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North Hempstead Partners with C.L.I.M.B. To Build Mountain Bike Trails on 200 Acres


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
June 9, 2018
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North Hempstead Partners with C.L.I.M.B. To Build Mountain Bike Trails on 200 Acres

Concerned Long Island Mountain Bicyclists (C.L.I.M.B.) will maintain multi-use trails at no cost to Town


North Hempstead, NY – North Hempstead Town Supervisor Judi Bosworth, Council Member Dina De Giorgio and the Town Board announced this week that the Town of North Hempstead will be partnering with Concerned Long Island Mountain Bicyclists (C.L.I.M.B.) to construct approximately five miles of mountain bicycle and hiking trails in the Town’s Hempstead Harbor Nature Sanctuary, 200 wooded acres across the road from North Hempstead Beach Park. The C.L.I.M.B. organization would be responsible for designing, constructing and maintaining the trails. The agreement with C.L.I.M.B. is enthusiastically endorsed by PWGreen, a local non-profit group that protects natural areas, promotes eco-friendly living, and provides environmental education.

Currently, the Hempstead Harbor Nature Sanctuary is undeveloped and a mix of wetlands, ponds, and forest. Throughout the visioning process for the North Hempstead Beach area and the adjacent 200 acres, Supervisor Bosworth has emphasized that this native area will be preserved and used only for recreational use that will not destroy its natural beauty. C.L.I.M.B. will modify already existing trails and add new trails for a total of about five miles of sustainable recreational trails that will resist the forces of erosion. The trails will be designed in loops that will bring hikers and cyclists back to the starting point, which reduces the chances of getting lost.

“This alliance with C.L.I.M.B. is a wonderful example of public-private partnership that benefits everyone,” said Supervisor Bosworth. “Town residents will gain multi-use trails for both hiking and mountain biking at no costs and we will be adding a wonderful recreational aspect to a parcel of Town-owned land that previously was difficult to access. The Hempstead Harbor Nature Sanctuary is bio-diverse and home to a wide variety of wildlife. These trails will allow users to appreciate the nature that surrounds them, while helping to conserve and protect that sensitive wetlands environment.”

Concerned Long Island Mountain Bicyclists (C.L.I.M.B.) was established in 1990 as a non-profit advocacy organization dedicated to the growth and safe enjoyment of mountain bicycling. C.L.I.M.B. promotes a strong relationship between recreation and conservation by educating the mountain bicycling community on environmentally sound and socially responsible trail use.

“I am a strong believer in the positive effects that local grassroots organizations can have on our community, and I thank PWGreen for working so hard to bring C.L.I.M.B. to Port Washington, and all that they do to protect our local environment,” said Council Member Dina De Giorgio. “The new trails are a wonderful partnership between PWGreen, C.L.I.M.B. and the Town of North Hempstead that will help bring our residents closer to nature, and expand our commitment to conservation.”

"C.L.I.M.B. is a nonprofit that builds sustainable recreational trails and helps develop a community of nature lovers,” said Michael Vitti, C.L.I.M.B. President. “We are excited to partner with the town for this project. Trails are green infrastructure, like an outdoor gym where everyone can participate free of charge and no one sits on a bench unless they are admiring the view."

“Over the last several years PWGreen has been studying the old sand pits site to determine its value as a preserve,” said PWGreen President Elizabeth Moran. “We discovered a trove of interesting features including a fresh-water wetland, unique geological features and a forest, all in all, a quiet place where people could enjoy open spaces. PWGreen has been collaborating on this project with C.L.I.M.B. and several other like-minded local non-profits and civic groups for several years.”

An agreement between the Town and C.L.I.M.B. will be voted on by the Town Board at the June 5 board meeting.





(Left to Right): Leah Budne, PWGreen; Ron Rochester, PWGreen Trails Committee; Viviana Russell, Council Member; Jill Weber, North Hempstead Parks Commissioner; Dina De Giorgio, Council Member; Wayne Wink, Town Clerk; Judi Bosworth, North Hempstead Supervisor; Brandon Kurz, PWGreen and Port Washington Youth Activities; Peter Zuckerman, Council Member; Brian McCarty, PWGreen Trail Committee Head; Anna Kaplan, Council Member; Charles Berman, Receiver of Taxes; Elizabeth Moran, President of PWGreen; Linn Johnson, PWGreen Trails Committee and Secretary; Rob Becker, C.L.I.M.B. Vice President for Eastern Suffolk, Michael Vitti, C.L.I.M.B. President; Roy Conigilo, President of the Hempstead Harbor Aero Modeler’s Society, Herb Mills, PWGreen Trails Committee; Elanor Rybecky, PWGreen; and Andree Sanders, C.L.I.M.B. Vice President for Queens.
  

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