Departure of Trail Conference Executive Director
The Board of Directors of the New York-New Jersey
Trail Conference announced that Jan Hesbon has left his position as
Executive Director effective October 25, 2000. Jan informed the Board
that an extremely attractive professional opportunity came to his
attention, and it was an offer he could not pass up. He will serve as
Director of Gift Planning for the American Civil Liberties Union
Foundation.
In expression of his commitment to the future of
the Trail Conference, Jan agreed to be considered for an open seat on
the Trail Conference Board of Directors. "I do this for two
reasons," said Jan, "though under one name: continuity. I
have some unfinished objectives that I wish to continue pursuing
collaboratively with the Board, and I also wish to help provide some
continuity with our partners-sister agencies and you, our members-during
the transition ahead."
In the nine months of Jan Hesbon's tenure, the Trail Conference,
with the assistance of a fine staff and many dedicated volunteers, has
made great strides in the areas of fundraising, implementing a new
database system, and maintaining and improving our crucial
relationships with park agencies and with our partners in the
conservation community. He has strengthened several committees and
reinvigorated others.
The Board of Directors and its President Gary
Haugland will be starting the search process for a new Executive
Director immediately. In the interim Judith Fulmer, our current
Administrative Director who has been working closely with Jan on all
facets of Trail Conference operations, has agreed to assume the
position of Acting Director. It is expected that the functioning of
the office on a day-to-day basis will continue as usual.
Jan made many new friends in his tenure with the
Trail Conference, and he is leaving with our best wishes for success
in his new position. We are thankful for his many accomplishments in
his short time at the head of the Trail Conference and we are glad
that he will continue to be actively involved in our future.
$10,000 American Express Company grant to aid
Highlands Trail
The NY-NJ Trail Conference is very pleased to
announce receipt of a $10,000 grant from the American Express Company
to further develop the Highlands Millennium Trail in New Jersey.
The Highlands Trail was designated New Jersey's
Millennium Trail in October 1999 by the nationwide Millennium Trails
program, a partnership among the White House Millennium Council, U.S.
Department of Transportation, and Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, in
cooperation with other agencies and organizations.
The American Express Company is a major financial
supporter of the Millennium Trails program.
Of the 50 designated millennium trails across the
country, only selected trails were considered for an American Express
award.
"We're giving grants to states that are places where
American Express's employees and customers live and work,"
noted American Express Company's New Jersey and Pennsylvania
District Manager Eric Frankovic. "We also think the Highlands
Trail is an exciting project."
"This grant will enable the Trail Conference
to enhance the vision and mission of the Highlands Trail to benefit
the present and future constituents well into the new
millennium," noted Bob Moss, Highlands Trail Committee Chairman.
Our thanks to the American Express Company for their support.
Pochuck Boardwalk Still Growing...
Another 800-plus feet of boardwalk, this time on
the west side of the Appalachian Trail Pochuck Creek Bridge in Vernon
Valley, NJ, has been finished in Phase 3 of the approximate 1-mile
relocation under construction. The Appalachian Trail Conference
Mid-Atlantic volunteer trail crew, local Trail Conference volunteers,
and volunteers from the New Jersey Builders' Association literally
tore through the construction once the rainy summer season ended.
Project manager Wes Powers, regional maintenance chief for the NJ
State Park Service, orchestrated the myriad details and the personnel
into a well-tuned "machine."
Congratulations on the progress on the Pochuck.
Having been involved in this project for almost 10 years, I know how
rewarding it is when all the pieces come into place and you actually
see stuff happening on the ground. Also, Charlie McCurry (Wawayanda
State Park maintenance chief) and Wes Powers (Regional maintenance
chief of the N.J. State Park Service) deserve credit-those two
guys are amazing work horses.
-Glenn Scherer, N.J. Appalachian Trail volunteer
I've never encountered such hard workers!
Yesterday [first week on site] the Mid-Atlantic trail crew worked
from about 7 am to 5:30 pm! No one could ask for a better-tuned
effort put together by Wes, Charlie, and the Crew. I feel at a loss for how to show an adequate
appreciation.
All materials have been moved to the west side
of the stream, the lumber cut to size and the "drilling"
will be more than half complete by the time the crew leaves. We are
well more than a week ahead of schedule!
