NYS Department
of Environmnetal Conservation Press Release
DEC and TNC Announce Agreement to Conserve Former Finch, Pruyn
Lands
Careful Balance Ensures Protection of Critical Ecosystems,
New Community Enhancements, and Economic Benefits
Click here
for a map of the proposed classification breakdown.
Click here for a
map of the proposed snowmobile network.
Click here for a fact
sheet on the agreement.
(The above information
provided by the Nature Conservancy)
Pictures of the land and more information can be found on the
TNC website at www.nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/newyork/press/press3365.html
Released: Thursday, February
14, 2008
The New York State Department
of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and The Nature Conservancy
(TNC) have reached a conceptual agreement to protect lands formerly
owned by Finch, Pruyn and Co. in the Adirondack Park. The agreement
will secure the future of these lands by expanding the state
Forest Preserve, ensuring the continuation of timber harvesting,
setting aside land for community housing and other local needs,
and bolstering snowmobile trail networks. Most significantly,
the agreement was developed after extensive consultation with
local government officials, and is designed to achieve a balance
between the environmental benefits of preserving this extraordinary
land and local economic development and recreational needs.
The former Finch, Pruyn lands,
called by some the "jewel in the Adirondack crown,"
are remarkable for their ecological diversity, astounding beauty
and location in the heart of the Adirondack Park. Much of the
land adjoins the protected Forest Preserve and the agreement
will keep intact large expanses of ecologically and economically
important forests, the benefits of which range from mitigating
the impacts of climate change to enhancing the Adirondack Park's
draw as a world-class tourist destination.
The focus of today's announcement
is on the future of the northern holdings - 134,140 acres - concentrated
within the central lake and tourist region of the Adirondack
Park in the towns of Newcomb, Indian Lake, North Hudson, Minerva,
and Long Lake. Some of the most sensitive and unique ecosystems
are found on those parcels.
In developing the agreement for
the future of the southern holdings - 27,000 acres - DEC and
TNC will continue outreach efforts with other communities that
have smaller parcels involved in the transaction, as well as
with other stakeholder groups.
"This is a once-in-a-lifetime
opportunity to ensure the conservation of a critical area of
Adirondack backcountry while supporting the people who live there,"
said DEC Commissioner Pete Grannis. "This agreement strikes
a balance among environmental, economic and outdoor recreation
needs. It incorporates what local communities told us was important
to them. And, in the center of the Park, it adds to the acreage
of lands to be kept 'Forever Wild.'"
"The scale of this massive
project allows for a variety of compatible uses," said Michael
Carr, Executive Director of the Adirondack Chapter of The Nature
Conservancy. "It has been gratifying to roll up my sleeves
and work with community leaders and other stakeholders to figure
out where we can come together toward mutually agreeable outcomes.
Most of all, it is exciting to see this globally important forest
landscape protected."
"The agreement between DEC
and TNC is history in the making," said Open Space Institute
(OSI) President Joe Martens. OSI provided a $25 million loan
to TNC to help it acquire the property from Finch, Pruyn. "It
is based on sound ecological principles, common sense and open
dialogue. It will ensure the protection of a vast and increasingly
important biological landscape, boost local economies and maintain
many traditional uses of the properties," Martens said.
The former Finch holdings contain
some of the wildest land remaining in the Adirondacks and, accordingly,
are home to some of the state's most impressive plant and animal
diversity. A biological survey conducted in 2001 found 95 significant
plant species, 37 of which are rare in New York and 30 rare or
uncommon in the Adirondacks. From the imperiled Bicknell's thrush
to the striking scarlet tanager, many of the birds present need
large swaths of contiguous forest to thrive.
Large and intact landscapes can
respond and adapt to disturbances like wind and ice storms and
provide better flood control. They also provide safe havens for
species to move upslope and northward in response to a changing
climate, and can better withstand invasions of damaging non-native
plants, pests, and pathogens. The Finch lands protect critical
gradient areas and link them to already protected high elevation
areas of the Forest Preserve.
DEC will now conduct an appraisal
to determine the value of the Forest Preserve and easement lands
in order to make a formal contract offer to TNC.
