The Queensbury Cross Country Trail System on the Queensbury Union Free School District campus is open for use again.
The trails have been closed this summer as the school district worked to remove dead trees that had fallen or were in danger of falling. Many trees died after the spongy moth, a non-native insect from France, came to this region in 2021.
“With the aggressive storms that we’ve been getting and the number of trees that have been falling, the district wanted to be proactive in taking down the dead trees,” said Dan Miller, the school district’s coordinator of facilities and operations.
Students from the WSWHE BOCES forestry class also spent time working on the tree removal project as part of their training.
Some trees had fallen directly across the trails while other trees were at risk of falling.
“We realized that we needed to remove the dead trees for the safety of everyone who uses the trails,” said Superintendent of Schools Kyle Gannon.
The trails are used by the school’s cross country teams, mountain biking clubs, as well as science and physical education classes. The trails also contain an adventure learning course. Community members also use the trails for running, walking and mountain biking. It was a matter of safety, Gannon said.
The trails will also be used on Sept. 14 when Queensbury UFSD hosts its cross country invitational tournament. The district is also hosting the Section 2 cross country championships on Nov. 9 and the state championships on Nov. 16.
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