-Larry Wheelock, Conference N.J. Field Representative
West Hudson Trail Crew's Spring 2000 Achievements
Harriman-Bear Mountain State Park
In March and April we inspected, scouted, flagged and
prepared for the first work season of the new millennium. On the Reeves Brook,
Timp-Torne and White Bar trails, we removed blowdowns, cleared brush, built rock
steps, rock retaining walls and a scree walls and put in rock waterbars. In
addition, on the Reeves Brook Trail, we did a relocation, and constructed a rock
dam along the edge of the brook in hope of preventing future flooding. The
former trail route was closed off with branches and other forest debris in order
to promote restoration.
West Hudson Highlands
Much time was spent on a major relocation of the upper
section of the badly-eroded Sweet Clover Trail in Schunemunk Preserve. A new
trail was scouted, flagged and cleared of brush. Work also began on sidehilling,
rock retaining walls and rock steps.
In Black Rock Forest, work began on the Duggan Trail,
including building a new retaining wall, hardening the tread with stepping rocks
in a few wet areas and improving drainage with a rock sluice.
A New Crew Leader
We welcome Chris Ezzo, who started to lead work trips this
fall. A big welcome and best of luck to Chris.
Thank you to our volunteers for their outstanding and professional work on
the trails: John Blenninger, Joe Bond, Race Brandt, Gail Brown, Jim Brown, Brian
Buchbinder, George Cartamil, Lynne Cashman, Herman Clausen, Don Corrigan, David
Day, Margaret Douglas, Tom Dunn, Chris Ezzo, Victor Gabay, Claudia Ganz, Patrick
Gilmartin, Tom Heaney, Mary Hilley, Bill Horowitz, Joan James, Arcam Kajan, Mark
Kassup, Frank Keech, Petra Knappe, Gay Mayer, Doug McBride, Carol Nestor, Robert
Reardon, Norman Reicher, Monica Resor, Mark Rodgers, Sal Rodriques, Jane
Sandiford, Harry Smith, Ron Snyder, Sal Sposito, Denise Vitale, Nancy Vlahos,
Larry Wheelock and last but FAR from least, Hanson Wong.
Come out and join the crew. The work of a trail crew is never
done and it's a fine way to spend a day.
Bob Marshall, Crew Chief
Trudy Schneider, Assistant
Health Hints for Hikers
A Little Dab Will Do
Several months ago the Wall Street Journal had an article
with the headline "Of Krazy Glue: A little dab will do for those unkind
cuts." Several years ago I attended a seminar on wilderness medicine in
which the speaker advised closing cuts with a dab of Krazy Glue. Since then many
dermatologists have been using it for minor lacerations.
Elmer's Products Inc., the manufacturer of Krazy Glue, has not sought
approval from the Food and Drug Administration for such usage. In fact, the
label has a warning that it is an eye and skin irritant. It sells for about
$2.00, and on sale it can cost much less. My nurse has been using it for years
and swears by it.
Dermatologists who have used Krazy Glue state they have no
problems with the product. The way to use it is to clean the area, let it dry,
or dry it with a cotton sponge or sterile gauze pad, and apply a thin layer of
the glue.
We now have a product called Dermabond which is available by
prescription only and sells for about $20.00 an ounce. So put a tube of Krazy
Glue into your first aid kit and take the money you save and invest it in a
money market fund.
Albert P. Rosen, M.D.
The View from Albany - Conservation and Advocacy Report
Campaigning To Replace the Environmental Bond Act
The NY-NJ Trail Conference and the Adirondack Mountain Club (ADK)
have been working with various environmental groups across the state to devise a
plan for a new source of funding for the environment. The land acquisition
portion of the Clean Water/Clean Air Bond Act has essentially been exhausted.
This 1996 Act provided $150 million for the state acquisition
of important open space resources by DEC and OPRHP. Over each of the past four
years, roughly $30 to $40 million has been appropriated annually from the bond
act for land acquisition projects. It also has provided state land stewardship
funds for hiking trail work. The Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) provides
approximately $30 million each year for open space purchases. Together, these
two sources have provided roughly $70 million for open space projects. However
only $3 million in unappropriated open space funds remain in the bond act,
meaning that New York State needs to replace this $40 million /year funding
stream simply to maintain its current open space protection program.
New York has used Bond Act funds on a number of important and
enduring open space projects, including Sterling Forest, Fahnestock State Park
and the Champion Rivers fee and easement project, Plateau and Bearpen Peaks in
the Catskills, and the Whitney Canoe Area, to name a few.
