A piece of the park

But away from the park, which straddles Malden, Medford, Melrose, Stoneham, and Winchester, groups representing the hikers, bikers, and dog owners are involved in a bitter debate about the reservation’s use and rules. For decades, there has been a subtle coexistence between the groups, even though some principal rules of the park are blatantly ignored. Dogs are supposed to be on leashes, and mountain bikers are required to use a designated 7-mile trail. But while the park’s steward, the Department of Conservation and Recreation, has two part-time rangers assigned to the reservation, people have bent the rules for their own purposes.

Tensions between park users heightened in the last year after the DCR began a formal review of the reservation. The intent was to create a new trail system plan that would address all of the issues stakeholders had been complaining about for years. The New England Mountain Bike Association wanted bikers allowed on some trails that are currently designated for walkers; the Friends of the Middlesex Fells Reserva tion lobbied to prevent further trail use by mountain bikers; dog owners asked the state for an area to let their dogs roam without a leash.

Until recently the DCR appeared poised to make changes in its trail policies at the reservation. The DCR’s draft of the trail system plan would designate more areas for mountain biking, including the Reservoir Trail, a 9-mile wooded path now used by hikers. Bikers hailed the proposed change, but hikers, led by the Friends of the Middlesex Fells Reservation, denounced the draft and called for the state to create a park resource management plan. Dog owners also were furious. Though one of the largest groups to use the park — according to a state survey 31 percent of all visitors are dog walkers — their request for an off-leash area was not addressed in the draft.

On June 4, DCR Commissioner Rick Sullivan announced that the state may never implement any of the recommendations in the trail plan, and would pursue the resource management plan.

“Even though the trail’s planning includes all of the elements that would go into a resource management plan, many of the stakeholders would like a full master plan for the entire park,’’ said Sullivan.

According to the DCR, a trail system plan provides for short- and long-term management of the paths, and can function as a component of a resource management plan. The resource management plan is considered a blueprint for managing the park, and includes guidelines on who can use what trails and areas and how to balance activities while caring for the trails and forest.

In recent weeks, Sullivan has come under increased pressure to scrap the trails plan by environmental groups such as The Massachusetts Audubon Society, the Sierra Club, and the Friends of the Middlesex Fells Reservation — a group of more than 1,000 hikers from the Melrose area. While Sullivan said some recommendations from the trail draft could be implemented before the management plan is finished next year, he declined to take a position on expanded mountain bike access or off-leash dogs. Sullivan’s decision only escalated the debate.

“It’s definitely discouraging,’’ said Adam Glick, Greater Boston president of the New England Mountain Bike Association. Glick said the group worked with the DCR for the last year to document the volunteer work bikers have performed to help maintain the park. While they now have legal access to the one designated bike trail and about 30 miles of other roads in the park, Glick said opening up another trail to bikers would not cause further erosion or harm to the woods. He accused the Friends of the Middlesex Fells Reservation of trying to control public access and said that the group had played politics.

“DCR has spent an awful lot of energy and effort in putting together an excellent trails plan, and what is discouraging is that special interests prevail,’’ said Glick. “Our fear is that there won’t be any changes, and that doesn’t help anybody. It sets a dangerous precedent.’’

But Mike Ryan, executive director of the Friends of the Middlesex Fells Reservation, said his group’s goal was to ensure protection of the trails and habitat at the Fells. He said biking on hiking trails has displaced hikers and contributed to erosion on the paths.

Responding to Sullivan’s decision to create a Fells Reservation resource management plan — a proposal that his organization has lobbied for over the last year — Ryan called for the state to scrap its trails planning draft and disregard the draft’s proposal to allow bikers access to additional trails in the Fells.

“It would be meaningless if they green-light a Fells resource management plan while at the same time authorize any expanded use or access in the Fells. What they need to do is repair damage that’s happened already and set up an enforcement plan that’s been demonstrated to be effective,’’ said Ryan.

Glick called Ryan’s accusations about bikers disturbing the trails baseless, and said most of the erosion on trails occurs naturally from water flow. According to Glick, New England Mountain Bike Association members volunteer each year to help maintain trails in the Fells, and have conducted trail surveys and built wooden bridges and boardwalks on the paths.

Meanwhile, since the trails draft was first presented by the DCR last month, dog owners have been fuming that their proposal to create an off-leash area was ignored.

“It shouldn’t be against the law to enjoy wholesome family-oriented recreation,’’ said Michele Biscoe, chairwoman of the Somerville Dog Owners Group.

Biscoe also called for the DCR not to scrap its draft trail plan.

“To suspend the trail planning process now would be unfair to the members of the public who have already invested our time in it,’’ she said.

Recently Stoneham’s Dean Boissy sat at a picnic table in the Fells while his dog Stoli rested off-leash by his side. Nearby, a dozen dogs ambled around in the 10-acre meadow know as Sheepfold.

“My dog wouldn’t hurt a flea,’’ said Boissy. “As long as they’re not going to cause a problem, they shouldn’t have to be on a leash.’’

Steven Rosenberg can be reached srosenberg@comcast.net.