This E-mail was forwarded to me anonymously. It is written to Lewis County/DEC officials regarding the use of ATVs in Brantingham and the AKD park.
These are the kinds of people we are fighting on land use issues either we need to band together and get on the battle lines and write letters or just roll over and give up! If you want to continue using your ATVs get involved. For now it's the park and inside the Blue Line once they have that victory they will be looking at other areas to get ATVs out of.
While I failed to address public health-trauma issues and a
>>>>number of
>>>>other specifics (for which I do not have updated statistical
>>>>data), I was
>>>>pleased to express the following sentiment regarding ATV use.
>>>>Should anyone wish to hear an opinion regarding disrespect for
>>>>others
>>>>associated with fireworks as part of local social-cultural decay,
>>>>I might
>>>>be even more outspoken.
>>>>Respectfully, Jack
>>>>
>>>>As a property owner of a summer residence on the North Shore of
>>>>Brantingham Lake now at home in Arizona recovering from a hip
>>>>replacement,
>>>>I appreciate the opportunity to offer my strong opinion of
>>>>respect for
>>>>wise ecology planning by fish and game and the forestry service
>>>>as well as
>>>>strong opposition to ATV use.
>>>>These vehicles have progressively become symbols of insults to
>>>>nature.
>>>>Even in the hands of those who encourage helmet use and
>>>>respectful travel
>>>>behaviors, there would be considerable public health benefits
>>>>combined
>>>>with less dependency on foreign petroleum import by replaced with
>>>>foot
>>>>travel.
>>>>Steps to outlaw them completely anywhere in Lewis County except
>>>>where
>>>>truly needed by law enforcement, fire patrol or other servants of
>>>>a
>>>>civilized community would be an excellent step toward building
>>>>the NEW
>>>>Lewis County on a firm foundation.
>>>>
>>>>John H. Hughes M.D.
>>>>7712 East Oakwood Circle
>>>>Tucson,AZ 85750-2338
>>>>(520)298-8511
>>>>
>>>>>Dear Memebrs,
>>>>>
>>>>> The County is currently taking comments on a draft ATV trail
>>>>>system.
>>>>>The County is trying to attract more ATV's to the County. See
>>>>>www.Lewiscountyny.org/trails. The Towns within the County will
>>>>>retain
>>>>>the ability to designate which roads are open to ATV's and
>>>>>included in
>>>>>the trail system. We urge you to submit comments to both the
>>>>>County,
>>>>>through its web site for this purpose and to the Greig Town
>>>>>Board. We
>>>>>feel ATV trails and ATV use of roads around Brantingham Lake
>>>>>pose a
>>>>>very significant threat to the environmental and historical
>>>>>resources
>>>>>of Brantingham and will result in a diminished park and
>>>>>recreational
>>>>>experience for many of the residents and visitors and will
>>>>>result in
>>>>>community decay. More specifically, the roads adjacent to
>>>>>Brantingham Lake should not be open to ATV's and not be part of
>>>>>the
>>>>>trail system for the following reasons: Brantingham Lake is in
>>>>>the
>>>>>Adirondack Park and has provided a high quality park lake
>>>>>experience
>>>>>for visitors for generations, without ATVs and their associated
>>>>>traffic, pollution, greenhouse gases and noise. The roads around
>>>>>Brantingham are residential in nature and are often dead ends
>>>>>and
>>>>>should not be used as part of a trail system and should not
>>>>>allow ATV
>>>>>use. Allowing ATVs on Brantingham roads is comparable to
>>>>>routing ATVs
>>>>>down Park Ave in Lowville. ATV's on Brantingham roads will
>>>>>create/continue a safety problem as small children regularly
>>>>>play and
>>>>>ride bicycles and residents walk on the roads and the County
>>>>>already
>>>>>does not have police patrol resources sufficient to properly
>>>>>police
>>>>>the area and increased traffic will exacerbate an already
>>>>>dangerous
>>>>>situation. ATV's on roads around the lake cause tremendous
>>>>>disturbances of the peace due to the close proximity to camps
>>>>>and the
>>>>>lake and the noise carrying property of the water. Introducing
>>>>>increased transient trail traffic to the Brantingham area, where
>>>>>a
>>>>>significant percentage of the properties are unoccupied at many
>>>>>times,
>>>>>will result in increased property crimes. ATV traffic on
>>>>>Brantingham
>>>>>roads will damage waterfront property values. ATV's using a
>>>>>trail
>>>>>system/roads in the Brantingham area will degrade the lake
>>>>>experience
>>>>>for the majority of visitors to Brantingham who do not use ATVs.
>>>>>Allowing ATV's on Brantingham roads encourages ATV's to
>>>>>illegally
>>>>>enter adjacent APA trails where such is prohibited. These are
>>>>>some
>>>>>of the reasons we feel ATV's should not be allowed on
>>>>>Brantingham
>>>>>roads. You will no doubt have your own thoughts on this subject,
>>>>>whether positive or negative. As this is a very significant
>>>>>issue for
>>>>>Brantingham, we strongly urge you to make your thoughts know to
>>>>>the
>>>>>County at
www.Lewiscountyny.org/trails and to the following town
>>>>>officials:
>>>>>
>>>>> Supervisor Don Schneider (315-348-8842;
>>>>>"
dschnei4@twcny.rr.com");
>>>>>Town Board members:
>>>>> Tom Gunn (315-348-6247; "
tgunn@lewiscountyny.org"),
>>>>> Mike Bradish (315-348-6746; email unknown),
>>>>> Bill Knapp (315-348-6289; email unknown), and
>>>>> Scott Woolschlager (315-376-7965;
woosh@northnet.org)
