FOGVG Annual Report - 1998


		FOGVG Annual Report - 1998 Promotion and Public Outreach Print Media: The Genesee Valley Greenway was in the news monthly as a result of meetings, outings, National Trails Day events, projects undertaken by youth, and changes in the trail status. Articles appeared in the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle - Region, Our Towns, and Outdoors sections; Lake and Valley Clarion; Mendon-Honeoye Falls -Lima Sentinel; Livingston County News; Brighton- Pittsford Post (including a front page story); Suburban News; Gates-Chili News; Victor Hiking Trails January newsletter; Genesee Land Trust Summer newsletter; Sierra Club September-October newsletter; April Transportation Hi-Lites; Common Ground (newsletter of The Conservation Fund); and On the Trail. The Genesee Valley Greenway was also described in the 1998 Livingston County Travel Guide and the book, Take Your Bike! Family Rides in the Rochester Area, published in 1998 by Rich and Sue Freeman. Radio and Television: The Greenway was also mentioned in television coverage of the visit of New York State Attorney General Dennis Vacco and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner John Cahill to announce Rochester Gas and Electric's (RG&E) settlement of an air violations suit and commitment to an environmental benefits project that will provide pocket parks, trail construction, and a parking lot for the Genesee Valley Greenway. The project partners also participated in an interview on Warsaw, New York WCJW radio. Web Site: The Friends continue to maintain a web site that includes some maps of the trail, information on the organization and the history of the corridor, a description of the trail and nearby attractions, back issues of the newsletter, the FOGVG membership application, and a schedule of events. Retail Outlets: Schedules of events, newsletters, and membership brochures were delivered to local bicycle shops. Talks: A number of groups expressed interest in learning more about the Greenway. Slide talks were provided for the Kodak Retirees, Rochester Regional Group of the Sierra Club, the annual meeting of the New York Upstate Chapter American Planning Association, Institute of Transportation Engineers New York State Upstate Section, and New York State MPOs, the New York State Association of Transportation Engineers Mini conference, Bethany Town Board, New York State Fish and Wildlife Management Board, Allegany County Bird Club, and the Hornell Fortnightly Club. Slide talks were also given at the Rails to Trails International Conference in San Diego, at the four Unit Management Plan public meetings, and for the Genesee Valley BOCES Career Exploration Class. Representation with Other Groups: The Friends of the Genesee Valley Greenway were represented on the Scottsville Citizens Advisory Committee considering Route 251 Bridge replacement. The Friends were also represented on the District Committee, Iroquois Council, Letchworth District Boy Scouts. Information Tables: The Friends staffed informational tables at several events including the Monroe County Soil and Water Conservation District Zoo Environmental Fair, Iroquois Council Boy Scouts information night, and the NRA Youth Fest at the A-On-Do-Wa-Nah Sportsmen's Club. Informational Meetings: A Greenway informational meeting was held in April for York-Leicester Caledonia adjacent landowners and interested persons. In conjunction with the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) and DEC Unit Management Planning (UMP) process, public informational meetings were held in Wheatland-Chili, Mt. Morris, Fillmore, and Cuba-Rushford Schools in August. These meetings provided the public with information on the Greenway and offered an opportunity for the public to comment on their interests and concerns regarding the project. Approximately 2000 notices of the UMP meetings were mailed to adjacent landowners, Friends members, local government and agency of ficials, and interested civic and user groups. Attendance at each meeting averaged about forty persons. Response to Public Inquiries: The public called, wrote, and visited the Greenway office seeking information regarding the Genesee Valley Greenway. Maps were the most frequently requested item. Persons also inquired about specific concerns relating to use of the trail. Government officials also contacted the Greenway office with questions about the trail's impact on their constituents. Approximately 80 requests for information were received during 1998. Publications: Historically, the Friends quarterly newsletter, Greenway News, has been mailed to members, key individuals or groups, and elected officials, representing a distribution of 350 copies. The spring issue was also mailed to the approximately 350 adjacent landowners in Monroe and Livingston counties. The summer-fall issue was mailed to approximately 1000 persons in order to include landowners along the entire 90-mile Greenway corridor. Additional copies of the newsletter were distributed to persons seeking information about the Greenway and at information tables and slide talks. Adventure Video: In October, Tim Bayer, author of several adventure videos, undertook an end to end bike ride of the entire 90 miles of Greenway Trail. While unable to negotiate several sections, especially where bridges are missing in Allegany County, he nevertheless captured much of the resource on tape. The resulting 30-minute narrated video will be provided to local cable access stations throughout the region. Ninety hours of volunteer time were devoted to this effort. Trail Development and Maintenance Local Committee Organization: Two new local committees were formed, one for the Town of Mt. Morris and the other covering the towns of Caledonia, York and Leicester. The entire northern fifty miles of greenway is now served by local committees. Trail Adopters: Eight new trail adopters were added, using the Adopt-a-Trail policy. Trail Maintenance: Volunteers spent more than 2000 hours clearing vegetation from the trail and historic structures, mowing, picking up trash, fabricating and painting gates, meeting to discuss trail planning and management, and organizing events. Specific volunteer efforts included: BOCES Career Exploration Class, 20 students - 80 hours of trail clearing in the Village of Mt. Morris Probation Youth Community