MD ORV Stakeholders Meeting Notes - 9/30/2011
Posted: Mon Oct 03, 2011 7:36 pm
The second MD ORV Stakeholders Meeting was held Friday 9/30/2011.
Let me start by saying I am now 100% convinced the State of Maryland will open a new riding area and is committed to opening others.
But first my notes.
Wind O'Neil (MX Council) has been working very hard and found several places of significant potential. One site is the LaFarge Quarry at the intersection of I-68 and I-70. They are very interested in leasing that quarry to the DNR. It is about 200 acres total. From the pictures I saw, it has an area that would be ideal for a trials course. There is about 100+ acreas that is ideal for a single track course. The DNR is pursuing this.
The State has been approached by a land owner south of Oakland to lease his land for a riding park. He has about 300 acres. The owner wants to lease it to the state and then get a concession to operate it - might be possible if the State makes it a Park (vice Forest).
The Kitzmiller property (DNR calls it Lupo Tana) is being actively pursued by the State. They are in discussions with the Bankruptcy Trustee. It would be 1 year minimum to open it if bought by the State.
The area by Town Hill is still viable but on the back burner - too many issues to work through right now.
Randy Beeman (Western MD Trail Riders Assoc) has also been very busy contacting all the local coal mines. He also has been in discussion with a bank that bought a failed development near Dan's Mountain (about 2000 acres). He's trying to broker a deal for the bank to build a lodge and lease the balance to the State as a riding area. The State is interested.
I'm trying to coordinate a visit to Jim Ratino's Barton property. Jim has made it available so the DNR can see what can be done with a reclaimed mine. We are trying to put the DNR into contact with the local mining manager (Ray). Ray works for Tri-Star Mining and Tri-Star has multiple properties around W. MD in various stages of completion. Ray lives near Frostburg and is an active GNCC racer. Ray's knowledge of the area's mining operations, experience in the mining reclamation process and motorcycle history, makes him a valuable resource.
My #1 concern is the State is pursuing riding areas that are relatively small in size. I understand they want to get a "quick win" but that could be self-defeating if the area is over-run and quickly destroyed or opened on a very limited basis. I do believe they are going to open larger areas eventually and I'll keep the pressure up.
Ken
Let me start by saying I am now 100% convinced the State of Maryland will open a new riding area and is committed to opening others.
But first my notes.
Wind O'Neil (MX Council) has been working very hard and found several places of significant potential. One site is the LaFarge Quarry at the intersection of I-68 and I-70. They are very interested in leasing that quarry to the DNR. It is about 200 acres total. From the pictures I saw, it has an area that would be ideal for a trials course. There is about 100+ acreas that is ideal for a single track course. The DNR is pursuing this.
The State has been approached by a land owner south of Oakland to lease his land for a riding park. He has about 300 acres. The owner wants to lease it to the state and then get a concession to operate it - might be possible if the State makes it a Park (vice Forest).
The Kitzmiller property (DNR calls it Lupo Tana) is being actively pursued by the State. They are in discussions with the Bankruptcy Trustee. It would be 1 year minimum to open it if bought by the State.
The area by Town Hill is still viable but on the back burner - too many issues to work through right now.
Randy Beeman (Western MD Trail Riders Assoc) has also been very busy contacting all the local coal mines. He also has been in discussion with a bank that bought a failed development near Dan's Mountain (about 2000 acres). He's trying to broker a deal for the bank to build a lodge and lease the balance to the State as a riding area. The State is interested.
I'm trying to coordinate a visit to Jim Ratino's Barton property. Jim has made it available so the DNR can see what can be done with a reclaimed mine. We are trying to put the DNR into contact with the local mining manager (Ray). Ray works for Tri-Star Mining and Tri-Star has multiple properties around W. MD in various stages of completion. Ray lives near Frostburg and is an active GNCC racer. Ray's knowledge of the area's mining operations, experience in the mining reclamation process and motorcycle history, makes him a valuable resource.
My #1 concern is the State is pursuing riding areas that are relatively small in size. I understand they want to get a "quick win" but that could be self-defeating if the area is over-run and quickly destroyed or opened on a very limited basis. I do believe they are going to open larger areas eventually and I'll keep the pressure up.
Ken