6,000 acres in the ADK High Peaks opened to public

“NEWCOMB, N.Y. (AP) _ About 6,000 acres of pristine land in the High Peaks region of the Adirondack Park is open to the public, including a lake that's been in private hands since 1826.

The Tahawus parcel includes a mining ghost town and the towering, mossy remnants of a blast furnace built about 160 years ago. It also includes trailheads at the southern gateway to the highest Adirondack mountains.

"This 10,000-acre acquisition is a historic acquisition for the Adirondacks," said Brian Houseal of The Adirondack Council. "It really fills in an important portion of the southern high peaks."

The Open Space Institute, which bought the property in May from the Texas-based National Lead Industries for $8.5 million, will preserve the historic village of Adirondac.

Several hundred acres, including the village and relics of old iron mining operations, will be managed as an historic district.

NL Industries operated a titanium mine on adjacent land from World War II until the late 1980s.

Another 3,000 acres on the property will remain a working forest while the 6,000 acres is added to the state's forest preserve.

Open for fishing and non-motorized boat use on the property is 450-acre Henderson Lake.

Gov. George Pataki, in Newcomb at a news conference Tuesday to announce the opening of the Tahawus tract, said the property is "rich in precious natural resources, historical significance, economic potential and recreational opportunities."


Copyright © 2003, The Associated Press”

“very cool”

“I just hope the area doesn't get overrun by people like at the LOJ.”

“This is from where Emmons made the first recorded ascent of Mount Marcy. It was also on this trip back in the 1830’s that Emmons used the name Adirondack for the mountains.”

“This is great news. I think it's a little too remote to become another Loj, Lumberzac; at least I hope so.”

“That historic iron mine failed, mostly due to an impurity in the ore. The impurity in the ore accounted for what ended up being the world's biggest open pit titanium mine, which I visited on one trip. The immensity of it is indescribable.

There are many interesting stories about the McIntyre mine. Archibald McIntyre was the owner, living in Albany. His name remains for the McIntyre Range. David Henderson was the manager of the mine. He lived in Trenton. He died when a pistol accidentally discharged at Calamity Brook. The bullet caught him in the abdomen.

Henderson bemoaned the fact that it took several days for letters to get from Trenton to Albany. This was in the 1830s, in the days of slow stage coaches. It still takes several days for letters to get from Trenton to Albany!”

“Most of that 6,000 acres will be remote, and somewhat south of the High Peaks Region. But it does have a lot of good trailheads and some prime wilderness.”

“Well, a good portion of that land has been strip mined (or open pit), so the value as wilderness is questionable. But land around the mined part is fairly remote and worth having added to public lands.

I wonder whether there was any effort to reclaim the mined part, although I can't imagine what it would have taken to have filled in that huge hole.”

“A few Zillion pages of TrailTalk Banter!”

“No way!

TT banter + rain = quicksand”

“So I take it that this is a good thing. Never been to the 'Daks, hope to get out there soon. Any plans to blaze trails through there?”

“On the whole, it's probably good. The question in my mind is how much land needing reclamation is included in the deal. But if 1,000 acres is land needing reclamation, the other 5,000+ acres is to the good.

Obviously, National Lead has no further use for it, so the donation is for a bodacious tax break.

I did notice that Pataki mentioned economic potential as one of the benefits. Maybe he's thinking the state can mine titanium? Just playing devil's advocate here.

The other plus is that the state gains the Tahawus tracts, very definitely historical and worth having set aside and interpreted.”

“The state is looking to change a portion of the area around Tahawus to Wilderness Area. This will include the area around Mount Adams. Overall this will be a good thing for the area, as it will increase protection to the lands. On the down side as a result of this action the fire tower on top of Mount Adams will have to be removed due to the Forever Wild Clause in the states Constitution.
I urge any New York State residents to contact the Governors Office, DEC, and the APA to try and save this portion of our states history.

To Write To The Governor:
Governor George E. Pataki
State Capitol
Albany, NY 12224

To Email The Governor: www.state.ny.us/governor/
Click here to email the Governor.
PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR MAILING ADDRESS.
Responses may be sent via the U.S. Mail.

To write to DEC:
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
Commissioner Erin Crotty
625 Broadway
Albany, NY 12233

To write to the APA:
NYS Adirondack Park Agency
P.O. Box 99
Route 86
Ray Brook, NY 12977”

““6,000 acres of pristine land” and “includes a mining ghost town and the towering, mossy remnants of a blast furnace built about 160 years ago.”

The AP has a different definition of pristine than I do. How do you backpack in a 6,000 acre parcel? Do you do laps or just walk real slow?”

“National Lead is to retain the Mine.”

“It becomes part of the larger park.”

“Overall, it sounds like good news... at least on the surface.

mtn gal - Many AP stories are written by college interns, at least the regional ones are. I catch errors like that (and much worse ones) on a daily basis at my work.”

“Anything that can be done to make the trail to Mount Allen less ugly is great. That is by far the ugliest trail to a High Peak and it's because of the years of mining.

The rest of the area isn't all that bad and it gets better once you're on the trail.”

“Holy crap is that mine big mine...
TopoZone Map
Aerial Photo”

“...mine big mine.???

What I meant to say was...
I...Me...Mine.
I me mine,
I me mine,
I me mine.”