DEC REPLACES UNSAFE SNOWMOBILE BRIDGE ON PERKIN’S CLEARING CONSERVATION EASEMENT LANDS

An unsafe bridge on an important snowmobile connector trail on the Perkins Clearing Conservation Easement Lands was replaced in time for the upcoming snowmobile season, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation announced today.

The new bridge replaces the old, deteriorating Mossy Vly Snowmobile Bridge on the Carpenter Hill Trail which connects the Mud Lake Road and the Jessup River Road in the Town of Lake Pleasant, Hamilton County.

“Replacing the bridge assures the safety and enjoyment of the many snowmobilers that use the extensive snowmobile trail network in Hamilton County,” said Mike Lenane, DEC Deputy Commissioner. “Snowmobiling is a very important component of Adirondack winter economy. DEC is pleased to provide snowmobiling and other recreational activities on the lands we managed.”

The Mossy Vly Brook snowmobile bridge provides a critical link between snowmobile trails on the conservation easement property. Historically, the bridge has been used as a bypass route around winter logging activities on the conservation easement property. Replacing the bridge eliminates the need for hazardous ice crossings by snowmobilers.

“Completion of the Mossy Vly Bridge is another of the many examples that demonstrates the continuing improvement in the relationship between Hamilton County municipalities and the Department of Environmental Conservation,” said Bill Farber, Chairman of the Hamilton County Board of Supervisors. “I want to express my sincere thanks to the Department for getting this important bridge completed in a timely manner.”

“The Town’s backwoods trail system is a vital piece of the local economy,” said Neil McGovern, Town of Lake Pleasant Supervisor. “The DEC’s new bridge across Mossy Vly re-opens a particularly attractive section of our snowmobile trails just in time for our important winter season. The cooperation between DEC and local forces have resulted in a solid crossing our snowmobile riders will truly enjoy.”

“The re-opening of the Mossy Vly Bridge is a welcome sight as it is a significant link in the area’s snowmobile trail system,” said Paul Allen of Pleasant Riders Snowmobilers. “Snowmobiling attracts thousands of visitors to the region each year keeping the local businesses alive in winter. The four years without the bridge were fraught with many fiscal and other challenges which the community, volunteers and DEC worked together to overcome. This is a great example of how the state can help support local economies through guarded investment and cooperation.”

The new bridge is 60 feet long, 12 feet wide and was built with steel stringers set on abutments of timber cribbing by DEC Operations staff. The bridge is bigger, much sturdier and should have a longer life span than the previous bridge. DEC expedited the replacement of the bridge to ensure that a safe crossing was in place prior to this winter’s snowmobile season.

The previous bridge was 47 feet long, 11 feet wide and built with five 18-inch thick birch and spruce supporting stringers. The stringers were rotted and one had broken apart making the crossing unsafe.