To the editor:

I read with interest your story about the lawsuit brought against me by the Friends of Thayer Lake after I paddled through their property. I have one nit to pick.

I had written about my trip for the Adirondack Explorer newsmagazine. The Enterprise reports that I said in my article that “the public has a right to paddle these waterways.” That sounds like I made that assertion on my own authority and without qualification. At the risk of sounding like a politician, I was quoted out of context. Following is the full passage from my original article:

“But after researching the law and talking to experts, I became convinced that the public has the right to paddle these waterways. Of course, the law isn’t always what you think it is, so I could be wrong. The Explorer’s intent is to set forth facts — in words and photographs — that may clarify the legal situation. In the end, it’s up to state authorities to determine whether or not Mud Pond and its outlet are navigable waters open to the public. Until that time, paddlers may want to stick to the waterways and trails in the state-owned Forest Preserve.”

I warned readers of the legal ambiguity and discouraged paddlers from using the waterway. From the partial quotation in the Enterprise, you’d think the opposite was true. 

Phil Brown

Saranac Lake