We are exploring ways to increase the level of tax dollars
flowing into the dedicated Environmental Protection Fund as a long-term way of
replacing the bond act.
Fight for Federal Land Fund Continues
This summer and fall, ADK and the Trail Conference asked
their members to write to members of Congress in support of the Conservation and
Reinvestment Act (CARA). In July, a Senate version of the bill passed out of
committee. That bill differs substantially from the House version and other
Senate bills that have been introduced to date. Under the new Senate bill, New
York would get significantly less than originally thought.
ADK and the Trail Conference asked our New York House and Senate
congressional delegation to work with House members from populous states like
California and New Jersey to negotiate a fair share of these conservation funds
for New York and New Jersey. At prress time President Clinton had signed a
fiscal year 2001 Department of Interior appropriations bill which in all
likelihood will replace the CARA legislation. This appropriations bill included
$450 million for Federal Land and Water conservation program, $90 million for
stateside Land and Water Conservation Fund, and $30 million for Urban Parks and
Recreation Recovery program.
Jet Ski News
Governor Pataki signed into law the personal watercraft
regulatory bill, giving communities the power to regulate or prohibit the use of
personal watercraft on the state's lakes and rivers. He also signed a bill
requiring a substantial reduction in the amount of water and air pollution
emitted from new personal watercraft. This jet-ski pollution control law will
greatly improve the water quality of lakes in the Adirondacks and throughout New
York. Trout, loons, swimmers, and canoeists will all benefit.
Neil Woodworth & Margaret Carr
You Can Help Buy a Piece of the Gunks!
 We must
raise $100,000 by the middle of January toward the purchase of a 100-acre parcel
or we will lose it to development.
Stony Kill Falls is the fourth great waterfall of the "Gunks."
Private land comes within a few hundred feet . Stony Kill Falls is
barely protected.
We are also buying access!
Once acquired we will build a hiking trail to the falls!
We need your help now before the seller makes a deal with another private
party.
... and we need your gifts far beyond what we have asked for in the
past.
Please make your check payable to the NYNJTC - earmarked for Stony Kill
Falls.
Get Involved
Trail News
Click link above for trail description.
Twenty-two volunteers spent close to 700 hours
scouting, flagging, and finally cutting the almost 5 � miles of new
trail, which is part of a larger relocation that will eventually
create a route from Phoenicia to the Devil's Path on Plateau
Mountain. The final segment will be included in the next revision of
the Indian Head-Plateau Wilderness Unit Management Plan.
A very special thanks to all who pitched in: Doug
Bowers, Jim Daley, Frank Dogil, Jerry Duma, George Formm, Pete France,
Grace Gerow, Rick Gerow, Joe Herrod, Dale Hughes, Tom Lynch, Kevin
McLoughlin, Regina McVay, Henry Mangione, Mauve Maurer, Stew Maurer,
Pete Perricci, Jack Persley, Doug Senterman, Pete Senterman, Betty
Taber and Bruce Warden.
Happy Hiking, hope you enjoy using it as much as we
did building it!
Maintainers sought
Joe Herrod is the Trail Conference's Catskill
trail supervisor for this area; Pete Perricci is a new maintainer for
one segment of the new trail. We are in need of volunteers to maintain
other segments of this, and other trails, in the Catskill Forest
Preserve. Please call Pete Senterman, Conference Catskill Trails
Chairman at 845-221-4392 if you would like a trail maintenance
assignment in the Forest Preserve.
The Kakiat Trail Bridge over the Pine Meadow Brook (which is really
Stony Brook) is now in place and the Kakiat Trail can be traveled from
end to end.
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Triangle Trail Improvements
 We invite you to view and experience the recent
improvements made to Harriman State Park's Triangle Trail
(yellow-blazed) from it's western trailhead at the Ramapo-Dunderberg
Trail (red/white-blazed) to just beyond the overhead electric power
lines in Deep Hollow. (Harriman Trails, Map #3, grid A5.)
During July, the Student Conservation Association (SCA),
funded by a private $21,000 donation made to the Palisades Interstate
Park Commission, conducted trail improvements and erosion control
training there.
Our volunteer Trail Crew and Maintainers-the Weekend
Warriors"-who service the over 1,300 miles of Trail
Conference-adopted trails to increase your hiking enjoyment, sincerely
appreciate SCA's efforts.
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