types of
encroachment, so one of our pressing tasks is to convert conversation into
measurable action.

Kerry

-----Original Message-----
From: ma-rpc-bounces at commerce-02.cilia.org
[mailto:ma-rpc-bounces at commerce-02.cilia.org] On Behalf Of Teresa Fleming
Sent: Sunday, December 11, 2005 10:30 AM
To: James Hooper; ALLEN BRITTON
Cc: MARPC list
Subject: Re: [MA-RPC] FW: [at-l] Motocross Track Plans Fuel Debate

I'm certainly the "new kid on the bloc" in our group, but I like the idea of
banding together to try to buy land.  Strength in numbers (and politicians!)
I thought ATC, with its new Board, is trying to adopt a fund-raising focus;
am I wrong?

Tede

At 08:34 AM 12/11/2005, James Hooper wrote:
>Most of the groups buy the land.  My model is the farm land trust.
>They buy the development rights and put other restrictions on the use 
>of the land so that it stays as farm land.  We have a lot of wood lots 
>next to the trail corridor in the mid Atlantic.  Could we make deals 
>that keep them as wood lots.
>
>
>On Dec 10, 2005, at 8:11 PM, ALLEN BRITTON wrote:
>
>>I completely disagree with Hal's assessment of our options. How about 
>>establishing collations with organizations like the Trails lands 
>>Trust, The Nature Conservancy, and other like minded groups.
>>If we pool our resources get some influential politicians in our 
>>corner we have a chance to save the AT. Why should we have to except 
>>what we don't want. If money talks in our culture then lets pool the 
>>money!!!
>>----- Original Message ----- From: "Hal Wright" 
>><halwright at comcast.net>
>>To: "MARPC list" <ma-rpc at commerce-02.cilia.org>
>>Sent: Saturday, December 10, 2005 3:52 PM
>>Subject: Re: [MA-RPC] FW: [at-l] Motocross Track Plans Fuel Debate
>>
>>
>>>
>>>On Dec 10, 2005, at 12:47 PM, James Hooper wrote:
>>>>The laws in Pa are loaded in the developers favor.  Being a veteran 
>>>>of the development plans in my township I am convinced that the only 
>>>>way we can protect the trail corridor in Pa is to obtain the
>>>>development rights of the land surrounding the trail corridor.   We
>>>>need to do this before a developer tries to develop the land.  The 
>>>>state courts have been ruling in favor of the developers.
>>>
>>>...and therein lies the central tension of ATC leadership in the 21st 
>>>century. Peopled with hikers whose core value is to live naturally, 
>>>simply and cheaply, the ATC must nonetheless find and pick deep 
>>>pockets to preserve the Trail in its present form. Or, it must accept  
>>>that change is inevitable, rezone parts of the Trail as suburban, and  
>>>manage those parts in a way that is consistent with their new, 
>>>developed setting. Or, it must consider wholesale relocations that 
>>>would put the trail in less developed areas. None of these options is  
>>>palatable, but the clear message of the recent reorganization is that  
>>>leadership finds option 1 less nauseating that options 2 and 3.
>>>
>>>My prediction is that we will end up preserving some land, doing some 
>>>minor relocation, but mostly resigning ourselves to continued 
>>>development around major sections of the Trail. Here is where 
>>>partnership with law enforcement, first responders, and new residents  
>>>will prove invaluable. In PA, and elsewhere, the trail is already 
>>>very close to civilization, stuck in a no man's land where local 
>>>enforcement feels not-so-responsible in terms of being proactive, yet  
>>>easily accessed by abusers of the environment and homeless
>>>non- hikers. In developed areas, I believe we will find ourselves 
>>>managing  the Trail more like a suburban rail-trail in the years 
>>>ahead, to keep  it safe and clean. We will be uncomfortable about the 
>>>compromises to  wilderness ethics that will be required, but we will 
>>>still have a  nice, woodsy place in which to walk and camp, and key 
>>>historical and  cultural aspects of the Trail will remain intact.
>>>
>>>Just my 2 cents.
>>>
>>>>
>>>>On Dec 10, 2005, at 10:37 AM, Walt Daniels wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>-----Original Message-----
>>>>>From: at-l-bounces at backcountry.net [mailto:at-l- 
>>>>>bounces at backcountry.net] On Behalf Of Steve Landis
>>>>>Sent: Saturday, December 10, 2005 10:28 AM
>>>>>To: at-l at backcountry.net
>>>>>Subject: [at-l] Motocross Track Plans Fuel Debate
>>>>>
>>>>>.http://tinyurl.com/bfnp3*
>>>>>
>>>>>*"The Appalachian Trail passes along Walker Mountain above the 
>>>>>track. On the other side of the mountain beginning at the summit, 
>>>>>and therefore in sight of the track, Crawfish Valley is proposed 
>>>>>for protection as a National Scenic Area. About 1,700 feet downhill 
>>>>>from the track flows the North Fork of the Holston River, not far 
>>>>>at that point below its headwaters.
>>>>>Two miles
>>>>>upstream lies land awaiting federal designation as the largest 
>>>>>contiguous wilderness area east of the Mississippi River."
>>>>>
>>>>>Steve
>>>>>_______________________________________________
>>>>>AT-L Mailing List.
>>>>>
>>>>>Go here to unsubscribe or change your options:
>>>>>
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>>>>>
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