Mark Conti: Mountain bikers applaud state official's effort to listen about trail access at Ware River Watershed
After years of pushbacks, repeated rejections and heavy enforcement, mountain bikers seeking access to the singletrack trails in the Ware River Watershed have recently found a state official willing to hear their plea.
Mountain bikers, who say they have been stonewalled by officials at the state Division of Water Supply Protection, met with state Department of Conservation and Recreation Commissioner Leo Roy in recent months and then toured the watershed with Roy about a week ago.
“It’s a huge step to have him come and give us an afternoon. That was a big step forward for us. But I remain cautious about the outlook because of all the players here,” said Brett Russ of Rutland, a member of the New England Mountain Bike Association who has been leading the group’s effort to remove the prohibition on mountain biking on singletrack trails at the watershed, where the cyclists had been riding for decades. “There are a lot of people spreading negative sentiment about mountain biking that is not based on fact. I don’t understand that. I don’t know how long it will take us to turn this around.
“The tour went well. The commissioner is very personable, inquisitive and genuinely interested in seeing and learning what’s going on and why, and working to find a solution.”
Bill Dobson of Spencer, a mountain biker who has been working independently for the same cause, joined Roy, Russ and Nick Panarelli of the DCR on the tour of the watershed on Nov. 18. Dobson has been fighting for access for two years, making presentations to officials and obtaining public records.
“He is a real nice guy, and a pleasure to work with, and seems open-minded,” Dobson said about Roy.
Russ and Dobson said the commissioner appears to be in fact-finding mode, gathering information before making any decision on access for mountain bikers. No timetable has been established.
In a prepared statement before Thanksgiving, Roy said he appreciated the opportunity to meet with members of the New England Mountain Bike Association, and credited the mountain bikers for their passion and interest in creating increased access in Central Massachusetts. He also said he looks forward to continuing a positive dialogue with NEMBA and other stakeholders.
“The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation remains dedicated to providing a variety of outdoor recreational opportunities for people of all abilities to enjoy,” said Roy. “Additionally, the agency remains equally committed to the conservation and protection of the commonwealth’s natural resources, including important drinking water supplies, requiring the DCR to strike a balance that meets the needs of all stakeholders, while also planning for the future.”
Russ said mountain bikers have argued that there is no factual evidence that says the activity has a negative impact on the water supply; that no reason to prohibit mountain biking has been provided since the prohibition; that watershed officials should try to establish a good relationship with all public land users because it would benefit the watershed; and that mountain biking has no greater impact on the environment than hiking, and the state DCR policy supports that position.
Mountain bikers said they have received support from state lawmakers in the area, including Sen. Anne Gobi, D-Spencer; Rep. Kimberly Ferguson, R-Holden; and Rep. Donald Berthiaume Jr., R-Spencer.
Gobi said she “absolutely” supports mountain bike access for at least some of the singletrack trails at the watershed.
“There’s no question I want to see some mountain bike trails. There needs to be a compromise that allows protection of the watershed and some passive recreation that includes mountain biking,” Gobi said.
The senator said she has been trying to arrange a meeting with Roy and DCR officials, DWSP officials and the mountain bikers. She said because of the staff disruptions at the DCR and the holidays, the “sit-down” would take place after Jan. 1. “We want everyone in the same room at the same time,” she said.
After sending a letter to Roy, Gobi said, she talked with the commissioner about mountain biking at the watershed and was very encouraged.
“I think he’s inclined to work with people. I don’t want to put words in his mouth. But I have no reason to believe he wouldn’t want to reach some sort of compromise,” Gobi said of Roy.
In an interview with State House News Service shortly after he was named commissioner last December, Roy said getting people outdoors was one of his challenges and he specifically mentioned mountain biking as an opportunity to do so.
“Mountain biking has become more popular in the state parks where that activity is appropriate,” Roy said. “… As the years go on we have to find new ways of getting people outdoors.”
Rep. Ferguson said she has been working with Gobi and did write a letter of support with the senator.
“I had certainly hoped for some kind of compromise or further discussion with the folks in the watershed and DCR, to see if there is any compromise that could be reached on this issue,” Ferguson said.
