The county and the snowmobile clubs are in preliminary talks on an agreement to allow the machines on the trail, which will run uninterrupted from Amsterdam west to the Herkimer County line by the end of the year.
"It only makes sense," said Richard Kennedy of Fort Plain, president of the Forest Preserve Users snowmobile club. "Snowmobiles bring in a lot of money to the county."
Supervisor John Thomas, R-Glen, hosted an informational meeting for the snowmobilers and county representatives on Wednesday to try to determine interest in opening up the trails to snowmobiles.
Thomas called the talks "very preliminary," but he said he has received a good response.
Snowmobiles have been prohibited from the trail since the 1980s through a maintenance agreement between the county and the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. State approval would be required of any agreement reached between snowmobile groups and county supervisors.
But snowmobile clubs have been working to gain access to the trail.
One proposal, Thomas said, is to open the trail to the machines between December and March and only when snow cover reaches six inches or a foot.
But having any motorized vehicles on the trail worries some who have seen the trail grow from idea to near-completion.
Canajoharie resident Barbara Spraker, who worked on completing the trail during the past 13 years, expressed doubt that any agreement would work.
Motorized vehicles, including snowmobiles, she said, pose a risk to others using the trail.
If snowmobiles are allowed in the winter, she argued, then other vehicles, such as all-terrain vehicles, would have to be allowed in the summer, endangering walkers and bicyclists.
"I support the sign that says `No motorized vehicles,' and it should stay that way," Spraker said.
But Thomas said he believes the regulations should name snowmobiles specifically so as to ensure that ATVs or motorcycles do not get on the trail.
He also said the trail should be designated a "multiuse" trail, a designation that could allow for easier access to grants.
With county budget cuts, Thomas said it is getting harder to maintain the trail and other methods should be considered.
"We've been in a situation where positions have been cut," Thomas said. "So [the trail] doesn't become a liability, how do you do that? You have the people who use the trail maintain it."
Thomas said he hopes to contact organizations that use the trail in the summer to see if they can help with maintenance.
The Canalway Trail is important to the snowmobilers, Kennedy said, because it connects other north-south snowmobile trails.
"I hope this can come to a positive conclusion this time," Kennedy said. "There's no downside to it."
Contact Steven Cook at 843-2830 or gazamst@journalist.com.