Pittsfield State Forest Resource Management Plan
Back at the 2007 Pedros Mountain Bike Festival, the concept of making the Pittsfield State Forest into a mountain biking mecca like the Kingdom Trails was hatched. Berkshire NEMBA has pushed for permission to create new trails and legalize existing unrecognized trails. We've met quite a bit of resistance from the DCR primarily because they wanted to see a "master plan" rather than a piece-meal approach of a trail here, a trail there. The DCR pushed the Pittsfield State Forest RMP way up on the list of RMP's in order to get this master plan done so we can make good things happen. Preliminary meetings began in the Fall of 2011 and Berkshire NEMBA is actively working on input to the plan. We will need TONS of help from local mountain bikers, runners, hikers and the like to improve the trails once this plan is complete and we put the Pulaski's and McLeod's to the ground.
DCR Lanscape Designations
The Department of Conservation and Recreation is in the process of defining every state property into one of three landscape designations:
- Reserves - more wild, left alone, trails uses, but more untouched, no logging
- Parklands - more for recreation, more trails, no logging
- Woodlands - commercial logging and recreation
Looking at the comments submitted to the DCR, there were approximately:
- 441 Total Comments
- 421 Comments related to logging (95% of the comments)
- 406 Against Logging (96% against logging)
- 15 For Logging ( 4% for logging)
- 35 Specifically mention not logging in the Pittsfield State Forest or classifying PSF as Parklands which is the same thing.
- 0 Specifically ask for logging in the Pittsfield State Forest.
- The Pittsfield City Council AND Senator Ben Downing both submitted comments requesting the PSF not be logged.
And despite all that, the DCR is still telling us the Pittsfield State Forest, specifically the Balance Rock area, will be logged. Not sure what the purpose of asking the public for input was since they apparently are going to totally ignore it.
Adopt a Trail!!!
Theresa Apple suggested we all Adopt a Trail to help spread the work load! Berkshire NEMBA signed the DCR Trail Maintenance Agreement. Anyone who works on the trails in the PSF must sign the DCR Volunteer Release Form. Unfortunately, this program hasn't been real successful. We have just a very few people doing any maintenance on the trails. In early December, we finally got caught up with all the downed trees from this summer's wind and rain storms only to have snow take down a dozen more trees. We've had permission to create a new family trail all summer, but it's not really appropriate to start that when we can't keep up with maintenance on the existing trails. So, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE, if you ride the trails, come out and help maintain them. And don't forget to record your hours in the log book in the phone booth at PSF headquarters.
Join NEMBA
We definitely want to encourage everyone to:
- Join NEMBA and help support our efforts to build more trails and
- Support the Pittsfield State Forest by buying a DCR Park Pass. This gives you unlimited day-use entry to not only the Pittsfield State Forest, but ANY State Park in Massachusetts and eliminates wondering if you'll have to pay to get into the PSF.
History
The Berkshire Chapter of NEMBA is enthusiastic group of local mountain bikers who want to make better trails for mountain biking. The Berkshires in Western Massachusetts are blessed with tens of thousands of acres of land which is open to recreational use. Most of this land is in State Forests, but we also have some great places to ride on Berkshire Natural Resources Lands, watershed lands, town parks and private property.
Over the years, motorized vehicle use in our State Forests as well as poor trail design has caused all of the trails open to motorized use to deteriorate badly. Record rainfall due to climate change combined with a huge increase in motorized vehicle use due to bans in other areas of Massachusetts, Connecticut and New York have exasperated the problem.
Berkshire NEMBA to the rescue!
In 2008, Berkshire NEMBA began working with the Mass Department of Conservation and Recreation to create sustainable mountain bike trails. Our efforts to date have been primarily focused on creating new trails in the Pittsfield State Forest. In 2008, we reconstructed the Turner Trail. 2009 initially focused on clearning ice-damaged trails and resurrecting the Lulu Brook trail. 2010 and 2011 saw the completion of several beginner-level/family oriented loops. Feel free to check out our accomplishments for more details.
We are working with the DCR on the Pittsfield State Forest Resource Management Plan and hope to be creating even more singletrack for mountain bikers to enjoy.
We have other groups interested in working with us. Specifically, the Berkshire Natural Resources Council has several parcels of land throughout Berkshire County on which they would like trails developed. A parcel in Lee, Mass and Constitution Hill in Lanesboro. It would be great is someone were to step up and take a leadership role to make something happen on these parcels.
Folks up in North County put in a lot of work on the Thunderbolt Ski Trail for the Thunderbolt Downhill Ski Race and our South County team has done drainage work, bridge work and rock armoring in Beartown State Forest.
Join Us!
Please consider joining the New England Mountain Bike Association and check out our upcoming events for a complete list of upcoming trail work days and trail rides!