APA accepting public comment on Saranac Lake wild forest management plan

RAY BROOK, NY – The Adirondack Park Agency (APA) is accepting public comment for the Saranac Lakes Wild Forest (SLWF) Unit Management Plan.  The primary purpose of this UMP is to protect the natural resources and wild forest character of the area while providing for a variety of compatible outdoor recreational opportunities.

The APA will accept public comments until July 13, 2018 regarding Adirondack Park State Land Master Plan conformance for the proposed management.

The Saranac Lakes Wild Forest is comprised of approximately 75,070 acres of Wild Forest lands and 19,000 acres of waterbodies. The Intensive Use boat launches that are included in this plan

encompass 33 acres.

The SLWF is situated in the northern half of the Adirondack Park, with the Park’s largest population centers located nearby.  The unit’s many land parcels are interwoven with the villages of Saranac Lake, Lake Placid, and Tupper Lake.  In addition, portions of the unit are located in the southern Franklin County towns of Santa Clara, Brighton, Tupper Lake, Harrietstown and Franklin, as well as the northwestern Essex County towns of St. Armand and North Elba.

The SLWF contains prominent watercourses classified under the Wild, Scenic, and Recreational Rivers System Act, including the Raquette River, Saranac River, and West Branch Ausable River.

Good access to the area enhances many recreational opportunities, including but not limited to hiking, biking, camping, skiing, snowmobiling, hunting, canoeing, bird watching and fishing. Popular natural area destinations contained in the unit are the three Saranac Lakes: Upper Saranac, Middle Saranac and Lower Saranac; Oseetah Lake, Lake Placid and Lake Colby.  The Raquette River, Saranac River and West Branch of the Ausable River are important recreational and fishing resources. Several significant mountains located within the SLWF include: Scarface Mountain (3,058 feet), Boot Bay Mountain (2,516 feet), Shingle Bay Mountain (2,352 feet) and Panther Mountain (2,241 feet).

Some proposed management actions include:

• Bring tent sites into compliance with Adirondack Park State Land Master Plan separation distances and mitigate adverse impacts to sites with significant natural resource impacts through restoration and/or closure of sites;

• Identify locations for group sites (15 sites), limit group sites to a maximum of 12 people and issue camping permits for specific group sites;

• Build 38 miles of new trails, of which 35 miles will be open to mountain bike use.  The majority of proposed trails are located near the communities of Saranac Lake, Lake Placid and Tupper Lake;

• Open 2.18 miles of new snowmobile trails, maintain 19.68 miles of road and trail for snowmobile use and close 15.33 miles of redundant and/or lesser used trails;

• Reroute the Scarface Mountain Trail to avoid a steep section near the top that is heavily eroded. All construction and maintenance work on Scarface Mountain will conform to the Adirondack sub-alpine forest bird conservation area guidelines;

• Relocate the Bartlett Carry Trail off of the road. There will be about 0.4 miles of new trail constructed through the woods. The location of the canoe takeout may also be relocated;

• Reroute segments of Deer Pond Trail to avoid wet and steep areas;

• Reopen the Sangemo Canoe Carry. This historic route runs between Upper St. Regis Lake and Lake Clear. The reopened trail will be routed to Saint Germain Pond, instead of Lake Clear;

• Allow mountain bike use of the trails known as “Loggers Loops” in the vicinity of Cherry Patch Pond. Improvements to the trails in this area will include: building a new segment of trail onto Loop 1, so that this trail will be entirely on State land, and build a new trail to connect these trails to State Route 86 near the Connery Pond parking area;

• Examine potential development of a trail system west of Lake Placid on the parcels of land near State Route 86, the Remsen to Lake Placid Travel Corridor, Carolyn Road, Barn Road, and Old Military Road. These trails would form loops of varying difficulty levels for mountain biking and hiking;

• Oversee construction of a portion of the Jackrabbit Trail on a portion of the SLWF south of Mountain Lane;

• Open a snowmobile trail to Heavens Pond and a trail to Lead Pond from the Lyme Conservation Easements lands;

• Create a snowmobile trail from the Remsen Lake Placid Travel Corridor to a proposed bridge over Rollins Pond Outlet the Rollins Pond Campground;

• Designate the Old Wawbeek Road and the administrative road that proceeds to the north from the Old Wawbeek Road to State Route 30 as open for horse use;

• Reduce the distribution of non-native and native, but widely introduced fish species, while increasing the abundance of native species. Reclaim West Pine Pond and its tributary water, Rag Pond, and stock with a heritage strain of brook trout;

• Follow the management guidance for the Adirondack Sub-alpine Forest Bird Conservation Area. This will include avoiding the use of motorized equipment for maintenance of trails above 2,800 feet during the Bicknell Thrush nesting season;

• Monitor loons for nesting activity. Produce informational materials to inform visitors that loon nesting is occurring and what loon behaviors indicate that the bird is being stressed by the visitor;

• Maintain and perpetuate annual hunting and trapping seasons as legitimate uses of the wildlife resources compatible with wilderness recreation.

To review the proposed 2018 Unit Management Plan amendment please click Saranac Lakes Wild Forest.

Please address all written comments to:

Kathy Regan, Deputy Director for Planning

NYS Adirondack Park Agency

P.O. Box 99

Ray Brook, NY 12977

Fax: 518-891-3938

Email – [email protected]

Please submit all written comments to the APA by July 13, 2018.