NYBC supports cycling of all kinds - whether you ride on the road, a bike trail, or a mountain bike singletrack, we are working for you. One terrific example of this is our role on the NYS Statewide Trails Council.
NYBC Board member Martin Buchman and Director Emeritus Harvey Botzman are the On Road Bicycling Delegates to the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation Statewide Trails Council. Mr. Buchman recently assumed the position of Trails Council Vice Chair.
After having served since the inception of the Statewide Trails Council NYBC Director Emeritus Ivan Vamos retired as a Delegate in late 2025. His institutional knowledge as well as his dedication to increasing trail infrastructure & safe use of trails were instrumental at Council meetings.
The Trails Council was established in October 1981 to ensure citizen participation in trail planning and management, and is the formal Citizen Advisory Council for administration of the National Recreational Trail Act in New York State. The Council’s objectives are to:
- advocate trail interests to all levels of government and to the public;
- provide a reliable source of information on trail based recreation;
- coordinate efforts to develop, construct and maintain recreational trails;
- foster trail user ethics; and
- provide a forum for mediating differences among trail-user groups
The Council has delegates from 13 different user groups: All-terrain vehicles, motorized trail bike, equestrian, 4-wheel driver, hiking, Nordic skiing, off-road bicycling, on-road bicycling, running, snowmobiles, snowshoeing, universal access, and water trails.
The Council includes representatives of the NYS Assembly & NYS Senate as well as relevant state agencies including NYS Office of Parks, Recreation, Historic Preservation; NYS Department of Environmental Conservation; NYS Hudson River Greenway; NYS Department of Health, NYS Department of Transportation, NYS Canal Corporation Federal Highway Administration; Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor; U. S. National Parks Service.
In addition to the important advocacy work, the Council is a clearing house and distributor of pertinent trail-related information from state & federal agencies, non-profit trail related organizations.
One recent example was the American Trails webinar 'Trail Skills Project: Connecting the Trails Community to Training, Expertise, and Professional Development.' The Trail Skills Project serves as the workforce hub for the trails community providing connections to trails education, trail expertise, professional development, and job opportunities. More information about that webinar and other professional development provided by the Trail Skills project is available on their website.
If your organization would find those materials helpful, let us know and we’ll be happy to share & distribute any trail information we receive. Send an email to
Photos copyright Harvey Botzman & NYBC