In partnership with the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry’s (ESF) Sustainable Resources Management Department (ESF), DEC recently installed a new trail bridge on Morgan Hill State Forest in the Town of Fabius, Onondaga County.
The new bridge is a key feature in the more than 10 miles of a primarily single-track mountain bike and multiple-use trail system on the 5,300-acre public forest.
ESF students Charles Stuart, Tom Berberich, Harry Barclay, and Travis Roller designed and constructed the bridge in their Applied Structures course in the Construction Management program. The course challenges students to design, create, and test a bridge for entry in a national competition. Region 7 Operations staff transported and installed the bridge at a stream crossing site on the multiple-use trail. This great collaboration led to the efficient production of a high-quality feature that supports public recreation and protects water quality in the forest and in the Upper Tioughnioga River watershed.
A local mountain bike group, CNY D.I.R.T., provides stewardship services for the trail system on Morgan Hill State Forest through an active volunteer stewardship agreement with DEC. The volunteers routinely donate time and materials to support maintenance and upgrades on these public trails. Anyone can support the maintenance and enhancement of hiking, biking, horseback riding, and other non-motorized trails on State lands by ordering a trail supporter patch.
Photo of new trail bridge in Morgan Hill State Forest provided by DEC.
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