The description of the Auburn Trail in "Happy Trails to Whom?" (June 11) misses two important facts. "It has this really wild natural feel" is correct at first glance, but the truth is that this is some of the least natural environments possible. It is a railroad bed. It was an active line for well over 100 years, part of the mainline of the New York Central, and was active up into the 1970's. Most of the section in question is either filled embankment (up to 40 feet of fill) or cut through a hill, and all is surfaced with ballast stone and cinders. And yet it does have a "natural feel" and will continue to have that feel after the project is completed.

The second fact is that the land owner is RG&E, which uses the property for a high-voltage power-line corridor. RG&E must have a wide road surface for its service vehicles both for routine and emergency access. Also, RG&E will not permit any vegetation to grow so it could interfere with the lines.

For the last 15 years, Victor Hiking Trails, Inc. has had a permit from RG&E for a trail corridor and has mowed it to about 10 feet wide and trimmed this section for a foot path and emergency access. It is the result of this maintenance that there is any foot access or meadowland in this section. Without VHT's work, RG&E would clear cut the whole section, and possibly use herbicide on it. This is the lowest-cost way of providing the service it must provide. In the past, RG&E has done such clear cutting on other sections of the Auburn bed (NY 251 to School Street in Victor) before VHT could provide the service.

The two primary species of plants that grow fastest in this very disturbed "soil" are newly introduced invasive, aggressive, alien species: multiflora rose and olive trees. We did not see these 10 years ago. Now, they require heavy trimming several times a year to keep open any access by foot.

The width of the stone dust path is neither an arbitrary number nor was it designated locally. It is the result of nationwide experience, some tragic, for what is a safe width for shared use paths. The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, in its Guide for the Development of Bicycle Facilities, 1999 (the basis for the grant to do the Auburn Trail), recommends a 10-foot-wide prepared surface with 2-foot shoulders: 4 feet wider than currently mowed.

The best outcome of this discussion would be more meadow open space for native plants, birds, butterflies, and other critters. But to remain a meadow, the land needs regular maintenance. It would be great if the Burroughs Audubon Nature Club or other group could provide such annual or bi-annual service and secure revocable permits from land owners, including RG&E and BANC, for such service.

I for one would like to see such meadows alongside this trail and many more of the more than 40-miles of trails in Victor. An example of maintained meadow is the Maryfrancis Blue Bird Haven park, where VHT also has a trail.

No railroad-to-path conversion is going to look like "a cute mountain hiking trail." These are shared-use paths and as such must be safe for all users. As for what this section will look like after the work, I recommend that you look at the nearly completed sections of the Auburn Trail in the Village of Victor, just east of the parking lot off of Maple Avenue, for a woods section, and just east of Brace Road for a more open, meadow section.

JEFF HENNICK, VICTOR