Posts Tagged ‘State Land Master Plan’

Sunday, September 8, 2019

APA Board Meeting: Primitive Campsites, Logging, Subdivision

APA Building in Ray Brook NYThe Adirondack Park Agency will hold its monthly meeting at its headquarters in Ray Brook on Thursday, September 12th and Friday September 13th, 2019. Both sessions will convene at 9 am.

The meeting will include consideration of an amendment to a timber harvesting project in Westport, a review of public comments on the replacement of utility poles, consideration of amendments to the Town of Chester Local Land Use plan, a presentation on the final Sentinel Range Wilderness Unit Management Plan, rules for constructing and siting primitive campsites and more. » Continue Reading.


Monday, August 26, 2019

The Roots Of The Conflict Over Snowmobile Connectors

In order to cut a lot more trees on the Forest Preserve for new snowmobile corridors, Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Department of Environmental Conservation and the Attorney General’s Office have announced that they will appeal July’s court ruling against the State and in favor of Protect the Adirondacks.

That ruling by a 4-1 court majority declared that the extent of tree cutting for snowmobile trail construction, when considered cumulatively, violated our state’s constitutional limit on destruction of timber on the Forest Preserve “to a material degree” (Article XIV, Section 1, NYS Constitution, and court interpretations). » Continue Reading.


Tuesday, June 25, 2019

Changes For Saranac Lakes Area Include 35 Miles of MTB Trails

saranac lakes wild forestNew York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced the final Saranac Lakes Wild Forest Management Plan.

The Saranac Lakes Wild Forest is comprised of 75,000 acres of Forest Preserve lands and 19,600 acres of lakes, rivers, streams, and ponds located in the towns of Santa Clara, Brighton, Tupper Lake, Harrietstown, and Franklin in Franklin County and the towns of St. Armand and North Elba in Essex County. Three of the largest population centers in the Adirondack Park-the villages of Tupper Lake, Saranac Lake, and Lake Placid-are within the general boundaries of the unit. » Continue Reading.


Monday, June 17, 2019

Primitive Tent Site Changes Planned

DEC logoThe Adirondack Park Agency (APA) and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC)are planning changes to the way in which primitive campsites are sited in the Adirondacks.

The Adirondack Park State Land Master Plan defines a primitive tent site as “a designated tent site of an undeveloped character providing space for not more than three tents, which may have an associated pit privy and fire ring, designed to accommodate a maximum of eight people on a temporary or transient basis, and located so as to accommodate the need for shelter in a manner least intrusive on the surrounding environment.” » Continue Reading.


Sunday, March 24, 2019

Big Plans For The Hammond Pond Wild Forest

hammond pond wild forest mapThe Adirondack Park Agency (APA) is accepting public comment for a proposed amendment to the Hammond Pond Wild Forest and Port Henry Boat Launch Unit Management Plan.

The plan covers nearly 50,000 acres of Wild Forest designated “forever wild” Adirondack Forest Preserve land and includes a segment of the interstate North Country Scenic Trail and a controversial boat launch on Eagle Lake on Route 74 west of Ticonderoga.

» Continue Reading.


Thursday, March 7, 2019

Dave Gibson: E-Bikes Are Not For The Forest Preserve

bicycling on a Wild Forest corridor near the Cedar RiverJack Drury’s recent essay promoting the use of E-bikes opens with the challenge facing an older but reasonably well conditioned body attempting to keep up with younger bicycle riders.

Jack articulates well what many of us baby boomers are feeling as we take up a ski, paddle, hike, or bike with younger friends and colleagues. We think we are reasonably fit, but how to keep up? Especially, as Jack wondered, on the uphill sections? » Continue Reading.


Tuesday, January 15, 2019

Opinion: Adirondack Park Needs More Wilderness

high peaks by carl heilman ii“It’s Debatable” appears in each issue of the Adirondack Explorer.  This essay is a companion piece to “Opinion: Adirondack Park Doesn’t Need More Wilderness” by Matthew Simpson, which will appear on the Adirondack Almanack on Wednesday, January 16th.

Do we need more wilderness? Don’t be silly — yes, of course we do. Wilderness has been a defining element of the Adirondacks for more than two centuries, as much an iconic part of the landscape as loons, black bears and red efts. Even if we can’t always be in the wilderness, we find inspiration knowing that it’s out there, somewhere past those foothills on the horizon. » Continue Reading.


Sunday, January 6, 2019

Viewpoint: Kudos to Governor Cuomo

bikers on the Virginia Creeper Rail Trail in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western Virginia by Richard SmithThanks to Governor Cuomo and his environmental agencies (APA and DEC), the long-awaited Adirondack Rail Trail has overcome legal roadblocks and is back on track.

