Closures by town, county and state anger cyclists and hikers

Long a hidden gem, the three-mile paved bike path in the Calverton Enterprise Park has seen an increase of cyclists and pedestrians this year enjoying one of the town’s only extended off-road trails.

But that also means more people have noticed the trail’s closure during bow-hunting season, which began October 1 and extends through December.

“This is one of the best times of the year to use the path,” said George Bartunek, a member of the town’s alternative transportation committee and a former town councilman. “To close it for people to go bow hunting – it doesn’t seem very fair to the general public.”

Next year, Gabrielsen says the town will probably look to keep the trail open by enforcing a 150-foot buffer from the trail. “The buffer is already there, but the season’s started already, and the hunters are already out there,” he said. “Just to be safe, we’ll wait until next year to work it out.”

http://www.riverheadlocal.com/2015/10/12/closing-public-trails-for-hunting-season-closures-by-town-county-and-state-anger-cyclists-and-hikers/