NYSDEC Region 3 wants to do away with target practice at Vernooy Kill State Forest

[JamesS17]

Hi Everyone,

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced that it is seeking public input on the Sundown Wild Forest and the Vernooy Kill State Forest Draft Unit Management Plan.

I was reading the draft unit management plan and someone from region 3 said they want to get rid of the target practice in Vernooy Kill State Forest and add parking lot through the big field on Cutler road and add mountain bike trails.

A public meeting is scheduled to provide the public with an opportunity to learn more about the proposed management actions in the draft UMP and to encourage comment on the proposals. During the Public Availability Session, DEC will be available to talk one-on-one with the public.

When: Thursday November 1 at 6:00 - 7:00pm - Public Availability Session; Public Meeting starts at 7:00pm

Where: Ellenville Public Library located at 40 Center Street, Ellenville, NY.


Written comments will also be accepted on the draft plan until November 13, 2018. Comments can be sent to the following contact:

Pine Roehrs
NYS DEC
21 South Putt Corners Road
New Paltz, NY 12561
r3.ump@dec.ny.gov



I have personally wrote a letter to NYSDEC telling them that this idea closing the place for shooting is very bad idea.

 

[Acer-m14]

are they going to make the bikers and hikers pay for a permit .. like us hunters have to do that put $$$ into the conservation funds to hunt there ??

since hunters have to chip in to the conservation funds to hunt on state lands .. bikers / hikers and horse riders / campers should pay in too

i have never been to them state forests but i have been to the Gunks and drove down into New Paltz back in the day when i Rock Climbed ..

the questions .. why end target shooting ?
is the area a mess of spent shells and shit ??

then what happens when the bikers and hikers do the same littering with there water bottles and crap ??

 

[Airborneguy]

I was there this past weekend. Nice piece of state land. I ran into two DEC agents. By the way, only my second time ever over YEARS of hunting public land all over the state. One of them told me to come during the early bear season because there are a lot of bears there. She actually told me to use caution even now since I was alone. Are there really that many there?

 

[JamesS17]

NYSDEC is not planning on given permits out to mountain bikes they already digging up the trails in Stewart Forest.
They told me they want to do away with the target practice due to safety concerns. it does not make sense to me if they think its not safe to target practice they going allow hunting still.
here is my letter to the editor


I am writing this letter to urge everyone to write a letter commenting on the plans of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s Draft Unit Management Plan for Sundown Wild Forest and Vernooy Kill State Forest. I have concerns about the new mountain bike trail and parking lot the NYSDEC plans to build in Vernooy Kill State Forest. The parking lot will put an end to people being able to target practice at the big field on Cutler Road in Vernooy Kill State Forest. During the summer at the big field, Timber Rattlesnakes lay eggs among the many rocks. If they were to build this parking lot, NYSDEC would destroy much of the timber rattlesnakes habitat. Furthermore, these snakes are on the threatened species list of New York state, and the state has laws protecting the timber rattlesnakes. I do not understand why the NYSDEC plans to ruin their habitat even though this snake is on the threatened species list.

When the mountain bike and snowmobile trail in Vernooy Kill State Forest are built, thousands of people will overrun the area to ride their bikes. Also, Many people will illegally ride dirt bikes on the trail. Lots of people will spread the word all over social media about mountain biking in Vernooy Kill State Forest. Then in 10 years NYSDEC Region 3 will have to create a no-cost day use permit system as they did at Peekamoose Blue Hole. The public will be blamed because they spread the information all over the internet through social media, but yet I feel that it would be NYSDEC’s fault for creating these mountain bike and snowmobile trails.
Besides, I do not understand how NYSDEC is going to prevent people from riding their bikes and snowmobiles on private property near these forests. Will property owners have to put up snow fencing to keep snowmobilers off their property? Will these same property owners have to spend their own money to try to kick people off of their land?
NYSDEC Region 3 needs to leave Vernooy Kill State Forest alone, and instead focus on drug usage issues that are going on in Vernooy Kill State Forest. I was departing Vernooy Kill State forest one day when a person who was alongside the road flagged me down. He wanted me to know that there were needles and syringes along the stream. I am surprised NYSDEC wants to spend thousands of dollars to create the new trail and parking lot, and they won't spend that money to add more forest rangers to the force to combat the drug use on state land. It happens that there are not many forest rangers in Region 3 right now. Some forest rangers in Adirondacks are asking NYSDEC to add more park rangers to the force, and they are ignoring these requests.
Someone from NYSDEC said they want to do away with target shooting due to safety. Maybe we worry about someone stepping on a needle instead? The shooting range is safe. There is a bank behind where people shoot. They are not firing towards the road.

