New York Almanack

History, Natural History & the Arts

Town of Webb

Comments Sought on Herkimer County’s Three Lakes Easement

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Map of Three Lakes Tract Conservation Easement courtesy DECThe New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is seeking public comment on a draft recreation management plan (RMP) for the Three Lakes Tract Conservation Easement in the town of Webb, Herkimer County.

The 3,350-acre Three Lakes Tract (TLT) is comprised of commercially managed forestland and is named for three waterbodies located on the property-Hitchcock, Grass, and Moose ponds. The RMP will address public recreational access and facilities consistent with the conservation easement. The public comment period is open until July 1st, 2022. [Read more…] about Comments Sought on Herkimer County’s Three Lakes Easement

A History of Snowmobile Racing in New York State

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early Adirondack snowmobile raceIn the motor toboggan era – the time before the advent of the modern snowmobiles we know today – motor sleds had been too slow for racing excitement. As a result they remained strictly utilitarian vehicles racing only occasionally for promotional purposes. Motor toboggan and later snowmobile maker Polaris traveled each year at the end of the 1950s to trapper festivals at The Pas, Manitoba where they helped organize ad hoc races.

“We tried to rig them a little bit so we had a zig-zag effect,” David Johnson said, remembering one of the first informal races, “one guy ahead, and then the other, and so on, at a terrific speed of about 20 miles per hour.” In February 1959, Johnson won the first organized men’s race on an oval at The Pas and in 1960, the first cross-country race was held there. [Read more…] about A History of Snowmobile Racing in New York State

Flatrock Mtn Easement Draft Recreation Plan Released

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proposed Flatrock Mountain Conservation Easement mapThe New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced they are seeking public comment on the draft Recreation Management Plan (RMP) for Flatrock Mountain Conservation Easement.

The 511-acre easement tract is located southwest of Old Forge in the town of Webb, Herkimer County, between State Route 28 and Middle Branch Moose River. [Read more…] about Flatrock Mtn Easement Draft Recreation Plan Released

A Short History Of Eagle Bay In The Adirondacks

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Eagle Bay Map Courtesy Adirondack AtlasEagle Bay lies in the middle of the Adirondack Mountains of New York State at an elevation of 1,720 feet. Situated just north of 4th Lake on the Fulton Chain, and about ten miles east of Old Forge, the small hamlet (one of 94 designated hamlets in the Adirondacks) has seasonal activity consisting of winter snowmobiling, cross country skiing, and snowshoeing. Summer events focus on the various surrounding lakes, ponds, mountains, and hiking trails. [Read more…] about A Short History Of Eagle Bay In The Adirondacks

Police Chase Winds Through Adirondack Park

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NYSP logoNew York State Police report they were involved in a pursuit from Utica into the heart of the Adirondacks 90 miles away.

Police say strip spikes were deployed twice, but did not stop the driver. The pursuit ended at Blue Mountain Lake, in Hamilton County. [Read more…] about Police Chase Winds Through Adirondack Park