In 1992 the first official plan for a blueprint for land protection in and by the State of New York was signed by Governor Cuomo. If a project is not listed in the plan, it cannot be funded or purchased. This plan has been revised several times since, the most recent in 1998 and signed by Governor Pataki. Of the 123 current projects, 13 are in the Adirondack Park - and include 7 parcels that are potential acquisitions to the Forest Preserve and conservation easements. They include:

• 1,600 acres of undeveloped shoreline on Blue Mt. and Utowana Lakes
• Floodwood Tract - 120 acre parcel on the west side of Rollins Pond and 240 acres on the west side of Pine Pond
• Tahawus Tract - 12,000 acres including the Preston Ponds, Mt. Adams, Henderson Lake and the southern entrance to the High Peaks from Calamity Brook/Duck Hole
• Pilot Knob Mt. - 400 acre tract on the S E side of Lake George
• Minnehaha Tract - 955 acres S W of Old Forge including shoreline on the N Branch of the Moose River
• Champion International Lands - 144,000 acres in the S E section of the Santa Clara tract (Grasse River - St. Regis River area)
• Domtar Lands - 105,000 acres in Clinton and Franlin Counties

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) estimates that damage from the ice storm of '98 may exceed $25 million. In the counties of St. Lawrence, Lewis, Essex, Franklin and Clinton in northern NYS, 320,000 people were without electricity and these counties are eligible for individual and public disaster assistance. An emergency appropriation of $15 million for storm relief was signed into legislation by Gov. Pataki recently to assist in the relief effort. The ice storm of '98 damage that hit Northern NY, VT, NH, ME and Canada will have a long lasting effect according to Ranger Gary Lee of Racquette Lake. In our northern counties, the utilities are back up, counties and DEC are still accessing damage, but the woods and streams will be choked with debris this spring. Small creatures were trapped and died under the ice, and other species dependent on them may find diminished food supplies during the breeding and birthing season. Then there is the increased chance of fires as the downed branches dry out over the next few years. Neal Burdick, in ADK's March/April Adirondac magazine, warns of what he calls "widow-makers", loose or weakened tree limbs. Hikers and campers are advised to take extra precaution this season. Be careful where you pitch your tents and be prepared for extra time on trails till crews can get in and do clean-ups. Information on the DEC's policy regarding harvesting downed timber on State lands is available at their website.

When NYS purchases a conservation easement, it buys the development rights and sometimes the recreational rights too. The landowner retains the managed timbering rights that remain an important source of lumber for local paper and sawmills. The State & the landowner share the taxes which often generate higher tax revenues for the local towns and contribute to their economic welfare by the creation or retention of jobs. With over 100,000 acres in the state protected by conservation easements, the Forest Preserve, in a sense, helps to preserve the quality of life in the Park that residents have come to expect and tourist are drawn to. In addition to wildlife habitats and access to recreational activities, the Forest Preserve protects the watershed that provides clean water for many municipalities in the Park. More information on the Long Pond Timber Company easements in St. Lawrence County can be obtained at DEC's Press Releases Site.

Last August while in Montana I came upon a dead wolf on the shoulder of the road. It could have been "road kill" or maybe it was something else. We were driving in a remote area for over fifty miles and saw nothing but cattle ranches who's owners would not take kindly to a wolf searching for a domestic lunch. Rising land prices and taxes near a national park (Glacier in this case) make ranching an economically fragile business even in the best of times. Park managers claim ranchland keeps the surrounding area lightly settled and relatively natural. Wildlife such as sandhill cranes, grizzlies, elk and even wolves spend as much time outside park lands as they do inside.

