Adirondack Park New York

 

History

The 6-million-acre Adirondack Park was established by the New York State Legislature in 1892, and has evolved in to a patchwork of public and private lands, where thousands of people live, work and play in a protected environment of mountains, forests and streams.
The private lands are primarily part of the the Adirondack Forest Preserve, a diverse system of State Lands created in 1885 by an act of the New York State Legislature as a conservation effort to stem widespread tree cutting that supported the many lumber, paper, leather tanning, and iron mining industries that predominated the 19th century landscape, as well as ensure the major transportation corridors of the day — the Hudson River and Erie Canal — would not suffer reduced flows from continued logging. This was one of the earliest acts of public land preservation in the nation.
In 1894, the Adirondack Forest Preserve was further strengthened by when these now often quoted words were added to the New York State Constitution:

"The lands of the state, now owned or hereafter acquired, constituting the forest preserve as now fixed by law, shall be forever kept as wild forest lands. They shall not be leased, sold or exchanged, or be taken by any corporation, public or private, nor shall the timber thereon be sold, removed or destroyed."

The Adirondack Park is a very unique parcel of land, and has been for hundreds of years. The Adirondacks are the only mountains in the eastern United States that are not geographically Appalachian. In the late 19th century, it was known as the most prestigious resort area in the country. In the 1900s, the Adirondacks became the only area in the western hemisphere to host two Winter Olympic Games. The Adirondack Park is the only wild lands preserve in the U.S whose fate is decided by the voters of NY, the state which it resides in.
Most of the Forest Preserve lands in the Adirondacks are classified as either Wilderness, Primitive, or Wild Forest.

The largest and most remote segments are classified as Wilderness. Wilderness Areas include: Dix Mountain, Giant Mountain, High Peaks, Jay Mountain, McKenzie Mountain, and Sentinel Range. Motorized vehicles are not permitted, and structures are limited to lean-tos.

Primitive areas are similar, however these include structures such as roads, firetowers and private inholdings. Primitive Areas include: Ampersand, Hurricane Mountain, and Johns Brook.

Wild Forest areas are smaller, but see more traffic as motorized vehicles and snowmobiles are permitted on designated trails. Wild Forest Areas include: Hammond Pond, Saranac Lakes, Taylor Pond, and Wilmington.
With 6 million acres of Wilderness, Primitive, and Wild Forest Areas, there is virtually no limit on the enjoyment that can be found here. Hiking, Biking, Whitewater Rafting, Paddling, Fishing & Hunting, Skiing and Snowboarding are just a few of the favorites across the area, with many more activities available!

The Adirondack region boasts over 3,000 lakes, 30,000 miles of rivers and streams, and a wide variety of habitats, including globally unique wetland types and old growth forests. The heart of the Adirondack Park is the Forest Preserve, which was created by an act of the Legislature in 1885 which stated, “The lands now or hereafter constituting the Forest Preserve shall be forever kept as wild forest lands. They shall not be sold, nor shall they be leased or taken by any person or corporation, public or private.” The state of New York owns approximately 43 percent, or roughly 2.6 million acres of land within the Park’s boundaries. The remaining private lands are devoted principally to forestry, agriculture, and open space recreation. The Adirondack Park is unique in its intricate mixture of public and private lands. About 130,000 people live here year round in its 103 towns and villages. The harmonious blend of private and public lands give the Adirondacks a diversity found nowhere else – a diversity of open space and recreational lands, of wildlife and flora, of mountains and meadows, and people of all walks of life.

In order to identify and protect the natural resources of the Park, all parcels and lots of land, in both the private and public sectors, are classified in the Adirondack Park Land Use and Development Plan Map and State Land Map, (below). The largest single category of land (totaling 1.3 million acres) is Wild Forest, where a variety of outdoor recreation activities are allowed. Other categories of State Lands are: Primitive and Canoe areas; Intensive Use areas (such as public camp grounds), and State Historic Sites. The Adirondack Park State Land Master Plan sets policy for the management of the state owned lands. Developed by the Adirondack Park Agency in cooperation with the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and approved by the Governor of New York State, the Master Plan was first adopted in 1972. The actual management of the State Lands is carried out by DEC forest rangers, foresters, environmental conservation officers, and other state personnel.

The Adirondack Park Land Use and Development Plan also applies to the remaining 3.4 million acres of private land in the Park. The Plan is designed to conserve the Park’s natural resources and open-space character by directing and clustering development so as to minimize its impact on the Park. Under the Plan, all private lands are mapped into six land use classifications: hamlet, moderate intensity use, low intensity use, rural use, resource management, and industrial use. Guidelines are specified for the intensity of development within each category, based on number of buildings per square mile. Projects of regional significance usually require a permit from the Adirondack Park Agency.