Key components of the agreement
include:
Forest Preserve Additions: (57,699 acres or 43 percent of northern
holdings) These parcels will be added to the lands kept "Forever
Wild" in the Adirondacks-and off limits to development or
forest management-while protecting the Upper Hudson River watershed
and wildlife habitat. The area includes the Boreas Ponds, Essex
Chain of Lakes, Hudson Gorge and Opalescent River headwaters.
In the future, the public would gain access to these special
places.
Working Forest/Conservation
Easement Lands: (73,627
acres or 54 percent of northern holdings) The state will acquire
conservation easements on these lands that will permit continued
recreational leasing and open some new lands to the public for
hiking, hunting, fishing, and other outdoor recreational activities.
TNC will ultimately sell these lands to a private forest products
or investment company which means that more than half the property
will remain available for timber production. The property is
currently managed to the highest sustainable forestry standards
and those practices will continue under the easement and future
ownership. A 20-year fiber supply agreement maintains the link
between the property and the mill in Glens Falls.
Property Taxes: During its interim ownership, The Nature
Conservancy is paying property taxes. Upon completion of the
acquisition process, the state will pay property taxes on Forest
Preserve additions, as well as its share of the value on easement
lands. Significantly, because of a tax abatement program that
had substantially limited some of the property-tax assessments
under Finch, Pruyn's ownership, it is likely that some local
property tax payments on these parcels would increase under the
conceptual agreement.
A Balance of Traditional Recreation
with New Opportunities:
At least two-thirds of the hunting clubs on these parcels, which
occupy the land under year-to-year leases, will likely see no
changes or can be readily accommodated because some or all of
their lands fall under conservation easement. The clubs with
leases on lands that would become Forest Preserve would be granted
a 10-year transition period. The agreement allows those clubs
to retain exclusive use of the property for three years, followed
by two years of exclusive use during the hunting and fishing
seasons and then five years of camp use with shared public recreation.
After that, the camps would be removed. Where possible, TNC has
pledged to help relocate clubs being displaced.
The agreement also addresses
the local communities' desire to link snowmobile trails. The
agreement contemplates a network of trails linking North Hudson,
Newcomb, Long Lake, Minerva, and Indian Lake.
Jim Jennings, Executive Director
of the New York State Snowmobile Association said, "We've
consulted with Conservancy staff and think the proposed network
will be a boon to the winter economy."
The agreement also strengthens
the Adirondacks as a tourist destination through the expansion
of hiking, hunting, fishing and paddling opportunities to both
local residents and visitors. DEC also will work to designate
some of the lakes and ponds on the Finch lands for float plane
use.
Community Enhancement: Under
the agreement, up to 1,098 acres of the northern holdings will
be dedicated to a variety of community uses, such as public recreation
facilities and community housing. The proposed uses are a result
of extensive meetings with local government officials. TNC and
DEC have engaged in unprecedented outreach efforts to the communities
and stakeholder groups, led by DEC Region 5 Director Elizabeth
Lowe and Mike Carr.
Commissioner Grannis has pledged
to work cooperatively with Adirondack communities. Last year,
the state launched a $1 million grants program to promote smart
growth in the Adirondack Park. DEC has involved towns in the
planning of management of Forest Preserve lands, revised a management
plan for the Moose River Plains because of local concerns and
postponed the removal of float planes from Lows Lake until appropriate
alternatives are found.
The Nature Conservancy (TNC)
is a leading international, non-profit organization working to
protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and
people. The Adirondack Chapter, based in Keene Valley, New York,
currently employs a staff of 25 and has protected 556,572 Adirondack
acres since 1971. The Chapter is also a founding partner of High
Peaks Summit Stewardship Program, dedicated to the protection
of alpine habitat, as well as the award-winning Adirondack Park
Invasive Plant Program, which works regionally to prevent the
introduction and spread of non-native invasive plants. On the
Web at nature.org/adirondacks.
Contact for this Page: NYSDEC
Press Office - Maureen Wren
625 Broadway
Albany, NY 12233-1016
518-402-8000
email: press@gw.dec.state.ny.us
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Copyright © 2008 New York State Department of Environmental
Conservation
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