South Mountain Conservancy
From JORBA
[edit] Mission
The South Mountain Conservancy helps to preserve, protect, and enhance the 2099-acre South Mountain Reservation in Essex County, New Jersey through education, public service, and advice to local government agencies. The Conservancy partners with the Essex County Department of Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Affairs and other environmental groups to improve the Reservation’s infrastructure and ecology, and enhance its natural beauty and the experience of current and future users. More information about SMC can be viewed at http://www.somocon.org
[edit] Sustainable Trails Initiative at South Mountain Reservation
The South Mountain Conservancy, in partnership with JORBA and local volunteers, has been actively working within South Mountain Reservation to improve the trail system. The trail network originally featured many unsustainable trails that were in a fall line orientation and suffering tremendous erosion each time a rain event occurred. (Since the reservation does not allow mountain biking, blaming the erosion on mountain bike use is a spurious claim.)
The County, which has reduced its maintenance staff significantly over the past several years, lacks the resources to make these improvements. Green Acres programs have only accomplished a small part of what is required. Volunteerism, therefore, is the only current means available to maintain the trail system. The Sustainable Trails Initiative has shown that the manpower and benefits gained by partnering with the mountain biking community will pay great dividends to the Reservation’s user groups and its ecosystem.
Trail Work occurs on the first Sunday of each month from April through December. If you are interested in helping please contact Micheal and Don
Since Dec 2009, the Initiative has resulted in approximately 1800 volunteer hours of trail work in the Reservation. Over 90 percent of the man-hours came from the mountain biking community. JORBA representatives also assumed responsibility for teaching proper sustainable trail building techniques – no small task. As a result, 5 miles of new, sustainable trails have been created in the Reservation, and countless fallen trees and logs have been cut or removed to improve access and safety. Unlike several existing trails in the Reservation, a sustainable trail is designed to remain largely maintenance and erosion free for the foreseeable future – regardless of whether it is being used by hikers, bikers or equestrians. History has shown that without the partnership with the mountain biking community, this trail work would never get done.
A review of numerous scientific studies as well as statistical evidence from surrounding parks has led the Conservancy to believe that responsible mountain biking causes little or no trail impact, especially as compared to foot traffic. Rather, the same trails which are likely to see erosion from mountain bikers will also see erosion from foot traffic. Indeed, there are even circumstances where biking causes less trail damage. For example, when a log falls or a puddle forms, bikers tend to go over the log or through the mud. Hikers, on the other hand, tend to go around the obstacle forming “social trails.” These social trails widen the trail tread, thus causing more erosion as the undergrowth gets trampled.
After extensive analysis and consideration, the Conservancy believes that an ongoing, long-term partnership with the mountain biking community offering an opportunity for riding as well as trail improvement would provide a net benefit to all user groups and help sustain the Reservation’s trail system. The Conservancy is therefore in favor of an 18-month pilot program (below) and urge the County to accept the proposal.
You may review the complete details of South Mountain Conservancy's Position on Multi-Use Trails
[edit] 18 Month Mountain Biking Pilot (proposed)
As part of the South Mountain Conservancy's sustainable trails initiative at SMR, the SMC has proposed an 18 Month Mountain Biking Pilot to the County of Essex (specifically Parks Commissioner Dan Salvante and County Executive Joe DiVincenzo). The proposed plan is here:
South Mountain Conservancy - Multi-Use Proposal
As of this writing, your hard work is changing the political landscape: the Park Commission is supportive and the County Executive has expressed initial support of the proposal. Details are being worked out now and if the pilot will be enacted it will be announced at the appropriate time.
