Land & Trail

Trail Changes
Berol’s driveway has been opened! You can now ride from Harris Road down into the Beaver Dam Sanctuary. We are very grateful to Dan Ginnel for giving the BRLA the privilege to use this important connection. ... During the school year from August 15th to June 15th on Monday through Thursday afternoons after 3 pm you can no longer pass through the Harvey School driveway and field. Signs will be posted to reroute you. Please make sure to follow these new instructions. ... Please follow the signs for a rerouting on the Tanrackin trail: from the bridge at Jones’ off Bedford Center Road along I-684 over to the bridge on Guard Hill Road. ... The trail on the Breakstone Property on the Succabone trail is closed while a new house is being constructed  (more...).

New Federal & State Laws Increase The Benefits Of Voluntary Land Protection. Conservation easements are often ideal ways to protect environmentally important lands. Now, landowners in Bedford who help protect their communities' open space by protecting their property can get larger federal and state tax breaks. (more...)

Butler Sanctuary and Merestead County Park Join Trail System, By Roger Savitt  BRLA seems to defy a kind of physical law of suburban development: The more Bedford gets pressured by new construction, the more the trails network seems to grow. A few years ago, new routes were opened west of the Sawmill Parkway, reclaiming areas that used to be riding territory decades ago. Later, other trails were constructed at John Jay Homestead. (more . . . )

The Reason For "No Dogs on the Trails" While riding on the trails, I sometimes run into riders with dogs. When I ask the rider not to trail ride with their dog, I start to feel like I should be wearing a sign that says "dog hater." It's not true; I love dogs! So, I thought I would try to explain why dogs shouldn't be on the trails. Most of the time they are either right in front of the riders or right behind, but other times the dogs are running through the woods out of sight of the rider. (more . . .)

Conservation Easements Explained by Paul Gallay Conservation easements are one of the simplest means of preserving land; the IRS also recognizes them as charitable donations. For those landowners who might be interested, here's some background information. (more . . . )