WILMINGTON, N.Y. (WCAX) – Some of the best mountain bikers in the world will compete next weekend at Mount Van Hoevenberg and Whiteface Mountain. But with just days until the UCI Mountain Bike World Series, the Olympic Regional Development Authority is facing fresh criticism and a notice of violation for its new track at Whiteface Mountain.
Last Monday, officials at ORDA received a notice of violation from the New York Department of Environmental Conservation. DEC officials say ORDA violated regulations and the state’s Constitution while constructing its new downhill racing track at Whiteface Mountain.
The letter says among the violations were cutting down trees without DEC permission, expanding trail corridors beyond what was allowed and starting work before a final plan was approved.
“We acknowledge that the work did begin before the DEC was finalized. We own that. We moved ahead prematurely and going forward, we will strengthen our oversight, communication and collaboration to ensure that does not happen again,” said Darcy Rowe Norfolk, the director of communications for ORDA.
Rowe Norfolk says the violations boil down to miscommunication, which she says is in part due to the organization’s vacant sustainability officer position.
But the environmental group Protect the Adirondacks raised concerns about the scope of the project even before construction began and questioned whether it would have won approval.
“There is in the current unit management plan for Whiteface some identification of mountain biking trails, but those are not the same thing as this downhill race course track that they wanted to do for mountain biking. So, we do think that a unit management plan amendment plan would have been needed for this event,” said Claudia Braymer of Protect the Adirondacks.
DEC officials say the notice of violation won’t affect the World Series event, but that they will need to have a corrective action plan submitted by early November. It includes a restoration plan, which will bring trails that aren’t in compliance back to legal standards.
In a statement, the New York DEC said, “The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA) are working cooperatively to develop a plan and to uphold and advance a shared commitment to environmental stewardship. In reviewing a draft work plan submitted by ORDA detailing proposed trail work in preparation for an upcoming event, DEC became aware of actions taken on Whiteface Mountain beyond the scope of the draft work plan and not consistent with Forest Preserve requirements.”
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