Jefferson County's three-year agreement to pay for a trails coordinator expires at year's end, but legislators appear to support continued funding for at least one more year.

The county has paid $65,000 annually to the county Soil & Water Conservation District to cover coordinator Scott M. Burto's salary, benefits and mileage. The money also covers some related expenditures, such as the insurance on the agency's all-terrain vehicle and snowmobile and maintenance of its Web site, TrailJeffersonCounty.com.

TRAIL BOSS

Mr. Burto, in return, has teamed with local clubs and landowners to develop a 42-mile trail circuit for ATV enthusiasts in southern Jefferson County. Although there are still hurdles, the coordinator expects the pilot system to be open by spring.

For Legislature Chairman Kenneth D. Blankenbush, R-Black River, and Legislator Barry M. Ormsby, R-Belleville, the system is progressing as expected.

"When you talk about getting agreements from landowners and easements and coordinating with different counties and deciding what roads can be open, I never thought it was going to be a real quick deal," Mr. Blankenbush said. "I think Scott Burto is working through the system the right way. And I think there's positive feedback from everyone."

MOVING AHEAD

"We felt that starting right out at square one, that it was going to take some time," added Mr. Ormsby, the Planning and Development Committee chairman. "As long as we're staying the course and making progress, I see us continuing to try to negotiate with landowners and further developing what we started here."

The Finance and Rules Committee will consider a resolution Tuesday that extends the original agreement. If approved, the full board would take action Dec. 9.

Legislator Scott A. Gray, the Finance and Rules chairman, said the intent of the trail coordinator's position has changed since the lawmakers first entertained the idea in 2004.

"We expected to see: 'Here's a system. Here's the cost and here's the ongoing O&M (operations and maintenance) cost for it," he said. "We haven't seen that. But that doesn't mean that the position hasn't provided a return to the residents. I think it has."

Mr. Gray and Mr. Blankenbush said legislators still have to decide where they would like trail development to go. The resolution up for consideration would approve $65,000 in funding for 2009, but also gives legislators the option for two one-year renewals.

"What is the eventuality of this thing?" Mr. Gray asked. "Are we going to design a system or are they just going to keep piecing this together?"

Mr. Blankenbush said lawmakers also must decide whether the system needs its own dedicated coordinator after it is complete, a discussion that likely will take place only after legislators decide what constitutes a completed system.

Mr. Gray said he is "still skeptical of a full system and how we're going to pay for it, because you're talking about nothing more than a miniature highway that requires emergency services to be accessible — both fire and EMS."

While legislators decide his position's fate, Mr. Burto is continuing to work as usual. For the pilot system, he's working with the Sheriff's Department on a patrol schedule. He has asked Rodman, Lorraine and Worth leaders to open portions of the town-owned roads to ATV traffic to make it easier for riders to navigate between trails on county forest lots.

Mr. Burto also is helping to develop two separate maps, slated to debut this spring: one for the pilot trail and another for non-motorized trails available to walking, hiking and biking enthusiasts.

He said Soil & Water soon will apply for a $143,000 grant through the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation to restore deteriorated trails in the county's Washington Park lot in Lorraine and its Worth lot. The application is due Friday; an award announcement is expected in the spring.

Mr. Burto said the agency has identified about six miles of trail, both for motorized and non-motorized use, that has suffered damage because of poor drainage or joyriders who ran their four-wheel-drive vehicles through the lots when there were no regulations.

He said Soil & Water expects to begin constructing a pavilion, picnic area and ball field for the Felts Mills recreation area, using $30,000 in funds received through an earlier state Parks grant. The lot often attracts hikers and bikers as well as anglers.