New York Almanack

History, Natural History & the Arts

Forest Preserve

State Forest Preserve Visitor Use Management Plans for 2022 Season

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DEC LogoNew York State and local community leaders recently announced initiatives planned for the 2022 outdoor recreation season designed to protect public safety and promote sustainable recreation in the Adirondack and Catskill Parks.

Many of these actions, bolstered by $8 million from the State Environmental Protection Fund specifically for Adirondack and Catskill visitor safety and wilderness protection in the recently enacted 2022-23 State Budget, support a strategy to improve safety, sustainability, and equitable access. [Read more…] about State Forest Preserve Visitor Use Management Plans for 2022 Season

A Constitutional Amendment Proposed for Mt. Van Hoevenberg

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Mount Van Hoevenberg Olympic Sports ComplexAn Article 14 Constitutional Amendment is being proposed for the Mt. Van Hoevenberg Olympic Sports Complex in the Adirondack Park outside Lake Placid.

At the Mt. Van Hoevenberg complex, the Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA) currently manages around 1,220 acres of Forest Preserve classified as Intensive Use by the Adirondack Park Agency (APA). Abutting these lands is 319 acres of land owned by the Town of North Elba.

Together this complex houses the Olympic bobsled and luge track, cross-country skiing and biathlon trails, and associated facilities, with most of the intensive buildings and facilities located on the town lands. These facilities have seen massive upgrades and state spending in preparation for hosting the World University Games in 2023. [Read more…] about A Constitutional Amendment Proposed for Mt. Van Hoevenberg

An Adirondack Lumber Camp at Twitchell Lake, 1860-80

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5a Objects dug up in Lumber Camp #2 about a half mile east of Twitchell Lake, Noel SherryMy uncle Frank Sherry taught my brother Tom and I orienteering, using a map and compass to navigate through the woods and find a remote pond or other location. We were teenagers and it was an exciting way to spend a Saturday.

On one of these adventures we were in search of Silver Dollar Pond to the east of Twitchell Lake in Northern Herkimer County,when we stumbled on our first lumber camp. The telltale signs were pieces of metal hanging from a tree and protruding from the ground, with old bottles half-buried in the forest floor. We made note of the location on our map, a half-mile from Twitchell, and returned to explore it. It wasn’t long before we located the camp dump, from which we dug up the items pictured here.

These and other objects triggered an active discussion on the date of this old camp, with an imaginative re-creation of what life might have been like for a lumberjacks living and working there. [Read more…] about An Adirondack Lumber Camp at Twitchell Lake, 1860-80

Comments On Increasing Adirondack Park Road, Snowmobile Trail Mileage Sought

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Adirondack-Park-Map-Road-LayerThe Adirondack Park Agency Board, at its May 2022 meeting, authorized a 60-day public comment period to solicit comments to help inform the Board’s interpretation of the Adirondack Park State Land Master Plan’s “Wild Forest Basic Guideline No. 4” which calls for no material increase of road mileage on lands classified as Wild Forest.

The APA’s interpretation of Basic Guideline No. 4 could establish a new baseline for road mileage on Wild Forest classified lands. [Read more…] about Comments On Increasing Adirondack Park Road, Snowmobile Trail Mileage Sought

Peter Bauer: It’s Time For A Cathead Mountain Amendment

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Cathead Mountain FiretowerHamilton County has been trying to expand its emergency communications network for years. The county has dead spots for not only cell service but for its emergency communications system too, especially in the southern part of the county.

The only viable option for the county, given the widely and most commonly used emergency communications equipment in New York State, is to expand its network of line-of-sight towers powered through utility lines, with emergency backups, and are accessible by motor vehicle for servicing. The south end of Hamilton County has limited police and EMT communications service. [Read more…] about Peter Bauer: It’s Time For A Cathead Mountain Amendment

St Lawrence Rock Ridge: Comments Sought on Management of 15 State Forests

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DEC LogoThe New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced that the draft Unit Management Plan (UMP) for St. Lawrence Rock Ridge is out for public comment through April 30th.

The 21,575-acre St. Lawrence Rock Ridge planning unit is located in southwestern St. Lawrence County towns of DeKalb, Depeyster, Edwards, Fowler, Gouverneur, Hammond, Hermon, Macomb, Pitcairn, and Rossie, and in the northeastern Lewis County town of Diana. [Read more…] about St Lawrence Rock Ridge: Comments Sought on Management of 15 State Forests

Peter Bauer: It’s Time To Pass A Constitutional Amendment For Mount Van Hoevenberg

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Mount Van Hoevenberg Olympic Sports ComplexProtect the Adirondacks supports a proposed Article 14 Constitutional Amendment for the Mount Van Hoevenberg Olympic Sports Complex outside Lake Placid.

At the Mt. Van Hoevenberg complex, the Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA) currently manages around 1,220 acres of Forest Preserve classified as Intensive Use by the Adirondack Park Agency (APA). Abutting these lands is 319 acres of land owned by the Town of North Elba. Together this complex houses the Olympic bobsled and luge track, cross-country skiing and biathlon trails, and associated facilities, with most of the intensive buildings and facilities located on the town lands. [Read more…] about Peter Bauer: It’s Time To Pass A Constitutional Amendment For Mount Van Hoevenberg

DEC Should Conduct A Nationwide Search For A New State Forester

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Algonquin TrailThe current New York State Forester at the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced that he is retiring in April.

This position doubles as the Director of the Division of Lands and Forests, and as such is the top public lands manager in the state, supervising the management of the 3-million-acre Forest Preserve, more than 750,000 acres of conservation easements, over 700,000 acre of State Forests, and thousands of acres of Wildlife Refuges and various other properties. [Read more…] about DEC Should Conduct A Nationwide Search For A New State Forester

Public Comments Sought On Boat Decontamination Facilities

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DEC LogoThe Adirondack Park Agency (APA) and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) have announced a joint public comment period to solicit comments for a proposed amendment to the Generic Unit Management Plan/Generic Environmental Impact Statement for Campgrounds and Day-Use Areas.

The Generic UMP provides information on the environmental setting, inventory of facilities, organizational structure, issues, constraints, management objectives, and effects for Campgrounds and Day-Use Areas in both the Adirondack and Catskill Parks. [Read more…] about Public Comments Sought On Boat Decontamination Facilities

Man Charged With Building Camp in Siamese Ponds Wilderness Area

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Illegal camp in Johnsburg portion of the Siamese Ponds Wilderness Area (DEC photo)According to a press release issued by the New York state Department of Conservation, Forest Ranger Perryman issued tickets to a Saratoga County man on charges of damaging trees, storing personal property, and erecting a structure on State land in the in Siamese Ponds Wilderness Area.

The 114,010-acre Wilderness is one of the larger wilderness areas in the Adirondack Park. It includes a mix of mountains and waters where hiking, camping, fishing and hunting are the most popular activities. [Read more…] about Man Charged With Building Camp in Siamese Ponds Wilderness Area