Mayor Looks to Volunteers to Start Trails Committee

About 75% of Jefferson Township is open space, according to township Mayor Russell Felter. And as he presided over the inaugural meeting of the town’s Trails Committee, Felter said he’d like to put more of that space to good use.

Felter formed the committee of volunteers to work on trails in the Prospect Point Preserve, an area that runs along Prospect Point on Lake Hopatcong.

“Trails have become very big,” Felter said. “People love to go out walking and bike riding, and we want to give them more places to do that.”

The township has $38,000 in a trust fund to start work on the trails.

One of the trails would have entrance points at the playground and basketball courts at Prospect Point, and another near the Dawn’s Mist development.

Another proposed trail would be right along the lake, with places to walk and benches where people could sit to fish.

Some of the trails may be paved, but some would have a covering of about ¾” of stone, then stone dust over it.

“That kind of finish packs like concrete, and it’s very nice and natural looking,” said Felter, who works for the Morris County Park Commission and establishes trails for the county.

The mayor said that the town would like to see scouts and other volunteer groups involved in the projects.

“I know we have several Boy Scouts who are looking to become Eagle Scouts, and we’d like to see them get involved here,” Felter said.

The town would also like to initiate an adopt-a-trail program, where groups could adopt parts of the trail and care for them. Felter also mentioned designing a logo for the trails.

Many questions arose at the meeting, including the possibility of hunting and ATV use along the trails.

“We are going to put ‘No Hunting’ signs up along the trails, and will gate them so that cars and ATVs won’t be able to drive through them,” Felter said.

There may be Porta-Johns at entrances to the trails as well, Felter said, but not in the middle of the trails.

The possibility of grilling areas was discussed as well, he said, but no conclusion has been reached yet.

“We may issue permits for groups to picnic there, or maybe allow scouts to have a camp-out on the trails,” Felter said. “But we’re not sure yet about charcoal grills.”

Felter said that June 4 is National Trails Day, and he’d like to see one or two trails established by that day, and have a ceremony to mark their opening.

The next meeting of the committee will be in late March or early April, where members will meet at the trails and walk the site so that everyone can see what needs to be done.