We would like to respond to the “My Turn” letter from Dan Williams in the Aug. 24 edition of the Concord Monitor to clarify some of the points in his letter.
Williams submitted an email request to the city of Concord to close the Ry’s Way trail during hunting season. Ry’s Way is a multi-use trail located in the Broken Ground Conservation Area off Portsmouth Street recently constructed in collaboration with the local chapter of the New England Mountain Biking Association (NEMBA).
Ry’s Way is one of several trails that are open to the public on the Broken Ground Conservation Area. Williams’s request was discussed at the Aug. 12 meeting of the Conservation Commission’s Trails subcommittee and at the Aug. 18 meeting of the Conservation Commission. Williams presented his request at both meetings, and cited examples from the state of Vermont where entire trail networks are closed for hunters. The only suggestion of closing anything during those meetings was the request by Williams.
The conservation commission manages conservation open space lands throughout the city. With a few very limited exceptions, these lands are open to the public for multiple uses, including lawful hunting during hunting season. We are also very fortunate to have a network of public trails on many of these properties, including the Broken Ground Conservation Area. These trails have seen an increase in use in recent months as area residents looked for safe, close-to-home outdoor activities.
In managing these lands for conservation purposes and public use, the conservation commission has long supported the hunting community and hunting as a permitted use of conservation lands. Three years ago, a request was made to the city council to prohibit hunting on city-owned conservation land. The commission submitted testimony to the city council summarizing the many reasons why they did not support the request, stating that hunting is a traditional use in New Hampshire, and the commission did not recommend posting to prohibit hunting on city-owned conservation land.
Regarding the Trails Master Plan, a public meeting was held on Jan. 28 and a public survey has been available for input since that date. The meeting was publicized on the city’s webpage and social media outlets, advertised in the city manager’s weekly newsletter, and shared by local land trusts and outdoor recreation groups. Over 75 people attended the meeting, and over 400 people have responded to the survey. You can watch the ConcordTV video of the meeting by visiting this website: http://concordnh.gov/1739/Trail-Master-Plan.
We continue to welcome public input on the Trails Master Plan process. A draft will be available for comment in the coming months. We encourage you to look for updates on the city of Concord website, particularly the Trails page (www.concordnh.gov/trails), the city’s Facebook page, and the city manager’s newsletter.
(Kristine Tardiff is the chair of the Concord Conservation Commission.)