In 1997, Defenders of Wildlife, a national wildlife conservation organization, paid $8,500 to twelve ranchers in the area for sixteen cows and four sheep killed by grizzlies. They have had a similar program for wolves for over ten years. The Defenders are spearheading the effort to reintroduce wolves into the Adirondacks and formed and funded a Wolf Study Advisory Committee last year to examine wolf reintroduction issues. "This is not for or against wolves," said committee chair Jim Gould of Paul Smith's College - the administrator of the project. The first meeting included representatives from Defenders, ADK, the Adirondack Council, Resident's Committee to Protect the Adirondacks, NYS Farm Bureau, the Adirondack Landowners Association, NYS Trappers Assoc., NYS Guides Assoc., NYS Conservation Council, and The Adirondack Association of Towns & Villages. This year, the Advisory Committee has retained the Conservation Biology Institute of Corvallis OR to examine the biological aspects of reintroduction and has requested another study of the social and economic aspects from the Human Dimensions Research Unit of Cornell University.

Additional information and links on wolves page.

Gov. Pataki announced March 4th that the Adirondack Railway Preservation Society (ARPS) will manage, operate and market the entire 118 miles of track from Utica to Lake Placid. ARPS, which has been operating the Adirondack Scenic Railroad out of Old Forge - Thendara on a 30-day revocable permit since 1992, plans to repair the track abandoned by Penn Central and acquired by the State in 1974. The estimated cost of the 7-year project is $15 million. It is expected to boost local economies along the corridor and has the support of the DOT, the DEC and a number of recreational and environmental groups. The scenic train out of Old Forge operates primarily through the commitment of dedicated volunteers and has hosted over 350,000 visitors since 1992. Additional information about the history of this Railroad can be obtained at the Adirondack Railway Preservation Society's Site.

In January 1999, a group of over 400 people gathered in Albany to attend the Empire State Task Force Summit called by Governor Pataki to rally New Yorkers to contact our Congressmen and request that the Land and Water Conservation Fund revenue sharing with States be reinstated. Co-Chaired by Bernadette Castro, Commissioner of NYS Parks, and John P. Cahill, Commissioner of DEC, the conference drew environmental organizational representatives many Northeastern States as well as Washington DC. The Task Force had two main goals: to educate the public regarding past benefits of state side funding from the Land and Water Conservation Fund as well as to identify the benefits it could provide in the future; and to work with our NY State Congressmen to restore state side funding. For the third year in a row, Congress has failed to provide these funds to States, funds generated principally from offshore oil and gas leases, funds set into this Trust by law in 1964 but diverted in recent years to the general fund in Washinton. I urge you to read more and take action.

Little Tupper Lake Recreational area opened in early June 1998. Located south of the Village of Tupper Lake on Rt. 30, the entrance is approximately 5 miles down the Sabbatis Road. Thanks to the funds provided by the environmental bond act passed by voters last year and from the $110 million dollar Environmental Trust Fund put aside by Pataki and the Legislature, almost 15,000 acres of prime wilderness will be added to the Forest Preserve. In December, the State announced that it has entered into an agreement to purchase Little Tupper Lake and 42 ponds that serve as the headwaters of the Beaver, Raquette and Bog rivers. The $17 million dollar price tag also includes $3 million to preserve another 36,000 acres for the next decade. Visitors are welcomed at a new self-serve information center that provides a map of the area and brochures. Just below is a parking area for approximately 40 cars, nearly full on my recent visit June 28th. A short walk brings you to the waterfront and canoe access area. See the Little Tupper Lake page for more details.

The Adirondack Nature Conservancy (ANC) and the Adirondack Land Trust has purchased a 953 acre tract in Minnehaha near Old Forge for $476,500, nearly $100,000 below assessed value. The property includes 5 miles of shoreline along the Middle Branch of the Moose River along the route of the Adirondack Scenic Railroad. ANC/ALT hope to transfer the tract to NYS to be included in the Forest Preserve for public use. Full property taxes will continue to be paid, but the purchase secures a land bridge and wildlife corridor connecting the 121,500 acre Black River Wild Forest to the south and the 27,000 acre Ha-De-Ron-Dah Wilderness to the north.
The Adirondack Nature Conservancy is a chapter of the international organization of more than 850,000 members. The Adirondack Land Trust is a local organization, founded in 1984. Together, these two groups maintain 14 reserves totaling 7,000 acres.