NICHOLS ROAD OPEN TO ATV'S - THE TOWN OF WORTH HAS OPEN THE NICHOLS ROAD BETWEEN JEFFERSON COUNTY ROUTES 96 AND 93. THIS HAS BEEN THE MISSING LINK BETWEEN BARNES CORNERS AND WINONA FOREST. THE TOWN OF WORTH HAS OPEN THE ROAD ON A TRAIL BASIS FOR ONE YEAR SO WHEN OUT RIDING PLEASE OBEY THE SPEED LIMITS AND STAY ON THE SIGNED ROADS AND TRAILS.

Absolutely Business has printed a featured article on the Lewis County Trail Permit system. Click here to read more...

ATV trail permits for sale
By STEVE VIRKLER
TIMES STAFF WRITER
SUNDAY, MARCH 15, 2009
LOWVILLE — Permits for the Lewis County all-terrain vehicle trail system go on sale Monday.
   The permits — costing $40 for each ATV owned by a member of one of the 10 clubs in the Tug Hill Adirondack ATV Association and $80 for each machine owned by a nonmember — will be available through the Lewis County Chamber of Commerce at its office, 7559 S. State St., or through its Web site. Family and weekend rates may be available in the future. The chamber plans eventually to allow area businesses to sell permits as well, Executive Director Anne L. Merrill said. "We're very excited that the county has asked us to do the administration," she said. "We think it's a nice fit."  The chamber already has received many calls from people in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Western New York inquiring about the status of the planned trail system, and none seemed concerned about having to buy a permit, Mrs. Merrill said.  "They're just excited to have someplace to ride," she said.  The chamber will keep 10 percent of the permit fees collected to cover administrative costs, while the rest will be placed in a county recreational trails fund for establishment, maintenance and operation of the system.
   Legislator Richard C. Lucas, R-Barnes Corners, chairman of the legislative Economic Development Committee, said he would like to eventually see 10,000 permits sold annually. "This year, if we could get 4,000 or 5,000, it would be a success," he said.   ATV enthusiasts will be able to join a club when they apply for a permit, either in person or online, to take advantage of the discount. The Tug Hill Adirondack ATV Association — previously known as the Lewis County ATV Association — now includes five clubs based in Lewis County and five from nearby counties.  The planned 400-mile trail system will be open from May 1 through the second Friday in October, the start of hunting season.  The initial system should boast at least 100 miles of trails on county reforestation lands and another 100 miles on private land, said Robert C. Diehl, the county's trail coordinator.  Mr. Diehl estimated that 300 to 400 miles of county and town roads also will be open to ATV traffic. However, he said, about half of those miles, encompassing roads that don't connect with the rest of the system, won't be included on county ATV maps that will be printed next month.  Plans are to continue developing trails on county and private land in subsequent years, reducing the number of road miles required, Mr. Lucas said.  "The ultimate goal is to use as few roads as possible," Mr. Diehl said.  Permits will be required only to ride on private and county land, but ATV patrols will ride throughout the entire trail system, including the roads, to enforce state and county laws.  The speed limit will be 25 mph, unless otherwise posted. Children 10 through 17 will have to complete an ATV safety course and be accompanied by someone 18 or older to ride on the system.  Details on trail system enforcement are still being worked out, Mr. Lucas said Friday afternoon shortly before meeting with Sheriff's Department officials on that issue. The hope is eventually to connect the Lewis County ATV system with trails in adjacent counties, creating a regional system, he said.

ON THE NET

Lewis County Chamber of Commerce: www.lewiscountychamber.org

 "GREAT NEWS"

     The Town of Lyonsdale has approved the opening of town roads which will be the connecting trails between the Lewis County reforestation lands that will be developed into ATV Trails. This is a big step forward in expanding our Trail Development Program. As we open roads to connect trails I ask everyone to remain on the hard surface and not the side of the roads as this will reduce the amount of maintenance required by the towns to maintain the roads. "MOVING FORWARDS

LOWVILLE — As expected, Lewis County legislators on Tuesday approved the creation of a permit-based all-terrain-vehicle trail system.

Legislators by 8-0 votes adopted laws establishing a trail system and a Lewis County ATV code. Legislator Richard C. Lucas, R-Barnes Corners, owner of the Montague Inn, abstained, while Legislator L. Kelley Dickinson, R-Harrisville, was absent.

The vote was preceded by about an hour's worth of comments, most of them from ATV enthusiasts. Several suggested that proposed permit fees should be lower, particularly for local riders.

According to the trail system law, permits would cost $40 for each ATV owned by a member of a Lewis County ATV Association and $80 for each machine owned by a non-member.