Service - one Dansville youth, 2 hours of trail clearing in the Village of Mt. Morris Mt. Morris High School Participatory Government Student - one youth, 2.5 hours picking up trash in the village of Mt. Morris Eastman Kodak Make a Difference Day - 26 persons from Eastman Kodak Environmental Division, 4 hours - 104 hours, clearing the waste weir and roadside vegetation in the area soon to become the Little Black Creek Pocket Park, sanding and painting gates, removing downed tree limbs York Central School Seventh Graders - 6 youths, a counselor and a parent, 27 hours sanding, priming, and painting gates Letchworth District Boy Scouts - 160 persons, 4 hours - 640 hours, clearing vegetation from Locks 54, 56, 57, 58, 59, and 60, one historic culvert, picking up trash, and repairing and stabilizing trail surface. BOCES Metal Trades Class - 40 students and two teachers, one full year of class time - welding, grinding, panting, and installing trail gates Northern Committee- 132.5 hours, meetings, trail clearings Nunda-Portage Committee - 171 hours, meeting, trail mowing, event organization, and trail clearings Caledonia-York-Leicester Committee - 4 meetings Mt. Morris Committee - 60 hours, meetings and trail clearings Fred Hauck Tree Service - 6 hours tree removal Trail Adopters - periodic trail maintenance DeHority Family - 25 hours National Association of Women in Construction - 14.5 hours Hill and Gully Riders Snowmobile Club - 64 hours BSA Troop 86 - 168 hours BSA Troop 76 - 115 hours Little Beard Club - 100 hours Triple Creek Golf Course, Scott Marsh - 4 hours York Environmental Awareness Society Seneca Foods Genesee Valley Hiking Club Trail Planning and Development: The Friends worked in conjunction with project partners, DEC, and OPRHP, and the New York State Department of Transportation on a number of documents and policies needed to design, plan, and operate the Greenway including: Unofficial Draft of Rules and Regulations Unit Management Plan (UMP) Outline and Overview Letter of invitation to UMP meetings and letters to adjacent landowners to accompany newsletter mailing and announce Caledonia-York-Leicester informational meeting Unit Management Plan document Interpretive Signage Proposed Keshequa Gorge route Frequently Asked Questions Information Sheets - General and for Adjacent Landowners Database of Stakeholders - adjacent landowners and interested individuals and groups Development of RG&E environmental benefits package aiding trail development Projects for Eagle Scout candidates Historic and trail bridge design Culvert Inventory forms Meetings with adjacent property owners Discussions with DOT regarding intersecting road projects and opportunities for mutual benefit In addition, board members donated more than 400 hours to board meetings, special events, and special meetings. Public Recreation The number of persons using the Genesee Valley Greenway for hiking, biking, cross country skiing, and snowmobiling increased during 1998 as more sections of trail became available to the public. No information is available on average number of users per day, but informal observations support the statement that usage is possibly twice that of 1997. Outings: Organized activities focused on the variety of recreational activities possible on the Greenway and afforded persons unfamiliar with the resource an opportunity for a guided initial experience. The Friends organized two canal history hikes and two graduated distance hikes with shuttle service from several locations. Other groups chose the Genesee Valley Greenway as the location for their events. Theseinclude: Victor Hiking Trail - February hike Finger Lakes Trail Conference Annual Meeting - two hikes and two bike trips in April 4-H Walkathon in May - 220 participants, hiking or on horseback Wednesday Hikers - July, 7-mile hike Genesee Valley Hiking Club - several summer events Rochester Bicycling Club - four 15-20 miles bike rides Rochester Regional Group of the Sierra Club - September hike Letchworth State Park staff - a number of interpretive outings along the Greenway section in the park The outdoor adventure company, Pack Paddle Ski Corporation also organized a long distance Greenway hike and a day bike trip. After each trip, they contributed part of the proceeds to the Friends. Attendance at the various outings ranged from approximately five to twenty-five. Events: 1998 marked the Friends' seventh celebration of June National Trails Day and the second official celebration of February Winter National Trails Day. The winter event was again snowless but warmer than recent years. Approximately twenty persons participated. The June celebration was highlighted by the ceremony recognizing Joseph Spezio's donation of eight acres of land to the State of New York. Approximately 50 persons attended this event. In April, .8 mile of Genesee Valley Greenway, also part of the Finger Lakes Trail, was additionally designated North Country National Scenic Trail at a ceremony held on the trail. Approximately 15 persons, representing all three organizations, attended this trail event. In June, DEC and OPRHP and the Friends hosted a Thank You picnic for 40 BOCES students who had contributed to the gate building effort. Education The Friends fulfilled their commitment to education through involvement with a variety of student groups, public slide talks, publicity of the project, and guided history walks. In addition, in May, Craig Della Penna, New England Field Representative for the Rails to Trails Conservancy and rail trail book author visited the Greenway to research an upcoming book, Great Rail Trails of New York State. Mr. Della Penna also presented a public, slide illustrated lecture on rail trails of the northeast. In November, the Friends hosted a presentation, "Getting to Know our Trail Partners" that included talks on the status of trail planning and development for the several trails that link with the Genesee Valley Greenway. Thirty-five persons attended this event, held in conjunction with the Friends annual meeting. Overview \| Membership Form \| Tees and Sweats \| Board of Directors By-Laws \| Annual Report \| Top \| About The Friends \| Home Questions about the FOGVG or the Trail? Email: Fran Gotcsik, Executive Director - fogvg@aol.com Trouble or questions about this website? 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