The Wilmington Wild Forest management plan was completed in October 2005. The plan provided for the design and construction of multiple-use recreational trails. Over the past 10 years these trails have been built.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is now planning to amend the Wilmington Wild Forest Unit Management Plan (UMP) to reroute some trails, add others, build two more parking lots and more. Public comments are being accepted through January 22, 2016.

The Draft Plan Amendment and a copy of the presentation made to the Adirondack Park Agency by the DEC are available online.

Among the proposals in the new management plan are:

Addition of approximately 4.8 miles of new trail open for mountain biking;

Reroute and improvement to the Cooper Kill Trail, a multi-use trail classified as a class I (secondary) snowmobile trail to better protect natural resources;

Reroute of the Marble Mountain hiking trail to better protect natural resources;

Construction of .7 miles of accessible trails providing access to scenic areas; and

Construction of two new parking areas and improvements to existing parking areas.

Public comments should be sent by January 22, 2016 to Steve Guglielmi, Senior Forester, NYSDEC Lands & Forests, 1115 NYS Route 86, P.O. Box 296, Ray Brook, NY 12977 or e-mailed to R5.UMP@dec.ny.gov.

The Wilmington Wild Forest consists of 16,900 acres of state forest preserve lands in towns of Wilmington, Jay, Saint Armand and Keene in Essex County and the town of Black Brook in Clinton County. The area already offers numerous recreational opportunities, including snowmobiling, mountain biking, fishing and hunting, cross-country skiing, hiking, camping, rock and ice climbing, and trapping.