College moves to protect North Woods, hears neighbors' concerns

North Woods nature area damaged

Reprinted with permission from the Daily Gazette, August 14, 2007

By Lee Coleman

Skidmore College officials said Tuesday that the college's 250-acre North Woods nature area is starting to show signs of overuse and improper use.

The woods, which include several miles of nature trails, are at the north end of the college's campus on North Broadway.

"This is a natural history museum," said Sue Van Hook, a Skidmore biology teaching associate and chairwoman of the college's environmental committee.

"Once this is gone, we can't replace it," Van Hook said.

The college uses the woods and the diverse ecology there as an outdoor laboratory for biology and environmental science courses as well as research.

For this reason, the college will start enforcing regulations that have been on the books for some years, she said.

One of these regulations requires people to have their dogs on a leash when using the trails. In addition, dogs are now only allowed on one of the woods' shortest nature trails.

People who enjoy walking their dogs on the trails without a leash were among the about 40 people attending Tuesday's public information meeting on the North Woods in the college dining hall.

These people urged college officials to reconsider the leash law and the area of the woods where dogs are allowed.

Patrick Brereton, president of the North Side Civic Association, said for 20 years members of the public have been able to walk their dogs without a leash on the trails.

He said the association has always had a cordial relationship with the college, especially during the tenure of current college President Philip Glotzbach.

"This is an aggressive first initiative," Brereton said about the new leash requirement. He said it could lead in the future to no dogs on the trails and eventually "no humans" on the site.

He said the association is opposed to the new leash policy. Several others at the meeting expressed similar comments, saying their dogs get better exercise walking on the trails without a leash.

Van Hook said dog urine and defecation have damaged some of the flora in the North Woods. Students doing research in the woods sometimes step in the dog excrement, she added.

She urged members of the public to pick up after their dogs.

Tara Sullivan, a Skidmore graduate, said she was bitten by a dog while jogging on the North Woods nature trails.

Van Hook said some professional "dog sitters" bring as many as seven dogs at a time to the trails and allow them to run on the trails without a leash.

More than a year ago, the college urged local mountain bike riders not to use the nature trails.

The Saratoga Mountain Bike Association provides mountain bike trails that start at the west end of campus and lead onto land the association leases from Finch, Pruyn & Co. Inc., Van Hook said.

She showed slides of the damage caused by a large mountain bike competition held in the North Woods back in 1995.

College officials urged the public to voluntarily comply with the guidelines for trail use. The guidelines are listed in a brochure available at the start of the trail system.

"We invite you to experience the beauty and natural wonders of the North Woods," says Glotzbach on the brochure's cover. "To keep the woods intact for education, research and other outdoor experiences, we ask that you respect the guidelines described in this brochure."

Julia Stokes said she has lived near the Skidmore campus for more than 25 years and often walks her collie in the North Woods.

Allowing public use of the North Woods trails has always been a way for the college "to reach out to the community," Stokes said. She urged the college to reconsider allowing dogs only on the short red trail and allow them on the longer blue trail as well.

Robert Kimmerle, a college spokesman, said the North Woods meeting was held to share the guideline information with the public and to listen to the public's reaction. He said their comments will be considered as the college develops long-range plans for the woods.

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©2007 the Daily Gazette