Commission clarifies rumors regarding trails in Rich Creek area

“I’m not real fluent. I’m not real educated, but I have a question for the county commission about the status of county route 10/5,” Depta said. “These are only rumors, and I can’t substantiate, but it’s been said that the county commission will donate that road to the Hatfield-McCoy Trail.”

Commissioner Danny Ellis asked Depta if the road is on the state system, to which he responded yes. As such, Ellis quickly clarified that the road isn’t the commission’s to donate to anyone.

Depta said Hatfield-McCoy has been monitoring the road and some people he knows have received tickets for not having a trail pass or proper protective gear.

“The trail system doesn’t monitor anything, DNR does,” said Rocky Adkins, director of the Logan County Economic Development Authority. “DNR is supplemented with money from the trails to pay the guys who work. They’re a state agency, and they are DNR officers, and if they’re on a state highway, they have the right to monitor that for whatever reasons.”

Commissioner Diana Barnette asked Depta to clarify that his concern is whether or not a trail permit should be required on county route 10/5.

“I’m not worried about a permit,” Depta said. “I’ll buy a permit. I ride the Hatfield-McCoy Trail. I like it, but I don’t think they should take over every ridge, every hollow, every piece of property.”

Adkins said the trail system only goes where property owners allow them to be. Barnette once again clarified that the commission has no authority over the matter.

Buffalo Creek resident Gerald Slone II said he also knows people who have received tickets from the DNR on the road. Prosecuting Attorney David Wandling said anyone who has gotten one should call his office.“If you have someone who has gotten one of those tickets, tell them to call my office,” Wandling said. “I’d like to see one of the tickets. Just have them contact me.”

Local resident Kendahl Bowen also addressed the matter.

“We’re just worried that, you know, every time there’s a holler out there, Hatfield-McCoy wants to jump right on it and take it from these people that were raised there and grew up there and that’s where they spend all their extra time,” Bowen said. “The people that come from out of state to ride on these systems, you know … we would have to pay to ride on these trail systems that we’ve rode on for years and years and years and never had to pay one dime to do so, and it’s just really convenient for Hatfield-McCoy to sneak up on these trails and take them out from under these people.”