Still a long way to go for regional trail connection
First published in The Independent newspaper, Edgewood, N.M., Nov. 4, 2009.
By Scott Albright 11/05/2009
Roger Holden on Section 34
Edgewood/Tijeras - The East Mountain Regional Trails Council has plans to connect hiking, horseback and bicycle trails throughout the Tricounty area, but planners have several obstacles to overcome before such a plan can become a reality.
Roger Holden, EMRTC cofounder, said it will be many years before all the trails the group hopes to connect can be linked together. A lack of money and resistance by private land owners are a few of the obstacles in the way.
Beth Mills, Santa Fe County Open Space and Trails planner, explained at last week’s EMRTC meeting the county is already busy managing several open space areas and doing land restoration projects.
“We just haven’t spent that much time in the south county,” Mills said. “Being the state capital and being up north and having such a diverse set of cultures to represent in Santa Fe County, I would have to admit that a lot of times the stuff down south and close to Albuquerque, and within sort of the Albuquerque sphere, it gets put on the backburner for us.”
She said linking the trails in the southern part of the county to trails in Bernalillo and Torrance counties is still on the agenda though.
Mills said Santa Fe County voters are in support of the open space and trails program, but because of the layers of bureaucracy, the program is not always on the top of the priority list for county officials. Mills presented examples of successful trails projects in the county to the EMRTC and explained what the county’s goals were in terms of expanding the trails further south.
Linking the trails and getting the public to use the open space in Edgewood has its own set of challenges. On Saturday a planned five kilometer hike in section 34 fell through when no one showed up. Holden has been trying to get the public to use the area more and said a previous flashlight hike for kids had a successful turnout. He blamed the weather and lack of publication of the event for Saturday’s no-show.
Holden said there are plans to put fencing around section 34 and, according to Willow Romero, president of the High Desert Riders Association, a horse trail from section 34 to section 32 is in the works.
Holden said more thinning needs to be done and down vegetation needs to be removed to make the areas more usable. He said volunteers helped to put signs up around section 34, but several signs, including those saying no shooting, are riddled with bullet holes. Gaining access to section 32, illegal dumping and squatters are some of the other issues the town has to deal with.
Forest Rangers also have their hands full when it comes to maintaining the trails and public land in the national forest.
East Mountain resident Kayren Sargent told EMRTC members that barriers put up to prevent motorized vehicles from entering certain areas around Cedro have “all been defeated.”
“Where they put up to block the handlebars for the motorcycles, they just cut them off,” Sargent said. “There’s one barrier that is such that now you can’t get through on a horse.”
Holden suggested installing video cameras to prevent wrongful use of trails and open space, but admitted they are expensive and are another layer of “big brother watching over.”
Despite all the obstacles, the EMRTC is optimistic about linking trails together for hikers, horses and bicyclists.
Roger Holden, EMRTC cofounder, said it will be many years before all the trails the group hopes to connect can be linked together. A lack of money and resistance by private land owners are a few of the obstacles in the way.
Beth Mills, Santa Fe County Open Space and Trails planner, explained at last week’s EMRTC meeting the county is already busy managing several open space areas and doing land restoration projects.
“We just haven’t spent that much time in the south county,” Mills said. “Being the state capital and being up north and having such a diverse set of cultures to represent in Santa Fe County, I would have to admit that a lot of times the stuff down south and close to Albuquerque, and within sort of the Albuquerque sphere, it gets put on the backburner for us.”
She said linking the trails in the southern part of the county to trails in Bernalillo and Torrance counties is still on the agenda though.
Mills said Santa Fe County voters are in support of the open space and trails program, but because of the layers of bureaucracy, the program is not always on the top of the priority list for county officials. Mills presented examples of successful trails projects in the county to the EMRTC and explained what the county’s goals were in terms of expanding the trails further south.
Linking the trails and getting the public to use the open space in Edgewood has its own set of challenges. On Saturday a planned five kilometer hike in section 34 fell through when no one showed up. Holden has been trying to get the public to use the area more and said a previous flashlight hike for kids had a successful turnout. He blamed the weather and lack of publication of the event for Saturday’s no-show.
Holden said there are plans to put fencing around section 34 and, according to Willow Romero, president of the High Desert Riders Association, a horse trail from section 34 to section 32 is in the works.
Holden said more thinning needs to be done and down vegetation needs to be removed to make the areas more usable. He said volunteers helped to put signs up around section 34, but several signs, including those saying no shooting, are riddled with bullet holes. Gaining access to section 32, illegal dumping and squatters are some of the other issues the town has to deal with.
Forest Rangers also have their hands full when it comes to maintaining the trails and public land in the national forest.
East Mountain resident Kayren Sargent told EMRTC members that barriers put up to prevent motorized vehicles from entering certain areas around Cedro have “all been defeated.”
“Where they put up to block the handlebars for the motorcycles, they just cut them off,” Sargent said. “There’s one barrier that is such that now you can’t get through on a horse.”
Holden suggested installing video cameras to prevent wrongful use of trails and open space, but admitted they are expensive and are another layer of “big brother watching over.”
Despite all the obstacles, the EMRTC is optimistic about linking trails together for hikers, horses and bicyclists.