Bike Board in hiatus, Morgantown Area Mountain Bike Alliance (MAMBA), mountain bikers of the woodlot ..
Get the word out.
I learned a few days ago that a parcel of property is now closed to people who utilize the University Farm Woodlot: http://ags.agdmaps.com/wv/mon/?parid=18-12-9.1
Technically, it was never part of the woodlot, this is the woodlot parcel: http://ags.agdmaps.com/wv/mon/?parid=13-60-1
However, a trail system was built over 18-12-9.1 that meanders towards the highwall, and then back to the woodlot.
As it turns out, I was able to speak to the cordial new property owner, Pete Deal, because he was in the process of building a high barrier across the trail going into his new property, so I have the details. I was surprised to learn that 18-12-9.1 was previously the property of Monongalia General Hospital. What is a hospital property doing way out in the middle of an urban wilderness, adjacent to a property belonging to a land-grant University? Pete explained,
"Mr Lynch told me that at one point Mon General hospital wanted to acquire a piece of property near the hospital that was owned by WVU. It is not possible to buy property from the state but I understand it is possible to trade sometimes. So, the Lynch family donated the parcel up here to Mon General with the intention that Mon General could trade it to WVU for the parcel Mon General wanted and WVU owned that was near the hospital. This trade never transpired so the property has been owned by Mon General since the early 1980's."
Pete won this property in a recent auction. His main motivation for purchasing the property, adjacent to his own property, is to provide a safe space for his riffle range (he designs riffle parts, machines, and tests them), as well as to go hunting. Essentially, the area on the top going to the highwall is absolutely off-limits for mountain bikers and other users, including the construction of new trails. As you may observe, the property is only about 200 ft wide, although it stretches all the way to Point Marion Road. This means people who have been riding the connector trail below the highwall to get over to the University High side will be passing through Pete's property. However, Pete was not too concerned with this because he recognizes the situation, although, again, no new trail building on his property. Most of the land in this area is Lynch property (shows as ABJ LLC on the parcel viewer).
I feel like this is a situation where the new Multi County Trail Network Authority legislation, https://www.wvlegislature.gov/wvcode/code.cfm?chap=20&art=17 , could be a solution to explore, after all it protects property owners, while allowing access to trail user. However, Pete, didn't seem interested because he doesn't think it is such a big deal (sorry for the play on words).
The good news is this change doesn't affect the majority of the awesome riding in the woodlot, which we are really fortunate to have!
-Jonathan