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Page 5 Tupper Lake Free Press Wednesday, September 28,2005 Letters to the editor Bridge Be Gone leaders respond to Bruce Smith To the editor: In response to Mr. Bruce Smith's September 21 letter to the editor regarding LeBoeuf Bridge, Bridge Be Gone offers the following. Mr. Smith begins by telling us that he is a member of a hunting camp that is situated on Mr. John McCormick's Follensby tract. He then goes on to praise Mr. McCormick, acclaiming his stewardship and telling us what a \fine landlord\ he has been. We never questioned Mr. McCormick's stewardship of the Follensby tract And we are not concerned with how he treats his tenants. Our concerns are focused on the safety and access issues involved with his bridge (and other methods used by his lessees to cross the Raquette River). Mr. McCormick has constructed a bridge across the Raquette that restricts safe access to those wishing to travel up and down river. The Raquette River is a public waterway and, as such, is held in trust by the state for navigation, fishing, and other non-destructive visits. Mr. Smith seems to feel that it is the right of a private landowner to determine who may enjoy our public waterways. We strongly disagree, as do many others. An online survey was started earlier this year at http:/ / www.BridgeBeGone.org to provide the opportunity to anyone interested to vote on whether LeBoeuf Bridge should be: modified to allow boats to pass freely, removed, or left alone. Todate,98%ofthevotes submitted call for the modification or removal of the bridge. Four out of five call for modification. Mr. Smith has stated that he and other lessees use the bridge to access the hunting camps on the Follensby tract. We have no problem whatsoever with this. We just feel that the bridge, while providing rightful access to landowners, should not interfere with rightful access by the public to the river upstream and the lakes downstream. What does he or any of the hunting club members care if |ha bridge is raised? Dow could raising the bridge possibly interfere with access to the hunting camps? He also states \There arc many other groups that don't want the bridge raised as welL\ Again, we have provided everyone with an online survey to vote on this issue. It has been advertised in the local papers, displayed on posters and circulated via email and, as previously mentioned, 98% agree with our position that the bridge is a hazard. As the recently self- appointed president of the splinter group \Pain in the Butt Be Gone\ Mr. Smith has singled out some groups that he feds agree with his position. None of these groups have voiced these concerns with us. Have they contacted him or his splinter group? Smith states \1 don't believe the people living on River Road necessarily want the increased traffic going by their homes.\ Included with the survey on our website we have an option where you can offer your comments and testimonials on the bridge issue. Many individuals have commented about the tragic death of a young boy. Others, the dangerous situations boaters of all types have experienced. Then there are several commenting about their desire to just safely navigate these beautiful waterways that are rightfully theirs to enjoy. The following comment is from a River Road property owner. \My wife and 1 own a parcel on Dugal Road and own a pontoon boat. We arc unable to go below the bridge. We find it inconvenient to trailer our boat to enjoy Big Tupper. Our next door neighbor was killed a number of years ago because of the bridge height. 1 believe the only reason that the State of N.Y. has done nothing is that they want to buy the Follensby property. It's time to raise this bridge and I am happy someone has One kayaker offers the following to hup:// www.BridgeBeGone.org \I am not in favor of lots of motor boat traffic on many of our local waterways since I primarily enjoy paddling and the kind of congestion one finds on the Saranac River going on down through the locks in the summer is not a happy place for me. That being said it seems a shame to have such a silly bridge block access for Tupper Lake people (and visitors) who otherwise could enjoy so much more of the river. I Can't see that it would have such a heavy impact on traffic. Boats manage to maneuver under it now - have experienced thai myself in a variety of boats and no one disagrees that can be tricky and difficult at times; not to mention dangerous. The bridge should be modified. It just isn't right to restrict access that way.\ Mr. Smith offers these arguments, for keeping powered vehicles below the bridge, then advises us that our efforts would be belter spent by lobbying for the rebuilding of die Crusher boat launch. Bruce, what exactly is your agenda? An email was sent to Mr. Smith on July 13, informing him that we were of the understanding that the Crusher was on a short list at DEC to be rebuilt in the next two or direc years. We were told this by the DEC Regional Supervisor of Natural Resources this past June. The renovation of the Crusher boat launch is long overdue. Wc do not, however, consider this an alternative to modifying LeBcoufBridgc. In fact, we sec this as another argument to raise or remove it. What sense would it make to spend hundreds of thousands of stale dollars lo rebuild the Crusher while not allowing the boats launched there to gel into the lakes downstream? They could, however, access River Road and the Oxbow from this access point. Did Mr. Smith even consider this when he wrote \I don't think Mr. Clifford and his group envisioned a flotilla of hraj^bfai^wd rarty tN*g« riding around flic Cntaw while their nature hikes were being started the ball rolling. Good Luck!\ We have also started to circulate our paper petition and other River Road residents have signed on. Wc will let them speak for themselves. Next, Mr. Smith suggests that kayakers. canoers. and environmental groups arc against raising the bridge and he cites increased traffic and pollution uprivcras the reason. held by the museum.\? The river was here before the museum and we doubt anyone on a \'nature hike\ would find it unusual to see boats floating by or someone trying their luck at fishing. In fact, powered boats could even compliment the mission of the museum by- providing access to the wondrous ecosystem of the river to the vast majority who aren't ever going !o even consider getting into a canoe or kayak. It's not the number of boats on die river that presents a problem. It's their irresponsible use. We would be one of the first to insist that the Stale post and enforce the speed limit on the river. Presently, neither is being done and the quality of the river experience is suffering. We have contacted D.E.C. and asked why warnings aren'l posted, why speed limits aren't posted and enforced and why, in general, this section of the Raquette is ignored. Their answer is that there is a lack of resources with only two people to cover Southern Franklin County. When boats are traveling at excessive speeds and otherwise abusing our waterways it is unfair lo landowners. paddlers. fisherman and others trying to enjoy everything the river has to offer. With the proper stewardship by the state, paddlers and motorized boats can co-exist on the river. This docs not have to be a zero sum situation. We find it unfortunate that Mr. Smith felt it necessary to threaien the businesses listed on our website. These businesses arc endorsing a survey. A survey to collect in formal ion on an issue that affects locals and visitors to our community. We hope that, after visiting hup: www. Bridge BeG one .organd reading the comments, that even more business owners will be interested in supporting our effort. As noted earlier, wc do not question Mr. McCormick's stewardship of Follensby Park. Wc do. however, question his judgmcrf when it comes lo ihc means used\ to access Iris fourteen-thousand acre tract. President Smith and his splinter group's rime may be better served modifying the cable car that is used to access the River Ridge hunting lease. There have been several accounts of boaters being knocked over in, or knocked out of, their boats while suddenly encountering a cable, chest or neck high, spanning the Raquette River. In case readers don't know, there is a cable car that spans the river at Axton Landing that the River Ridge members use to cross the river. Depending on the water level, the cable can be just a few feet above the water. Like the bridge, the cable is a threat to boaters and probably a more ominous one because it can't be seen as well as the bridge. A few weeks ago a young boy was struck by the cable while passing by in a boat. Thankfully, it wasn't too serious but it did require a trip to the emergency room to close the bleeding wound on his head. There have been several other incidents here over the years. Again, one end of this cable is on Mr. McCormick's land and the other end is on stale land. 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