BY JEFF CHUDZINSKI
North Country This Week

CANTON — Individuals using the St. Lawrence County multi-use trail system will likely notice an increased police presence on the trails in the coming weeks.

The ramp up in patrols by the St. Lawrence County Sheriff’s department comes following a number of reports of individuals riding off trail and even trespassing on private property, according to County attorney Stephen Button.

“In certain circumstances, they were going on roads not opened or trespassing on private or state properties which were also not open for utilization,” he said.

While officials applauded the fact that trail ridership has remained brisk, off-trail riding and rule violations have been noted, giving rise to the announcement of enhanced enforcement measures. “We are extremely fortunate to have several recreational opportunities in our beautiful County,” noted St. Lawrence County Sheriff Brooks Bigwarfe. “The St. Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office encourages recreational use of the St. Lawrence County multi-use trail system. However, we ask that the ATV/OHV operators that utilize the multi-use trail system use caution to help make this opportunity beneficial to everyone on the trails and the surrounding communities. In an attempt to make the St. Lawrence County trail system a safe environment for everyone, the Sheriff’s Office will be patrolling the trails.”

The St. Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department was awarded a grant to purchase an OHV in 2021, allowing for better patrolling of the trails.

St. Lawrence County Trails Committee member and Legislator Rick Perkins said, “The new OHV will be patrolling trails to educate riders to ride responsibly and attempt to stop the few that persist in engaging in irresponsible use of the trails. We would like to remind riders to slow down and ride respectfully in residential areas and when entering towns.”

The St. Lawrence County board of Legislators passed a new local law in 2021 designed to re-establish the St. Lawrence County Multi-Trail System and create a permitting process for all-terrain vehicle enthusiasts who use the trail system. The permitting process, in its second year, has already assisted in the enhancement of the trail.

Debbie Christy, the contracted St. Lawrence County Trail Coordinator, reported to legislators that 1326 permits were sold in the first season of 2021. Of those orders 168 were from out of the county and 18 were out of state bringing in additional tourism dollars for our area businesses.

“The St. Lawrence County Multi-use Trail system was designed to enhance tourism and draw visitors to one of the best locations New York State has to offer. Based upon the reported trail pass numbers, it is clear that the trail system is impacting the communities in which it passes and we hope to see it do so for many more years to come,” stated Christy.

St. Lawrence County Trails Committee member and Legislator Tony Arquiett, who played a key role in establishing the multi-use trail system and bringing it to the forefront of county discussions also weighed in. “Since 2017, almost 80 miles of pristine trails have been added to the St. Lawrence County multi-use trail system which allows for all-terrain vehicle travel in addition to the other avenues of recreational trail enjoyment. The Trail system, one of the largest governmentally-sponsored multi-use trail systems in the State of New York, now extends across a distance of more than 126 miles and is open to all-terrain travel each year from late spring until September 15th,” he said.

“In order to keep it pristine, and expand it for future use, we call upon all users of the trail system to observe the rules of the trail and the road, be mindful of those around the trail, and be good stewards of this wonderful asset that we get to call ‘home’.”