RAIL ALKER TNEW YORK-NEW JERSEY TRAIL CONFERENCE...MAINTAININGW OVER 1500 MILES OF FOOT TRAILS MAY/JUNE 2002 Plagues on Our Forests? Making Good Things Happen By Georgette Weir A Member Takes On a Long Path Gypsy moths, hemlock woolly Dumping Ground and Wins adelgids, Asian long-horned beetles, elon- gated hemlock scale, bacterial oak leaf Constantine (Dean) Gletsos recently scorch, southern pine beetle—George proved the optimistic lesson that one per- Koeck, Regional Forester with the New son can be an irresistible force for good. Jersey Forest Service, grimly names the A member of the Trail Conference and threats on the ever-growing list of plagues vice president of the Ramapo Chapter of to our region’s forests. ADK, Gletsos took on the challenge of The “ultimate degradation” may be, cleaning up a long-standing illegal dump- as Koeck says, suburban sprawl, but in- ing area that marred a stretch of the Long sects, and now drought, are having nega- Path in Cheesecote Town Park in Pomona, tive impacts that are showing up along adjacent to Harriman-Bear Mountain our region’s trails. State Park. ARTURO DIAZ An avid hiker and nearby resident of Insects the park, Gletsos was bothered by its “ex- Last year’s gypsy moth infestation in loved of our region’s trees, continues. off a healthy eastern hemlock. “Some cessive litter,” which included, in his northern New Jersey was the worst in at Koeck reports devastation in an old growth people say that the Fiornia scale (elongated words, “vandalized and abandoned ve- least a decade. State officials estimated as stand of hemlocks in Wawayanda State hemlock scale) is the real killer,” says hicles, tires, couches, lawnmowers, 55- many as 200,000 acres were defoliated Park. Park managers and trail maintainers Mark Mayer, an entomologist with New gallon steel barrels, bicycles, air condi- by the caterpillars in 2001. Things were face stands of dead trees that hazard Jersey’s Department of Agriculture Ben- tioners, etc. You get the picture.” less severe in New York, although Tim treadways and public use areas. Accord- eficial Insects Lab. “But the vast majority He consulted with several hiking Sullivan, Chief Ranger for the Palisades ing to one scientist with the New Jersey of mortality I’ve seen [among hemlocks] groups and Long Path maintainers, all of Interstate Park Commission, said that Department of Agriculture, a recent sur- is connected to the woolly adelgid.” whom expressed frustration with an ap- about 1,000 acres in Harriman State Park vey of state forest parcels labeled just 10- Paul Huth, Director of Research at the parently intractable problem. “They said were defoliated by the gypsy moth. Will 15 percent of hemlocks healthy. Daniel Smiley Research Center at the that the last time they cleaned the area they be back this year? Scientists debate whether the woolly Mohonk Preserve, is skeptical. “There is was 10 years ago and within a few weeks Meanwhile, the toll on eastern hem- adelgid—like the gypsy moth, an insect a complex set of threats against the hem- the trash dumping was worse than before locks, among the most majestic and be- not native to our area—is enough to kill continued on page 13 cleaning.” Unimpressed by the alleged impossibility of improvement, Gletsos started his campaign for a cleanup. “I wrote letters to several local papers about Conference Publishes New, lished, much has happened, it hoping that the public, as well those in both to the trail and to technol- charge of this park, would take notice and Expanded Long Path Guide ogy that keeps track of it. Work do something about it. Meanwhile, I made on the Shawangunk Ridge Trail several local environmentally concerned The Trail Conference is proud to an- first time, an accurate trace was completed so that it now forms organizations, like the NY/NJ Trail Con- nounce the upcoming publication of a com- of the entire route of the a continuous path from High Point ference, Keep Rockland Beautiful, Inc., pletely new and revamped Long Path Long Path, both on the tra- State Park in New Jersey to the tra- ADK/Ramapo Chapter, TrashBrigade Guide. Among the many improvements ditional route and along ditional Long Path route near Sam’s Volunteers, and our own Pomona Cleanup over the earlier edition (published six years the Shawangunk Ridge Point Preserve. Two major reloca- Squad, aware. They all responded nicely.” ago) is, first of all, its dimensions: the new Trail route. The width of tions in the Catskills completed in He continues: “Jakob Franke (NY/NJ guide is larger than its predecessor, reduc- the track line on the maps is far larger 2001 have removed many miles of Trail Conference Long Path South Chair) ing the amount of page turning necessary than the error in recording. Also included