Greenway Trail Closed in Chili Area

A four -and-a-half mile section of the Genesee Valley Greenway, between the Thruway and Ballantyne Road, will be closed in December and early January while loggers remove trees infected by the Emerald Ash Borer beetle.

New York State Parks is completing a project to remove Ash trees that have been infected by the beetle or that are in danger of being infected. The project is meant to slow the spread of the beetle and protect trail users. "It's expected that all Ash trees along the section of the Greenway will be dead within a year, and removing dead trees and tree limbs will avoid a significant hazard to trail users' State Parks Deputy Commissioner for Natural Resources Tom Alworth said. "It's important that the public understands our goal is to protect patron safety and support the long-term health of the region's forests."

Please note that while the harvest is primarily for Ash, some other obvious hazardous/damaged trees along the trail will be removed to further help ensure users safety since this has not been done here for some time. These trees are not being taken for commercial use and many are being left where they are cut. The project is also being monitored by a DEC Forester.

Genesee Region Park Manager Rich Parker said "It is very difficult to do a project of this size and type in these weather conditions without creating some damage. One of the requirements of our agreement is that the loggers make every effort to return the trail to adequate and usable condition at the end of their harvesting." He also notes that trail repairs should begin during the first week of January and, if necessary, further work with Parks' staff and equipment will be used to restore/repair the trail.

Greenway Trail Condition Notes - October 2011

· There is a major washout just south of York Landing (~ mi 24). The detour for the section of Greenway between York Landing and Route 63 is River Road, west of the Greenway. Grant funding to fix this culvert is expected this fall, but repairs will be delayed until 2012.
· The new Greenway Bridge over the Genesee River in Mt. Morris is not open yet and there is major construction work taking place on the Rt. 36 road bridge. Cross the river with the one lane traffic allowed on the road bridge and use Rt. 36 between the bridge and Sickles Ave. which crosses the Greenway.
· Approximately 2000 feet of the Greenway south of Belfast has been closed due to major erosion along Black Creek. The closed section is south of Gleason Hill Road between Mile 77 and Mile 78. Orange construction fencing and "Barrier Ahead" signs have been placed at both ends of the closed section. Two additional areas of erosion are developing just south of Rockville Lake. Currently the trail is still open there, but subject to change if the erosion worsens.

Geocaching on the Greenway

Do you like scavenger hunts? Are you interested in a challenge?  If you answer yes, read about Geocaching on the Greenway.  This may be an activity that will get your whole family out on the trail. Note that permits are required for placing caches on certain sections of the Greenway.  Check the policies included on this web site under Trail Users.