Wilderness is in the works
APA opens comment period for reclassification of state land holdings around Lows LakeBy MIKE LYNCH, Enterprise Outdoors Writer
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Fact Box
READ UP, SPEAK UP
Download a description of the proposal from the Adirondack Park Agency Web site (see link), or view a hard copy at the APA headquarters on state Route 86 in Ray Brook.
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Three public hearings:
-11 a.m. on Monday, July 13 at SUNY ESF Ranger School in Wanakena
-5:30 p.m. on Monday, July 13 at Long Lake Town Hall
-Noon Thursday, July 20 at the DEC Room, PA 129B, 625 Broadway, Albany
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Mail written comments by Aug. 28 to:
Richard Weber
Assistant Planning Director
P.O. Box 99
Ray Brook, NY 12977
Article Links
» Download a description of the proposal from the APA Web site.A proposal that would designate 12,545 acres of Forest Preserve lands and waters, including Lows Lake, as wilderness is now open for public comment although it has already been the subject of a heated debate for years.
The lands are all in Hamilton and St. Lawrence counties, and the proposal will be subject to three public hearings that have been scheduled for July. The meetings will take place in Albany, Wanakena and Long Lake.
The proposal calls for an estimated 4,384 acres of state land and water that aren't currently classified to be designated as wilderness, including lands on the south shore of Lows Lake and lands north of Bog Lake along with the lake bed and waters of Lows Lake, Hitchins Pond and the Bog River.
In addition, 8,161 acres of state land would be reclassified from primitive to wilderness. The Lows Lake Primitive Area, Hitchens Pond Primitive Area and Tomar Pond Primitive Corridor would change from primitive to wilderness.
Two dams on the Bog River - Upper and Lower Lows dams - and the road to the Sabattis Scout Reservation would be made primitive inholdings within the wilderness boundaries.
The state Adirondack Park Agency first announced the proposal to classify these lands as wilderness in April. This came during the same meeting the APA decided to allow floatplanes to continue using Lows Lake through 2011.
The decision to reclassify these lands and waters as wilderness has been applauded by Adirondack Mountain Club, Association for the Protection of the Adirondacks and Residents' Committee to Protect the Adirondacks, which have been pushing the state Department of Environmental Conservation to implement a floatplane ban on Lows Lake. The ban was part of the Bog River Complex Unit Management Plan and had been scheduled to start at the beginning of 2008, but the DEC never enforced it.
If the lands and waters of Lows Lake are classified as wilderness, this would permanently ban floatplanes from those waters. In April, Adirondack Mountain Club Executive Director Neil Woodworth said he supported the wilderness designations on Lows Lake and the other lands.
"This resolution that was just adopted agrees to manage Lows Lake after 2011 as a wilderness, and that's very important to that sunset date," Woodworth said after the April APA meeting. "After 2011, we will never again have to deal with the issue of floatplane usage at Lows Lake."
While environmental advocacy organizations have pushed hard for a floatplane ban, others on the opposite side of the issue have also pushed their arguments in this debate.
Long Lake is home to Helms Aero Service, one of two floatplane businesses in the Adirondacks. Last October, Long Lake town Supervisor Greg Wallace told the Enterprise he didn't think floatplanes should be banned.
"I do not think it's a primitive area. I don't think it's a wilderness area," Wallace said. "It's a manmade lake controlled by two dams. There are private holdings that have the right to use motorboats and access by seaplane, and I think by doing this ban it gives the paddling community a false sense of security."
More recently, in mid-June, Warrensburg resident Maynard Baker announced that he was planning to file a lawsuit against the APA and DEC to reopen 40 Adirondack Park lakes that had been closed to floatplanes since the creation of the APA. His list didn't include Lows Lake, but it did include several other wilderness areas. Baker is alleging that banning floatplanes from these wilderness lakes was a violation of the federal Americans with Disabilities Act.
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Contact Mike Lynch at (518) 891-2600 ext. 28 or mlynch@adirondackdailyenterprise.com.
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FishCric
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07-06-09 11:30 AM
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why are we talking about float planes? the disabled, I know its hard to remember with all the pure unadulterated BS.
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grizzlyadam
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07-01-09 9:04 PM
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If we are going to make decisions about State land based on how many people use a certain form of recreation compared to the population of NYC, why are we talking about float planes? I'm sure its a lot less than 1%.
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BlackIce
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07-01-09 8:07 PM
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90,000 or so sign the sheets before hiking. 30 million people live in NYC alone. How many people are able to use Wilderness. I'll give you a hint: A very select few. 1% would mean that 300,000 would be signing in and hiking.
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BlackIce
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07-01-09 8:01 PM
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In this case it is obviously that the discrimination is against the float plane. And they are trying to speed this through before they get sued. I'm all for Wilderness if that is what it is. A man made lake is not Wilderness buy definition. Roads used buy diesel buses bringing in hoards of boy scouts is not Wilderness. If it were not for the roads, dams, and the man made lakes it would be Wilderness. But nothing about it is Wilderness. the DEC is using the designation to exclude certain people. You like it because it fits your needs. It's still dishonest. And it is wrong.
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grizzlyadam
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07-01-09 7:31 PM
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I support designating the area as a wilderness. I also own a canoe and motorboat and skis and snowmobile, its nice to have a place for each. There probably are good reasons for not designating the area as a wilderness but when you have people like Fishcric and Blackice try making the case by attacking people and comparing wilderness supporters to terrorist, its gonna become wilderness. I would like to know where you came up with the "fact" that less than 1% of people can use wilderness.
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BlackIce
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07-01-09 4:44 PM
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A man made lake is not Wilderness. The DEC and the Eco-Nuts use this designation to discriminate against other user groups. Green Bigotry. With a capital B. Wilderness can not be used buy everyone. Less than one percent of the population is able to use Wilderness. It's not for everyone to enjoy. That is a pure LIE! They are doing this to make a private area just for the sole use of the paddlers. It's discrimination. It's bigotry. And it's wrong.
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vendor
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06-30-09 3:56 PM
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Phahn, there are greyhound buses going to the scout camp at Lows Lake. There are motor boats on the lake.As far as setting aside a few places, right around 50% is already designated wilderness and soon, with recent land purchases it will be close to 60%. The real question is should we follow the definition of wilderness, as a means denying access to some. Or should we designate wilderness based on, the wilderness definition?
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FishCric
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06-30-09 3:38 PM
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"With all the millions of acres of recreation land, why shouldnt a few areas be designated for motorless recreation?" plenty are, the new eco nuts are just too lazy to go there any more. karma will prevail!
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phahn50
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06-30-09 1:02 PM
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With all the millions of acres of recreation land, why shouldnt a few areas be designated for motorless recreation?
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BlackIce
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06-30-09 12:21 PM
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It's funny how that cement got there all buy itself and buy GOD's will made a****for the paddler's. What a joke and embarrassment the DEC is to the State of NY. This is just another example of how the nut's have taken over. With no sense of reality these LOON's are are using the Wilderness designation to exclude everyone but their own chosen recreational group.
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formerlaker
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06-30-09 12:07 PM
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With the financial sitution you clowns are in,you should be looking to bring people into your state,instead you are driving them out.REVOLUTION is someday going to be our only choice,BUY MORE GUNS AND AMMO!!!
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formerlaker
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06-30-09 12:04 PM
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When are the people of new york state going to stand up to the gestapo ways of the fools at the APA.What about the motors used on the boy scout cam??? last one out of new york state,please turn the lights out as you are dying!!!!
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