A draft Recreation Management Plan (RMP) for the Oswegatchie Conservation Easement is now available for public review and comment. The Oswegatchie Conservation Easement encompasses approximately 16,929 acres in the towns of Croghan and Diana in Lewis County, including more than 14-thousand acres located within the Adirondack Park.

The property includes 3.5 miles of the Middle Branch of the Oswegatchie River, shares 9.6 miles of boundary with forest preserve lands, and less than one mile of boundary with state forest land. The Oswegatchie Conservation is primarily accessed from Bald Mountain Road, leading north from Long Pond Road in the Town of Croghan.

The draft RMP proposes recreational opportunities on the conservation easement including:

– Access to hunting, fishing and trapping opportunities
– Designation of parking areas and campsites
– Designation of snowmobile trails and the construction of alternative routes to be used during logging operations
– Construction of short hiking trails
– Motorized Access Program for People with Disabilities access to the western portion of the property

DEC will accept public input on the draft RMP at a public meeting on Tuesday, December 13, 2016 from 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm at the NYSDEC Lowville Office 7327, State Route 812, in Lowville.

Public comments may also be submitted by mail or email. All comments must be received by February 1, 2017:

Matthew Nowak
Sr. Natural Resources Planner NYSDEC
7327 State Route 812 Lowville, NY 13367

Email: r6.ump@dec.ny.gov

The RMP is available to view or download on the DEC website.

More information is available on the DEC’s Oswegatchie Conservation Easement website.