Next meeting Oct. 27 in Martin County
BY RACHEL DOVE
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
KNOTT COUNTY — First Frontier Appalachian Trails board of directors met Thursday via Zoom to conduct administrative business and update members on the latest happenings.
FFATS is an organization that had been in the works for several years before making it official in 2019 under the Kentucky Mountain Regional Recreation Authority. Its purpose is to connect all-terrain trail systems within 19 counties that signed resolutions to be part of the authority. The system will be modeled after the Hatfield & McCoy Trails in southern West Virginia.
Scott Smith, FFATS executive director, said there had been progress in several locations to get private property owners on board with signing right of way agreements. The goal is to combine a system of existing “outlaw” trails to connect numerous counties and attract riding enthusiasts.
“We had two sets of property owners from Johnson County that were the first to sign the land agreement with us earlier this month,” Smith said. “One of the couples has already opened a campground near the trails on their land that will serve as a source of revenue for them, as well as for the county and trail authority. That’s what it’s going to take. We need property owners to get on board and join us in this endeavor to make it a success.”
Smith referred to existing trails as “low-hanging fruit” needing to be harvested.
“These are trails already established that will require minimal maintenance and repairs to operate,” said Smith. “They’re trails that folks are already riding.”
Smith explained that one of the greatest benefits for a private property owner to sign a property agreement with the trail authority is the insurance that would protect them should an accident or injury occur on their land.
“A lot of property owners think that if a no trespassing sign is posted and someone rides your trails and is injured, you are not responsible,” said Smith. “That is often not the case.
“We all know that if there are trails on your land, you’re going to have riders. Joining our trail authority gives you a layer of protection that would be very costly should you purchase insurance on your own. We also make repairs if needed and maintain them.”
Smith spoke of the liability insurance policy that must be in place before the trail authority can open for business once trail systems are on board. He stated there are very few companies willing to write ATV trail policies and, with the liability insurance amount required to cover the 18-county organization being in the ballpark of $10 million, it would not be a cheap undertaking.
“Of course, there are other perks to joining the trail system besides being protected under our insurance, such as the opportunities to construct cabins, restaurants, camping facilities and so much more,” remarked Smith.
The director wanted to assure all eastern Kentucky counties, such as Martin, that they are important to the trail system. He said a FFATS land agent had been working and speaking with landowners in the area, researching maps and property searches.
“Although FFATS was formed in 2019, not a lot was able to be achieved during the COVID pandemic,” said Smith. “I was hired as the director in February 2021, but our two land agents didn’t come on board until later in 2021 and in January of this year. What we have found to work best, since there are only two of them and we have 18 counties, is to have one concentrate on the counties to the west of Knott where our office is and the other on the counties in the eastern portion. As you can imagine, it’s a slow process when you consider all the miles and miles of trails spread out over all these counties, but they are making it work.”
Scott Blevins, FFATS land agent for Martin, Floyd, Lawrence, Johnson and several other counties, was one of those credited with acquiring an agreement with the Floyd County Fiscal Court that granted the group use of old county roads no longer used for vehicular traffic. With minimal work, Smith said, those roads can be repurposed and connected to existing trails in that county.
“What I want to emphasize is that county lines mean nothing,” said Smith. “If we’re going to move Eastern Kentucky forward, we have to do it as a region. The best way to accomplish that is to work together for a common goal and see the trails become a financial boost for economic development.
“It’s like baking a pie. Once it’s done, it can be cut into separate slices, but it has to be mixed and baked as one complete circle before those cuts can ever be made. We all have to work together. If we don’t, we are only limiting our individual growth.”
The next FFATS meeting is at 1 p.m. Oct. 27 at the Big Sandy Airport in Debord. This will be the first in-person meeting since June.
“I want to invite anyone from Martin County, as well as other locations, to make plans to attend the meeting if you are interested in learning more about the trail systems, especially if you are a property owner,” said Smith. “We will answer your questions and explain how the process works. We welcome the opportunity to meet with each and every person.”