You can learn more about this situation as well as find the address to submit your letter to NYSDEC at this website: Sundown Wild Forest and Vernooy Kill State Forest - Draft Unit Management Plan - NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation.

 

[JamesS17]

Sign the Petition

 

[tlj000]

Done

 

[pramaglia]

I signed this petition and also sent a letter to the DEC. I also posted the link to the petition on the "Hunter Education in New York" Facebook page. I use the Vernooy Kill for target practice all the time and for sighting in my hunting rifles each year. I also hunt there every year. I cannot afford to use private rifle ranges or join private gun clubs, so this issue is of utmost concern to me. I hope the DEC scraps their plan to build a parking lot and bike trails there.

 

[JamesS17]

Thank you everyone for signing the petition. I got off the phone with someone at the DEC local office. There were many people at the meeting that supports this mountain bike trail at Vernooy Kill State forest.

This mountain bike trail will put a big impact on the streams after it rains mountain bikes will dig up the trail and the mud will wash into the streams.

I wonder if these people are anti guns and trying shut down the target shooting there. A forest ranger told me that there is not many places like Vernooy Kill State Forest where you can target shoot.

Thank you for signing my petition please share it with everyone your friends , family members and any Facebook groups.

Sign the Petition

 

[JamesS17]

I signed this petition and also sent a letter to the DEC. I also posted the link to the petition on the "Hunter Education in New York" Facebook page. I use the Vernooy Kill for target practice all the time and for sighting in my hunting rifles each year. I also hunt there every year. I cannot afford to use private rifle ranges or join private gun clubs, so this issue is of utmost concern to me. I hope the DEC scraps their plan to build a parking lot and bike trails there.

I don’t understand when someone told me At the dec they want to shut it down for safety concerns why are they going still allow hunting. It dose not make sense. Thank you very much for signing my petition and sharing it.

 

[JamesS17]

The group who wants this mountain bike trail had 335 people signed their petition. if anyone is viewing this post please sign my petition my goal is to have 500 people sign this petition. Sign the Petition

 

[JamesS17]

I am reading the Shawangunk Journal and my letter is posted in the letters to the editor. There is another section talks about the meeting. Hank Alicandri Director of Sam's Point was at the meeting. they said the impact they see from bike trails and parking lots come from invasive plant species. he said there is the issue of protecting people. The group who wants this bike trail and take away the shooting area is called Renegades bike club

 

[Blimey]

New York badly needs more public ranges.

 

[JamesS17]

New York badly needs more public ranges.

I 100% agree on that. I was talking to a forest ranger this year and they said Vernooy Kill State Forest is like the only place that allows shooting.
I have seen more people come here to shoot than ride their bikes.

 

[JamesS17]

I want to thank everyone again for signing the petition and for your support.

Sign the Petition

 

[JamesS17]

I have to inform everyone that I had to close the petition site. Someone from NYSDEC emailed me and said my petition is miss leading and the information in the petition is not true. They are mad that I did not go to NYSDEC before creating a petition and since when does residents of New York have to go to a state agency before they petition them? NYSDEC Region 3 sent me the 300 page draft plan and I read that plan three times and I highlighted information I wanted to add into the petition. They upset because I am trying stop this bike club and NYSDEC from building a trail. I don't know if they are mad because I am for the target shooting and they not.

Thanks everyone for your support in signing the petition.

 

[Acer-m14]

dont .. tell them to state a law ..

Someone from NYSDEC emailed me

put there damn name out .. .. a agent from india ??

 

[JamesS17]

It was the forester from Vernooy Kill State Forest.

 

[Acer-m14]

It was the forester from Vernooy Kill State Forest.

john or jane doe forester ??

you should have just stood the fight .. reply .. whats misleading .. will the bikers have to buy a ticket to bike .. ?
screw him/her ..

so my petition is misleading .. have you read the NYT .. WP .. CNN .. ..

 

[JamesS17]

Right after I read the email I went to work and wrote up a letter and stood up to them and told them how I felt with their email and I told them sorry if they think my petition was misleading however I got the information from their draft plan so their draft plan book must be misleading LOL and will be sending it to the forester, Regional Forester and NYSDEC Commissioner. They are allowing the bikers to ride on the bike trail with no permits. They even going to allow the bikers to build this trail. 433 bikers went to NYSDEC and told them they want to see a bike trail at Vernooy Kill State Forest and Region 3 fulfill their request.

 

[JamesS17]

Hunting, Fishing is a sport and so is mountain biking so why are they getting away with not having permit. this place is going to be turn into another freaking Peekamoose Blue Hole where 1000 people storm the place and mess it up.

