The Saratoga County Trails and Open Space Committee voted to authorize the county as project sponsor for the New York State snowmobile grant program and issued a SEQRA negative declaration for the 2025–26 application, the committee confirmed at its August meeting.

Jason (staff member) said Saratoga County acts on behalf of five snowmobile clubs that maintain just under 180 miles of trails in the county and that the clubs spent a little over $187,000 during the 2024–25 season. He said pass-through funds from the county to the clubs last year totaled $76,832. The county will seek administrative reimbursement from the state for the 2025–26 program and plans to document hours to recover up to 10% of the county’s total grant award for administrative costs; Jason said those administrative claims “will not impact the money that goes back to the club.”

The committee discussed a new, roughly 11-mile trail being developed in the Town of Providence in Eddyburg that will link Fox Hill Road with Saginaw to Lake, providing an additional, safer connection from the top of the mountain to the lakeshore, Jason said. He reported that site work had begun and that the project traces to work by John Collier and Jean Raymond starting in 2017. Jason said materials on the project and the clubs’ mileages are in the meeting packet.

Committee members also noted agency cooperation on a separate infrastructure task: DEC took the lead on permits and applied to the Adirondack Park Agency for work associated with a bridge over Little Hans Creek, the committee was told.

The committee moved, seconded and approved the resolution to authorize the county to submit the snowmobile grant application, to issue the SEQRA negative declaration and to pursue allowable administrative fees. The motion was approved by voice vote; the meeting record shows the vote as "Aye." No roll-call tally was recorded in the minutes.

Why it matters: the county’s action preserves eligibility for state reimbursement to clubs that operate and maintain a broad trail network, supports a new trail alignment in Providence that county staff describe as safer, and allows the county to recover some administrative costs for managing the program.

Meeting details: the application materials and maps were attached to the committee packet (pages mentioned by staff). Staff indicated the SEQRA short-form materials and other documentation were included with the agenda packet. The committee discussed landowner agreements and the common one-year term for those permissions; county staff said conservation easements or deed restrictions have been used in earlier state acquisitions to protect trail corridors.

No additional votes were taken on amendments to the grant application during the meeting; committee members asked for photos of construction at a future meeting and thanked partner agencies for permitting help.