Getting to Know our Partners - DEC
What distinguishes the Genesee Valley Greenway effort is the partnership of FOGVG, DEC, and OPRHP. But who are the persons behind that general term DEC or OPRHP? This issue of the Greenway News begins a series of interviews to find that out. I chose to begin with the DEC Operations crew, Mike Saxton, Dave Gentner, Scott Fires, and Ace Estruch. Without this group of dedicated men, we wouldn't be enjoying the York Landing Parking lot; the two new miles of trail between Mt. Morris Village and Sonyea; open and graded trail between Brook and Coates Road, Dudley and Creek Roads, and Fowlerville Road and York Landing; and newly graded trail between Routes 5 and 20. The crew has also removed mountains of trash, installed gates and signs, and helped stabilize the collapsing culverts at Fowlerville, Brown's Creek, and Salt Creek. They began their Greenway work in 1995 by clearing brush to provide the DEC surveyors with a clear line of sight. FranG.
I started by asking about the work of the Operations Crew. According to foreman Mike Saxton, Operations is the maintenance and technical support unit for Fish and Wildlife, Law Enforcement, Air Quality, Forestry, and other divisions of DEC. (The group recently completed a parking lot and boat launch for Fish and Wildlife adjacent to Black Creek.) As the group listed the Greenway jobs they have accomplished, Scott Fires mentioned an unlikely task, babysitting. Dave Gentner explained that one day he worked for almost an hour with the bulldozer at York Landing. After he turned the dozer off, he heard some strange noises within the bulldozer and, to his surprise, found three newborn kittens under the floor pan of the dozer. To retrieve the kittens, he had to take the floor boards out of the dozer. Dave and Scott wrapped the kittens in paper towels and placed them where the dozer had been parked. Not long after, the mother came and took the kittens into the woods.
As the crew is on the Greenway more than anyone, I was interested in the number and types of trail users they have seen. All agreed that Greenway usage had definitely increased. According to Gentner, "We see people every day." "You can see people coming because there's a cloud of deer flies over them," commented Fires, who keeps a keen watch for Greenway users as he is mowing the trail.
The men acknowledged that when they first began their work they heard a number of complaints from adjacent landowners. Gentner said, "I always told them, you;re going to use it as much as anyone else. Now the same people are positive and using it."
What does the crew want to be sure everyone knows? Some of their work involves grading and removal of bushes and trees at the edge of the trail. According to Gentner, "When we first finish, it looks a little bad, but if you only trim the brush off, it will have four to five feet of growth in one year." Saxton explained that using the dozer is important to getting the trail in a condition where it can be more easily maintained and mowed in the future. Estruch mentioned that the Brook to Coates Road section did look somewhat too trimmed last year, but is beautiful and easy to maintain now. Gentner advised, "Let us know when you find something that needs attention."
The crew acknowledged that the Greenway is the first project they have undertaken where volunteers are also involved. I asked them what suggestions they could provide to create a synergy from the two efforts. The men stated that anyone cutting a fallen tree needs to dispose of it far away from the side of the trail. They added that volunteers can help by using nippers to cut overhanging branches. For the crew to stop the mower and get out to snip branches consumes valuable time. They all felt the trail work done by volunteers is beneficial and definitely noticeable. Fires commented, "The Boy Scouts did a fantastic job removing trash at York Landing."
Lastly, I wondered if the men had a favorite place on the trail. "From Route 20 to Fowlerville. In the fall it would make a beautiful painting," responded Scott Fires. Mike Saxton, Ace Estruch, and Dave Gentner agreed, but added that they really like the entire section between Route 20 and Cuylerville, especially York Landing to Salt Creek.
Maybe the crew;s recommendation will help you plan your next Greenway outing. When you;re there, observe the fine work that Mike, Dave, Scott, and Ace have done. If you see them, say hello and thanks for a job well done.
Questions about the FOGVG or the Trail? Email:
Fran Gotcsik, Executive Director - fogvg@aol.com
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See You on the Trail!