 

[JamesS17]

Here is the funny part they do not know that I sent 15 letters to nearby residents including the gun and rod club about this proposed plan and how they want to do away with the shooting area.

 

[Uninformed and Compliant]

I don’t understand when someone told me At the dec they want to shut it down for safety concerns why are they going still allow hunting. It dose not make sense. Thank you very much for signing my petition and sharing it.

Hunting is during a specific time period. Only a moron hits the trails in that season.

Target shooting is not predictable. That's likely the issue with the hikers and bikers. If the area is multi-use, expect some moron to walk right through the middle of the target area and not know it. Daily.

 

[Acer-m14]

@Uninformed and Compliant from the OP

I was reading the draft unit management plan and someone from region 3 said they want to get rid of the target practice in Vernooy Kill State Forest and add parking lot through the big field on Cutler road and add mountain bike trails.

from that i say its not multi use .. but they want it to be and end shooting ..

lets bulldoze down some trees and add some asphalt for parking so you can unload your bike to go for a ride .. FK them unless there going to PAY to RIDE ..

if i remember correctly ,, i had to PAY when i was at the Gunks to rock climb .. like 17 buck or so ..

 

[JamesS17]

I have reopened the petition Sign the Petition

 

[pramaglia]

I have reopened the petition Sign the Petition

Hi James. I put a link on Facebook for your petition and it is now up to 579 signatures. I hope it helps.

 

[pramaglia]

I have been promoting this petition on FB and I am thankful to all of the people who have signed. However, some of the NY FB hunter groups have memberships in the 10's of thousands. So my question is why did less than 400 people sign this petition? Are gun owners losing interest in protecting their sport? This petition is to support and promote target shooting on public land for all gun owners. It doesn't matter where you live or if you will ever even use this target range. What we are trying to do is protect the rights of gun owners to continue using public wilderness land that has always been available to us. If the NY DEC turns this area into a bicycle park it will not only affect the target range. It will put hunting in the entire wilderness area into question for obvious safety reasons. Who wants to be deer hunting and have a bunch of mountain bikers go zipping by you ever 5 minutes? I have nothing against mountain biking. I just think it should not be mixed into the same area that traditionally has been used for hunting. There are many state parks in NY that do not allow any form of hunting at all. Those are the places that the DEC should be looking at to create bike trails. That's my two cents. Thanks for listening.

 

[gun_slinger_boy]

I used to go there every once in a while when I still lived in NY. Very nice range. Got the "pistol range" to the left and rifle straight ahead. Actually needed GPS coordinates to find it lol. I suspect they are proposing closing it down because of trash. This was and I bet is still an ongoing problem. There were even a few threads about it at the old forum. People just can't seem to pick up after themselves. You're not even supposed to bring clays there but people bring tvs tires washer machines etc. I've gone there with trash bags and picked up but it's an exercise in futility. It's really sad since it's one of the only places in the state where you don't have silly range rules like round count and slow fire restrictions. If people just stuck with the rule of bringing back a little more than you came with there would be no problem.

 

[JamesS17]

Hi James. I put a link on Facebook for your petition and it is now up to 579 signatures. I hope it helps.

Thank You very much for your support and help. 615 people signed it already and that is really awesome. We not to far away from 1000 people. The Bike club closed their petition at 930. i very much appreciate the help and thanks to all the 615 people. I am going to a volunteer stewardship agreement meeting in March at DEC office and i am going to hand deliver the petition.

 

[JamesS17]

I never seen any mountain bikes at Vernooy Kill State Forest and if they build this mountain bike trail they will bring in Invasive species into the area and kill the trees. The garbage in Vernooy Kill State Forest would be 15 times worst and Vernooy Kill State Forest will turn into a another Peekamoose Blue Hole. 930 people supported this trail and that shows 930 people will end up at Vernooy Kill State Forest.

I rather to see a shooting range than a mountain bike trail. Many gun owners do try keep the area clean and i want to thank them for helping clean up the shooting area.

 

[kev74]

Thank You very much for your support and help. 615 people signed it already and that is really awesome. We not to far away from 1000 people. The Bike club closed their petition at 930. i very much appreciate the help and thanks to all the 615 people. I am going to a volunteer stewardship agreement meeting in March at DEC office and i am going to hand deliver the petition.

I would suggest you submit the petition soon, and continually notify them as more people sign.

I was at a user group meeting for Stewart Forest this week where the DEC rep specifically said they were not accepting comments about the West of Hudson UMP anymore.

When you submit the petition, state that it supports the public comment you previously submitted.