This means that Tri-Lakes residents and visitors should soon reap multiple benefits from the scenic travel corridor (the publicly owned rail bed) connecting Lake Placid, Saranac Lake and Tupper Lake. » Continue Reading.


Sunday, December 30, 2018

Dave Gibson: Rail Trail Controversy Shows Master Plan Has Teeth

Headlined at this month’s meeting of the Adirondack Park Agency was a vote by the APA members to amend the Adirondack Park State Land Master Plan (SLMP) to allow Rail Trails to be added to the definition of a Travel Corridor, and to support a rail trail in the SLMP’s Travel Corridor management guidance.

Prior to the APA decision, which like all Master Plan amendments must be ratified by the Governor, rail trails were not defined or authorized under the SLMP’s Travel Corridor overlay classification. Travel Corridors  applied only to the strip of land constituting the roadbed and right of way of state and interstate highways and the Remsen to Lake Placid railroad right of way, as well those state lands immediately adjacent to these facilities.  Such facilities had to be transportation related- not just recreational. » Continue Reading.


Friday, December 14, 2018

Rail Trail Corridor Definition Change Headed To Governor

APA Building in Ray Brook NYThe New York State Adirondack Park Agency has recommended approval for an amendment to the Adirondack Park State Land Master Plan (APSLMP) to change the Travel Corridors classification category definition, the guidelines for management and use, and amendments of related provisions. The Agency’s recommendation will move to Governor Andrew Cuomo for his approval.

The Agency issued the following news release Friday afternoon. You can read more about the rail trail controversy here at the Adirondack Almanack: » Continue Reading.


Tuesday, December 11, 2018

Busy December APA Board Meeting Planned

APA Building in Ray Brook NYThe Adirondack Park Agency (APA) will hold its monthly meeting at its headquarters in Ray Brook, NY on Thursday, December 13th and Friday December 14th, 2018. Both meeting days will begin at 9:30 am.

The meeting will address the Lyme Timber Company forest management project; consideration of authorizing a public comment period regarding State Land Master Plan conformance for proposed Ski Trail Guidance; a presentation from Dan Josephson from Cornell University; discussion on State Land Master Plan conformance; and more. » Continue Reading.


Wednesday, September 12, 2018

APA’s Agenda for Thursday: Subdivision, Campgrounds, Energy

APA Building in Ray Brook NYThe Adirondack Park Agency (APA) will hold its monthly meeting at its headquarters in Ray Brook, NY on Thursday, September 13th, 2018.

The meeting will address a variance request to expand a single-family dwelling located within the shoreline setback of Fern Lake; consideration of a State Land Master Plan conformance public comment period for a proposal to amend the Department of Environmental Conservation’s generic campground unit management plan; a discussion on the Agency’s policy on Renewable Energy Production and Energy Supply; and more.

What follows is the agenda issued by the APA: » Continue Reading.


Sunday, June 10, 2018

Mountain Bike Trails Management Guidance Issued

The Adirondack Park Agency (APA) and Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) recently approved guidelines for mountain bike facilities on “forever wild” Adirondack Forest Preserve lands.

The document, Management Guidance: Siting, Construction and Maintenance of Singletrack Bicycle Trails on Forest Preserve Lands in the Adirondack Park is expected to assist DEC in planning bicycle trail networks on Forest Preserve lands classified as Wild Forest. » Continue Reading.


Tuesday, May 22, 2018

Gibson: State Rushing Process For High Peaks, Boreas Plans

I’d like to recognize the Adirondack Daily Enterprise for its recent editorial “APA, DEC Skimp on Public Meetings.” The newspaper wrote that two public meetings, both held on the same day (Wednesday, May 23) about numerous management amendments to the High Peaks Wilderness and Vanderwhacker Wild Forest:

“while important, are also severely wanting. These lands belong to the people of New York, and folks near New York City, in Syracuse and Buffalo, Watertown and Ithaca all deserve to have APA and DEC staff come explain what the plans mean and hear the public’s concerns. Together, the two UMP amendments run to more than 300 pages, and it would be beneficial to the public to have them explained by the people who wrote them.”

Now that the classifications are decided and amendments to the unit management plans (UMP) are underway, the process seems highly accelerated and rushed. » Continue Reading.


Thursday, April 12, 2018

Buildings on the Forest Preserve: Public Lodging Facilities

Buildings on the Forest Preserve are limited by state laws, regulations and policies to administrative and historic preservation purposes. The biggest looming threat to the Forest Preserve is the proposal to expand allowable buildings to include public lodging structures through some kind of formal hut-to-hut system.

The final report issued by Adirondack Community-based Trails and Lodging recommends four instances where Forest Preserve lands were included for “hut” locations as necessary stops for one of their proposed 59 hut-to-hut trips. » Continue Reading.



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