NEMBA drafted a proposal last year that would allow limited mountain biking in the 25,000-acre expanse that stretches through Rutland, Oakham, Barre and Hubbardston. The group submitted the proposal, which included a cover letter, fact sheet and map of the territory, to several high-ranking state officials, including Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Matthew Beaton, in November 2015.
The cover letter asked officials to consider allowing mountain biking on some of the trails. NEMBA, which has an extensive history of trail design and maintenance, has offered to help do a trail-by-trail assessment with state officials, assist in decommissioning unacceptable trails and help make sure preserved trails are sustainable.
Russ and Dobson showed Roy several public access points in the watershed on their tour. Russ said they viewed sites the DWSP has described in presentations, some of the new unauthorized trails and some of the “legacy trails,” which mountain bikers say they had been riding for decades. They looked at trails that need to be closed, some that need remediation and others that are in good condition, Russ said.
NEMBA officials met with Beaton earlier this year and he delegated Roy to “solve the issue.” Russ and other NEMBA officials then met with Roy before recently touring the watershed.
“He needs to weigh the pros and cons. He didn’t agree to change anything but acknowledged we had legitimate points,” Russ said. “Roy has been an excellent person to work with. He wants to satisfy everyone while still maintaining water quality first.”
The DCR Division of Water Supply Protection prohibited mountain biking in 1994, according to NEMBA, in between the official 1988 and 2000 Public Access Plans. However, the ban was never enforced until 2014.
DWSP officials said they found illegal trails in 2014, which they said were new. Jonathan Yeo, director of DWSP, said at the time that protecting the unfiltered water supply for 2.5 million people was his top priority. DWSP officials have said that mountain bikers riding on the trails can damage natural habitat areas and create erosion, which could adversely affect the water supply.
Mountain bikers have argued that mountain biking has no negative effect on water quality and contend that DWSP officials have provided no factual evidence to prove their case. Russ said they went through many years of water quality reports and mountain biking was never mentioned as a cause of diminished water quality.
Since the discovery of illegal trails, the DWSP has increasingly enforced the ban on mountain biking. Signs have been posted warning “surveillance cameras are in use,” and rangers are patrolling the area looking for mountain bikers. Other signs state that biking is allowed only on roads in the watershed.
Yeo did not return a phone call or reply to questions in an email seeking comment.
“On one hand things are going downhill. They’re really clamping down on mountain bikers. The enforcement has gotten heavier and heavier,” said Dobson, who created a website, www.wrw411.com, with information about the situation. “But on the other hand, we’re talking to the head of the DCR. It’s kind of going in two directions at one time.”
The state opens a public access plan every few years and allows input on access to public lands. Yeo has said the next public access plan for the watershed will be in 2019 and he would consider mountain bikers’ input at that time.
However, Roy said DCR is considering beginning the process of updating the Ware River Watershed plan ahead of schedule, “which will include substantial stakeholder and public input involvement.”
The mountain bikers have been attending meetings and talking to state officials for more than two years. They contend that mountain biking has no greater impact on the trails than hiking.
Dobson said DWSP officials have been telling stakeholders, including the state Department of Environmental Protection, that hundreds of new trails had been built at the watershed. Dobson said when he asked for information or maps about the trails he was repeatedly denied. Finally, after months of public records requests, the secretary of state’s office ordered watershed officials to provide information.
Dobson said DWSP was counting every section of a trail as a separate trail, included parts of the rail trail and a snowmobile trail, and paths that were not there. He said his final count was 16, not hundreds as had been claimed.
“They inflated the number of trails. They put down trails that don’t exist,” Dobson said.
According to the mountain bikers, an official at a recent meeting of the Ware River Watershed Advisory Committee said the singletrack trails at the watershed are now closed to all users and signs have been posted indicating the complete closure. Last year, fresh trees were cut down at trailheads to block access.
Russ said Roy was surprised to learn about that since closing all access on those trails is a change to the latest public access plan.
Mountain bikers were surprised during the recent tour to learn of a watershed protection zone map that Roy possessed. Russ and Dobson have been talking to state officials and obtaining records for two years and had never heard of or seen the map.
When asked in an email, Roy did not answer any questions about the map.
Russ and Dobson said most, if not all, of the singletrack trails in the watershed fell into this water protection zone outlined on the map.