road walking. and I went to a Haverstraw Town Board and making room for larger photographs are GPS coordinates for the official park- The new Long Path Guide was edited continued on page 12 and more readable maps. The section maps ing areas, for those who are inclined to by member and Map Committee Chair now all overlap each other so that there is use the latest technology. Herb Chong. In addition to organizing the no ambiguity in how to go between sec- Ed Walsh’s “Backpacking the Long project, Chong created all of the new maps Open House tions. Also new are the section profiles Path” booklet has been incorporated as a and contributed many of the photographs showing how the elevation changes with new chapter. Finally, all of the photographs that grace the book. Countless volunteers Sunday, June 2nd 3-6 p.m. distance traveled. are new. assisted in gathering the GPS and other The maps are among the Long Path The 347-mile Long Path is the longest data and contributed photos and advice Trail Conference Office Guide’s highlights: this edition features all hiking trail entirely maintained by Trail (see page 7). In particular, Chong acknowl- Everyone Welcome new maps, designed specifically for it. Conference member organizations. It runs edges the contributions of Jakob Franke They were produced with the aid of the from the George Washington Bridge north and John Jurasek. Refreshments Served latest Global Positioning System technol- to the Mohawk River near Albany. In the For ordering information, please turn Call the Office for details & directions. ogy, which was used to develop, for the six years since the last edition was pub- to Hikers’ Market Place on page 8. from the president’s notepad... TRAIL WALKER Volume XXIX, No. 3 May/June 2002 Georgette Weir Editor Nora Porter Managing Editor Thompson Prentzel Advertising Manager The TRAIL WALKER (ISSN 0749-1352) is published bi-monthly by the New York-New Heart and Soul Jersey Trail Conference as a benefit of mem- bership. Of membership dues, $4 is allocated Volunteers are the heart and soul of the members whenever the time is right for Finally, we issue action alerts and send to a one-year subscription. Subscriptions are Trail Conference. Without them, the or- available to libraries only at $15.00 a year. you to make a contribution of your time e-mails when political comment or action ganization could not function. It is through Periodical postage paid at New York, NY. and talents. Simply print out the sheet, fill is called for. A number of our members Postmaster: Send address changes to the ad- the efforts of volunteers that trails are it in, and mail it in to the office. We’ll try dress below. Opinions expressed by authors answer these just by showing up and giv- maintained, maps and books are pub- do not necessarily represent the policy or po- to match you up with your indicated skills ing comment at public hearings, or by sition of the Conference. Contributions of lished, and issues are addressed through and interests. writing to government representatives. typed manuscripts, photos, and drawings are public comment and letters. welcome. Manuscripts may be edited for style The other large source of volunteers Inside and Outside, there are plenty of How do volunteers connect with the and length. Send SASE for writers’ guidelines. comes from recommendations. The field jobs—plenty of ways for you to help the Submission deadlines for the TRAIL WALKER Trail Conference? And how does the Trail workers for the trail maintenance work- Trail Conference in its work of protecting are January 26 (Mar./Apr. Issue), March 25 Conference find the volunteers it needs? (May/June issue), May 25 (July/Aug. Issue), shop, held in April, were recruited from and supporting trails and hiking in our There are numerous ways. July 26 (Sept./Oct. Issue), September 25 (Nov./ the pool of maintainers in Minnewaska, region. You can volunteer for something Dec. Issue), November 26 (Jan./Feb. Issue). Traditionally, our most effective tool Black Rock Forest, and Schunemunk. Via you would like to learn how to do, or share Unsolicited contributions cannot be acknowl- for obtaining volunteers is our Volunteer edged unless accompanied by SASE. For in- word of mouth we have found committee your already well-developed skills and Sheet. It is included in each and every re- formation on advertising rates, please write chairs, trail supervisors, and even some- talents. Either way, you are likely to meet or call. newal packet, and has been our primary one to serve on a search committee people who share a common interest, and Copyright 2002 by: means of identifying the interests and skills New York-New Jersey Trail Conference, Inc. through personal recommendations. make new friends in the process.