The Adirondack Land Trust has received a $99,300 grant from the New York State Conservation Partnership Program and a $75,000 grant from the North Elba Local Advancement and Enhancement Fund for a total of $174,300 in funding for trail improvements at Cobble Hill, a popular Lake Placid hiking destination in the Adirondacks.
Since 2020, the Adirondack Land Trust has collaborated with community partners to plan for a safer, more sustainable hiking trail to the Cobble Hill summit. This group includes the Town of North Elba, private landowners, Northwood School, the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, the Barkeater Trails Alliance, the Lake Placid 9er hiking challenge, and the Paul Smith’s College Visitor Interpretive Center. Planned improvements include a 200-foot wheelchair-accessible boardwalk, rerouting trail sections to prevent erosion and avoid hazards, installing a rock staircase to allow hikers to avoid steep rock slabs near the summit, and a new trailhead kiosk and signage.
The estimated total cost for the Cobble Hill project is $227,000. The Adirondack Land Trust will continue to raise and secure funds, including gifts from community members, to help partners complete the project. Trail work for this multi-year effort will begin in summer 2023 and will not impede hiker access.
On May 2nd, the New York State Conservation Partnership Program (NYSCPP) granted more than $3 million to 45 nonprofit land trusts throughout the state. Funded projects focus on water quality, farmland, outdoor recreation, and open space conservation to support community health, tourism, and economic development.
These grants are administered by the Land Trust Alliance in coordination with the New York State Department of Conservation and financed by the New York State Environmental Protection Fund (EPF).
Created in 1993, the EPF is funded by real estate transfer taxes to support capital projects for environmental protection and community enhancement.
In March 2023, LEAF awarded a total of $734,000 to 20 organizations serving the Town of North Elba community through programs, activities, and facilities that improve quality of life for residents and visitors. Nonprofits, local governments, and public sector organizations are eligible to apply.
The North Elba Local Advancement and Enhancement Fund (LEAF) is funded by a two percent occupancy tax implemented by the Essex County Board of Supervisors in June 2020.
Photo of hiker on Cobble Hill in Lake Placid courtesy ROOST.
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