The Adirondack Park Agency (APA) is accepting public comments on Adirondack Park State Land Master Plan conformance for proposed amendments to the Alger Island and Fourth Lake Unit Management Plan (UMP), the Meacham Lake Campground UMP and the Community Connector Trail Plan (Newcomb, Minerva, North Hudson).

Public comments are sought on whether the proposed activities conform to the guidelines and criteria of the Adirondack Park State Land Master Plan (SLMP).

In an announcement to the press, Adirondack Park Agency Chairwoman Leilani Ulrich said, “These actions would establish boat launches, multi‐use trails, parking, campsites and connection points to community trail networks, linking local restaurants, hotels, campgrounds and retail establishments. The Department of Environmental Conservation and Agency State Land staffs are committed to improving public access to the Forest Preserve in a manner that bolsters local economies and ensures paramount protection for the Adirondack Park’s natural resources.”

The Alger Island Campground and Fourth Lake Day-Use Area are State-owned, Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC)-operated public facilities situated on Fourth Lake of the Fulton Chain of Lakes approximately five miles northeast of the hamlet of Old Forge in the town of Webb, Herkimer County. NYS DEC proposes to replace two visitor docks at Fourth Lake Day-Use Area; upgrade the access road and parking lot at Fourth Lake Day-Use Area; correct a land classification error for Fourth Lake Day-Use Area; repair 500-foot wood and stone cribbing on Alger Island; address waste management on Alger Island; repair two docks on the east end of Alger Island; make campsite improvements on Alger Island; and address Alger Island Caretaker’s & Assistant’s Cabins future use. The Agency will accept public comment on SLMP conformance for this UMP amendment until June 12, 2015. A copy of the proposed UMP can be found here.

The Meacham Lake Campground and Day-Use Area is a State-owned, DEC-operated public facility situated on Meacham Lake in the town of Duane, Franklin County. DEC proposes to construct an improved boat launch site to replace the present inadequate launch. The Agency will accept public comment on SLMP conformance for this UMP amendment until May 29, 2015. A copy of the proposed UMP can be found here.

The Community Connector Trail Plan Unit Management Plan details plans for multi‐use recreational trails and campsites to be established on DEC-administered Forest Preserve lands to connect the communities of North Hudson, Newcomb and Minerva in Essex County and Indian Lake in Hamilton County.

The proposed trails are located in the Forest Preserve units of Vanderwhacker Mountain Wild Forest, the Camp Santanoni Historic Area and the Lake Harris Public Campground (Intensive Use Area), as well as the Hudson River Hyslop Conservation Easement and the Blue Ridge Road Conservation Easement. Consideration is also given to an alternative trail layout that would utilize the Boreas Ponds tract, a 22,000-acre parcel of private land that the State of New York is under contract to purchase and expected to acquire within the next year.

The proposed Community Connector Trail Plan amendments can be found here. A controversial snowmobile community connector trail proposed to cross the Polaris Bridge over the Hudson River has been removed from the Trail Plan UMP.

The Agency will accept public comment on SLMP conformance for this UMP amendment until June 15, 2015. The UMP is expected to be posted at the APA website soon.

Written comments pertaining to Adirondack Park State Land Master Plan conformance should be sent to:

Kathy Regan
Deputy Director for Planning
NYS Adirondack Park Agency
P.O. Box 99
Ray Brook, NY 12977

Email – SLMP_Comments@apa.ny.gov

If submitting comment by email, please type the Unit Management Plan name in the subject line of the email message.

Photo of the Upper Hudson and Polaris Bridge courtesy Protect the Adirondacks.