Hi everybody,
I'm posting to get the word out about current policy regarding biking on certain local trails located in Westminster Massachusetts.
Though we are lucky to have an assortment of trails in the area that are open to use by the general public, an issue has arisen regarding the use of mountain bikes on one particular property that has been purchased by the town and deeded for access and use ONLY BY RESIDENTS of Westminster. Though the majority of use has indeed been by residents and their guests, it has been brought to our attention that non-resident use is occurring and the local bikers have been asked to communicate to the biking community at large that this activity is a threat to our continued access to the trails we've built, maintained and enjoyed in this area.
I would like to ask that if you or anyone you know of uses or is planning to use the trails in town for biking, please refrain from riding them while we work to sort out access issues. It's a surprisingly complicated situation, and the land managers and town have expressed their willingness to work with us to see if we can come up with a fair and equitable manner in which we can continue to use this area for biking. As there is currently no trail signage that clearly shows which areas are of concern and which are not, I would ask that for the time being, anyone looking to ride in the area please enjoy Leominster State Forest or one of the other nearby publicly owned areas which offer a mulititude of great trails.
If you are anyone you know of is a Westminster resident and would like to be involved in this process, or if you would like any further details, please feel free to contact me by PM. Also, please treat any and all maps or other information you come across on the web from any other source that makes reference to trails in town to be unapproved and suspect. I will post any updates here as more information becomes available.
The local riders and land managers greatly appreciate your cooperation.
Thanks!
I'm posting to get the word out about current policy regarding biking on certain local trails located in Westminster Massachusetts.
Though we are lucky to have an assortment of trails in the area that are open to use by the general public, an issue has arisen regarding the use of mountain bikes on one particular property that has been purchased by the town and deeded for access and use ONLY BY RESIDENTS of Westminster. Though the majority of use has indeed been by residents and their guests, it has been brought to our attention that non-resident use is occurring and the local bikers have been asked to communicate to the biking community at large that this activity is a threat to our continued access to the trails we've built, maintained and enjoyed in this area.
I would like to ask that if you or anyone you know of uses or is planning to use the trails in town for biking, please refrain from riding them while we work to sort out access issues. It's a surprisingly complicated situation, and the land managers and town have expressed their willingness to work with us to see if we can come up with a fair and equitable manner in which we can continue to use this area for biking. As there is currently no trail signage that clearly shows which areas are of concern and which are not, I would ask that for the time being, anyone looking to ride in the area please enjoy Leominster State Forest or one of the other nearby publicly owned areas which offer a mulititude of great trails.
If you are anyone you know of is a Westminster resident and would like to be involved in this process, or if you would like any further details, please feel free to contact me by PM. Also, please treat any and all maps or other information you come across on the web from any other source that makes reference to trails in town to be unapproved and suspect. I will post any updates here as more information becomes available.
The local riders and land managers greatly appreciate your cooperation.
Thanks!