Press Release: New York State, October 08, 1998

Easement on 19,000 Acres Protects Logging Jobs, Headwaters of Grasse River

Governor George E. Pataki today announced New York State has reached an agreement with a North Country timber company to acquire a conservation easement on 18,950 acres of forest lands in the towns of Colton and Clare, St. Lawrence County. The conservation easement provides public recreational access to the property while guaranteeing the land remains a privately owned working forest that is managed for sustainable timber production.

Working forests and outdoor recreation-based tourism are the twin engines that drive the North Country economy, Governor George E. Pataki said. This conservation easement demonstrates how we can simultaneously provide new fuel for each of those engines.

This agreement ensures that these lands will remain in private ownership, protects logging jobs, reduces the tax burden on the timber company, protects the headwaters of the Grasse River, and provides access for hunters, hikers, snowmobilers and others to nearly 19,000 acres of the Adirondack forest.

The Long Pond Timber Company has agreed to sell the conservation easement on the property known as the Horizon or Long Pond Timber tract for approximately $1.6 million. Full public recreational access, including hunting, fishing, hiking, biking, camping, snowmobiling and all-terrrain vehicle use will be allowed, except for limited restrictions on access during big game hunting season. Motorized access will be on designated roads and trails.

Vaugh Stough, vice president and general manager of Long Pond LLC, We have enjoyed working with the State of New York to reach agreement for the sale of this conservation easement. Governor Pataki should be congratulated for his progressive approach to preserving the very important working forests of the state while also ensuring the availability of quality recreational rural property to the public.

The towns boards of Colton and Clare were consulted prior to the purchase of the easement, and both boards passed unanimous resolutions of support for the project.

The easement will be funded through the State Environmental Protection Fund.

Some restrictions on public access to the property are included in the conservation easement in order to respect the rights of existing private hunting camps. Currently, 42 private hunting camps lease portions of the property. Those leases will remain valid for 15 years, after which all but six will be extinguished. The Long Pond Timber Company reserves the right to retain six of the private camps in perpetuity.

In order to respect the rights of private hunting camps, during the 15-year phase-in period, public access will be limited during big game hunting season. Existing private hunting camps will retain exclusive hunting rights between September 1 and December 15 of each year. Unrestricted public access for recreational use will be allowed from December 16 through August 31. In addition, non-hunting related recreation will be allowed during the month of September. No public access will be allowed between October 1 and December 15 each year, for the next 15 years.

The State will pay taxes on the conservation easement value of the properties, which will reduce the timber companys tax burden significantly while maintaining local government tax revenues at existing levels.

The easement establishes restrictions on logging in wetlands and along other water bodies, but these restrictions are consistent with existing management plans that prohibit logging these areas due to their environmental sensitivity. The easement also will allow the property to be subdivided into six smaller parcels in the future, in order to allow smaller timber companies to purchase portions of the tract.

Environmental Conservation Commissioner John P. Cahill said, Governor Pataki is committed to keeping the forest products industry viable in the North Country and, at the same time, protect large block of forest land for public use. This is an example of how we can help maintain a robust forest products industry in the Adirondacks while opening up thousands of acres of private land to hikers, hunters, anglers, birders, canoeists, snowmobilers, horseback riders and the general public.

Keeping lands as working forests while providing public recreational access is the best way to combine protection of the natural resource with appropriate economic activities. This approach to economically productive conservation is endorsed by the States Open Space Conservation Plan, which establishes the protection of working forests as a priority for the State.

In addition to its timber assets, the property is valued for its unique natural resources. Most notably, the conservation easement will protect the headwaters of the North Fork of the Grasse River, as well as numerous ponds, marshes and wetlands such as the Albert Marsh on the northern edge of the property.

In addition, the land lies in the transition zone between the Adirondack and St. Lawrence Valley ecosystems, and includes plant and wildlife populations typical of both areas.

Rare plant species that are found on the property include unusual sedges (carex exilis and others), two rare species of willow (salix petiolaris and salix subsericea) and a rare orchid (arethusa).

A wide variety of bird species are found on the property, including several species that are rare in this area, such as the turkey vulture, harriers and the common snipe, as well as some boreal forest species such as spruce grouse and grey jays. Other common birds that may be encountered include ravens, hermit thrushes and warblers.

Brook trout fishing in the ponds and streams of the property is reported to be good, although there has been no public access for fishing in many years. Major ponds on the property include Blue Pond, Ormsbee Pond and Long Pond.

The acquisition of public access to the Long Pond Timber tract will also greatly improve public access to the 2,100-acre Stone Dam forest preserve parcel which is adjacent to the southwest corner of the Long Pond Timber property.

The property will be managed by the State Department of Environmental Conservation, which will develop a Unit Management Plan for the property. The property will open to the public for use on December 16, 1998.