The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced the release of a draft Recreation Management Plan (RMP) for the Croghan Tract Conservation Easement in Lewis County in the Western Adirondacks.

DEC is now inviting the public to share comments and ask questions about the draft plan at a public meeting and/or to submit comments on the draft RMP during the 30-day public comment period.

The Croghan Tract Conservation Easement draft RMP public meeting is set for Wednesday, February 26th at 6 pm, at the DEC Lowville Office, located at 7327 State Route 812, Lowville.

The 30-day comment period opens Feb.19 and ends March 19, 2020. Send written comments to: NYS Dept of Environmental Conservation, Attn: Matt Nowak, 7327 State Route 812 Lowville, NY 13367, or email R6.ump@dec.ny.gov.

In addition, the public can visit the Croghan Tract Conservation Easement draft RMP Survey to share comments.

The Croghan Tract Conservation Easement is comprised of 12,816 acres of private forestland, located in the towns of Croghan and Watson in Lewis County. The draft RMP includes an inventory of natural and man-made resources and proposes how public recreation will be managed on the property.

A list of public recreation proposals in the draft RMP provided by DEC include:

• New kiosks and informational signage at primary access points to the property;
• 5.3 miles of road will be newly opened to public passenger vehicles. In total, 16.3 miles of road will be open on the property, providing access to the Croghan
• Tract Conservation Easement and adjacent forest preserve lands;
• Ten (10) parking areas will be constructed or maintained;
• In total, 28.6 miles of snowmobile trail will be maintained on the property, including rights-of-way and secondary trails used as alternative routes during logging operations. New trails proposed in the plan include a 0.3-mile reroute around a hunting camp, and a 3.4- mile trail to avoid plowed roads during logging operations;
• A 0.6-mile foot trail will be constructed to access the Eagle Canyon Forest Preserve parcel;
• Nine (9) campsites will be designated, including two (2) campsites that meet universal accessibility standards;
• A car-top boat launch that meets universal accessibility standards will be maintained on Soft Maple Reservoir;
• Hunting, fishing, and trapping will continue to be permitted throughout the property subject to applicable seasons and regulations.

The draft RMP is available to view or download on the DEC website. Copies of the RMP can be requested by emailing R6.ump@dec.ny.gov or by calling DEC at (315) 785-2263 or (315) 376-3521.