RAY BROOK – The state Adirondack Park Agency’s State Land Committee last week set tentative dates for public hearings on classification of the 20,000-acre Boreas Ponds tract, which the state recently bought from the Nature Conservancy.

APA spokesman Keith McKeever stressed that the dates of the hearings are subject to change.

The first hearing would tentatively be Nov. 9 at APA headquarters in Ray Brook. That would be followed up by four more hearings in November and two in December.

The other dates and locations would be Nov. 14 in Northville, Nov. 16 in Newcomb, Nov. 28 in Rochester, Nov. 29 in Canton, Dec. 6 in the New York City area and Dec. 7 in Albany.

Numerous green groups and local governments have put forth plans for what they would like to see happen with the classification of the Boreas lands.

The Adirondack Mountain Club, Adirondack Council and Adirondack Wild have proposed a plan that would include some road access for users into the heart of the area, while local governments would like to see snowmobile trails as well. Other groups are lobbying for more of the Boreas tract to be classified as wilderness, which would entail the strongest environmental protections the state has to offer.

Public comments on the Boreas tract must be submitted by Dec. 30.