Bergen County Management Plan for Ramapo Mountain Parkland

The Bergen County Departments of Parks and Planning has developed draft management alternatives for the county parkland located in the Ramapo Mountains. Public input is encouraged and will be accepted until November 4, 2013 at 11:59PM. 

Trail Conference Position in Brief:

The existing footpaths at Ramapo Valley Reservation should be maintained as single-use trails (foot use only) into the future.

Many would like to see mountain biking introduced as a new use at the Reservation. The Trail Conference does not oppose development of new mountain bike trails in appropriate areas of the 3,313-acre park. But we do oppose allowing mountain bike use on the existing footpaths that our volunteers have built and maintained for decades.

We encourage our members to defend single-use  footpaths at Ramapo Valley Reservation by leaving a comment before 5pm Monday, November 4, on this Bergen County Parks Department page: http://www.co.bergen.nj.us/index.aspx?NID=202 or sending it directly to the master plan project manager Adam Strobel, ramapoparkmp@co.bergen.nj.us.

As the long-time steward of trails in the Ramapo Reservation, the Trail Conference is a charter member of the Advisory Committee that is working with Bergen County to ensure that the needs of the community are heard.

For those of you who love Ramapo Mountains County Park, you have a rare opportunity to have a say in the park’s future. What do you want to change? What is most valuable about the park as it is? What is your vision for the park’s future?

Several different alternatives are being explored in the Ramapo Mountains Management plan (see website at www.co.bergen.nj.us/index.aspx?NID=202).  You have a chance to guide the direction this project takes by submitting your comments by the November 4 deadline. 

A few years ago the County launched the park planning study to examine the future of County parkland in the Ramapo Mountains. Today this newsletter presents three park planning concepts based upon public input, prior park planning analysis and the County Park staff’s professional experience.  These concepts define some ideas for the preservation of the Park’s natural and historic features. They offer different kinds of recreational and educational experiences, and explore ways to collaborate with others.   The final management plan, to be drafted and presented at a later date, will help park managers focus on what is most important about the park.