State Parks recently acquired the 12.1-mile, multi-use Pat McGee Trail in Cattaraugus County, which supports links to Allegany State Park in New York State and Allegany National Forest in Pennsylvania. [Read more…] about State Protects Rail Trail in Western New York
snowmobiling
NY’s Highest Court Rules Big Snowmobile Trails On Forest Preserve Violate Constitution
The New York Court of Appeals, the state’s highest court, has issued a 4-2 decision today in favor of Protect the Adirondacks that upheld Article 14, Section 1, of the New York State Constitution, the famed “forever wild” clause.
In 2013, Protect the Adirondacks sued the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and Adirondack Park Agency (APA) alleging that construction of “Class II Community Connector” snowmobile trails on the Adirondack Forest Preserve violated Article 14, Section 1, due to excessive tree cutting and destructive changes to the land. [Read more…] about NY’s Highest Court Rules Big Snowmobile Trails On Forest Preserve Violate Constitution
John Warren Talks Adirondacks On The Historians Podcast
This week on The Historians Podcast, how the Adirondack forest preserve was motorized, snowmobiling, and more. The guest is John Warren, founder and editor of New York Almanack. [Read more…] about John Warren Talks Adirondacks On The Historians Podcast
Rangers Respond to Ice Stranding; Kaaterskill Falls Fall; Snowmobile Accident, More
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Forest Rangers respond to search and rescue incidents in the Adirondacks. Working with other state agencies, local emergency response organizations and volunteer search and rescue groups, Forest Rangers locate and extract lost, injured or distressed people.
What follows is a report, prepared by DEC, of recent missions carried out by Forest Rangers. [Read more…] about Rangers Respond to Ice Stranding; Kaaterskill Falls Fall; Snowmobile Accident, More
Adirondack Park Inholding Protected, Closing Forest Preserve Gap
The Adirondack Land Trust has purchased 60 acres surrounded by the Vanderwhacker Mountain Wild Forest, closing a gap in the New York State Forest Preserve. [Read more…] about Adirondack Park Inholding Protected, Closing Forest Preserve Gap
Rangers Respond to Deadly Snowmobile Accident, Injured Hiker
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Forest Rangers respond to search and rescue incidents in the Adirondacks. Working with other state agencies, local emergency response organizations and volunteer search and rescue groups, Forest Rangers locate and extract lost, injured or distressed people.
What follows is a report, prepared by DEC, of recent missions carried out by Forest Rangers. [Read more…] about Rangers Respond to Deadly Snowmobile Accident, Injured Hiker
Forest Rangers Respond to Truck on Snowmobile Trail, Overdue Snowshoers
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Forest Rangers respond to search and rescue incidents in the Adirondacks. Working with other state agencies, local emergency response organizations and volunteer search and rescue groups, Forest Rangers locate and extract lost, injured or distressed people.
What follows is a report, prepared by DEC, of recent missions carried out by Forest Rangers. [Read more…] about Forest Rangers Respond to Truck on Snowmobile Trail, Overdue Snowshoers
How Snowmobilers Won Their Special Privileges To Ride On Forever Wild Lands
When snowmobiling arrived in the Adirondacks in the mid-1960s, the question of where to ride became the single most important issue faced by both new sled owners and advocates for the protection of the wild character of the Adirondack Forest Preserve.
As a result of efforts by the state’s Conservation Department and lobbying by the snowmobile industry, snowmobilers are today wildly over-represented in terms of access to trails. Although they represent less than 1% of the 7-10 million people who visit the Adirondacks each year, there are currently at least 3 to 4 thousand miles of snowmobile trails in the Adirondack Park,* compared to about 5,000 miles of roads. How this happened is a story that began 50 years ago with what is known as the Wilm Directive. [Read more…] about How Snowmobilers Won Their Special Privileges To Ride On Forever Wild Lands
Snowmobile Fire and Crash in Fulton County
According to a press release issued by DEC, on January 23rd, while conducting a snowmobile patrol on trails in the Town of Caroga, Environmental Conservation Officrs Manns and Hilliard responded to two dangerous snowmobile incidents. [Read more…] about Snowmobile Fire and Crash in Fulton County
How The Adirondack Forest Preserve Was Motorized
The establishment of the Adirondack Forest Preserve in 1885 was part of growing American appreciation of a back to nature ethic. By the time of the First World War, according to historian Paul Sutter: “Americans produced and consumed voluminous literature on natural and wild themes; they built vacation homes and camps; they initiated a wide variety of programs in scouting and woodcraft; they developed a distinctive hunting culture and ethos; they adopted nature study as a prominent hobby; and the embraced the ‘strenuous life’ that could be found only in the ‘great outdoors.’” [Read more…] about How The Adirondack Forest Preserve Was Motorized