“He seemed to be concerned that the trails were too close to the intake area, and as such it will be a ‘harder sell’ to convince other parties, MWRA (Massachusetts Water Resources Authority) for example, to allow the trails,” Dobson said.
The watershed intake area, where water is moved through an underground tunnel known as the Quabbin aqueduct, is right next to a section of the Mass Central Rail Trail in Barre. Mountain bikers said the Ware River Watershed is essentially a water delivery system for the Quabbin and Wachusett reservoirs, and water from the watershed is rarely used.
Russ said he is aware of DEP water protection zones, or buffer zones, that classifies areas near waterways or tributaries. Those buffer zones include a zone within 200 feet; a zone within a half mile; and all other property in a watershed area. Russ said there are restrictions in the first two zones, but the singletrack trails would fall in the third zone without any apparent violation.
However, in the water protection zone map that Roy possessed at the tour, the singletrack trails would be in jeopardy, mountain bikers said.
“Zone 1, that of highest protection, contained the majority of the WRW trail network. All of the authorized, or previously authorized, as many are now closed to all, equestrian trails are in Zone 1, as is the rail trail, snowmobile trails, etc.,” Russ said.
“We do not know the origin of the protection zones, but we believe this is a new concept put in place to justify elimination of public access. If these zones existed prior, I find it difficult to comprehend how any of the currently authorized access in Zone 1 could have been permitted.”
Calendar
Nov. 27 — NECXBAR Finals, Coolidge Park, Fitchburg. Presented by Atwood Racing Services and Green Line Velo. Information: www.fastalracing.com
Dec. 3, 4 — NBX Gran Prix of Cyclocross, Goddard Park, Warwick, Rhode Island. Rounds 7 and 8 of the Vittoria Northeast Series. Information: www.nbxbikes.com
Dec. 10 — The Ice Weasels Cometh cyclocross race, Riverpoint Park, West Warwick, Rhode Island. Information: www.bikereg.com
9 a.m. Sundays — Seven Hills Wheelmen and Worcester County Women's Cycling road ride. Meet at Cake Shop Cafe, 22A West St., Millbury. Ride options are a casual ride of about 12 miles, moderate ride of about 26 miles, and a longer ride of about about 40-50 miles at a faster pace.
9 a.m. every Sunday — Mountain bike ride, Leominster State Forest. Wachusett Chapter of New England Mountain Bike Association. Information: www.nemba.org
10 a.m. every Sunday — Quiet Corner Weekend Warrior Ride, Mountain bike ride, Leominster State Forest. Quiet Corner Chapter of New England Mountain Bike Association. Information: Details for each week's ride are posted in the Chapter's Facebook Group Forum. www.facebook.com/groups/QuietCornerNEMBAwww.nemba.org
5:30 p.m. Mondays - Team Bikes+Life Club/Multisport no-drop bike ride. Meet at Bikes+Life, 10 67 Main St., Webster Square, Worcester. Information: www.teambikealley.org.
6 p.m. Mondays — Seven Hills Wheelmen 15-mile road ride around the Holden Reservoir. Meet at Barney's Bicycle, 582 Park Ave., Worcester. For more information, call (508) 831-0301 or visit www.sevenhillswheelmen.org.
5:30 p.m. Wednesdays - Team Bikes+Life Club/Multisport no-drop bike ride. Meet at Mixter Field on Prescott Street, West Boylston. Information: www.teambikealley.org.
6 p.m. Wednesdays — Seven Hills Wheelmen road ride. Meet at the Old Stone Church, Route 12 and Beaman Street, West Boylston, for a "Show 'n' Go" bicycle ride (no leader). Information: call (508) 831-0301 or visit www.sevenhillswheelmen.org.
Selected Saturdays or Sundays — Easy C Rider road rides with Seven Hills Wheelmen. Moderately paced bicycle rides, typically 15 to 35 miles, on relatively gentle terrain in the Worcester area. Starting times and locations are posted each week at www.easycrider.com. RSVP to Dick Goodman at leader@easycrider.com
—Submit bike listings to mark.conti@telegram.com; Mark Conti, Telegram & Gazette, 100 Front St., Floor #5, Worcester, MA 01608.
—Contact Mark Conti at mark.conti@telegram.com Follow him on Twitter @markconti11.