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42-686: The Saint Regis Canoe Area in Adirondack Park is the largest wilderness canoe area in the Northeastern United States and the only designated canoe area in New York state. It is closed to motorized vehicles. Among the 50 ponds (small lakes) and lakes are Upper Saint Regis Lake , part of the Seven Carries route, and Saint Regis Pond . It contains the headwaters of the West and Middle Branch of

84-465: A 15,000-acre (61 km ) biological field station the college has operated in Newcomb since 1932, and also home to the college's Adirondack Ecological Center. It opened in 1990. Located on 236 acres (0.96 km2) at the outlet of Rich Lake, the center has approximately three and a half miles of interpretive trails. Habitats include lakeshore, wetlands, old growth forest, and mixed northern forest. Throughout

126-416: A timber-harvesting industry. The park has a population of 130,000 permanent and 200,000 seasonal residents, and sees over 12.4 million annual visitors. The inclusion of human communities makes the park one of the most successful experiments in conserving previously developed lands in the industrialized world. The Adirondack Forest Preserve was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1963. Before

168-570: Is a park in northeastern New York protecting the Adirondack Mountains . The park was established in 1892 for "the free use of all the people for their health and pleasure", and for watershed protection. At 6.1 million acres (2.5 × 10 ^  ha), it is the largest park in the contiguous United States . Notable among parks in the United States, about 52 percent of the land is privately owned inholdings . The remaining 48 percent

210-462: Is designed to channel much of the future growth in the Park around existing communities, where roads, utilities, services, and supplies already exist. In 2008 The Nature Conservancy purchased Follensby Pond – about 14,600 acres (5,900 ha) of private land inside the park boundary – for $ 16 million. The group plans to sell the land to the state, which will add it to the forest preserve once

252-403: Is designed to direct and cluster development to minimize impact. Areas rounded to the nearest per cent. 49% of the park is privately owned, 45% state owned, and 6% is water. State wilderness areas account for 46% of the area of the park which is not private property. They are managed like federal wilderness areas . These areas are far more affected by nature than humanity, to the extent that

294-555: Is publicly owned by the state as part of the Forest Preserve . Use of public and private lands in the park is regulated by the Adirondack Park Agency. The Adirondack Park contains 46 High Peaks , 2,800 lakes and ponds, 30,000 miles (48,000 km) of rivers and streams, and an estimated 200,000 acres (81,000 ha) of old-growth forests. It is home to 105 towns and villages, as well as numerous farms, businesses, and

336-529: Is the site of the Adirondack Canoe Classic . Flatwater and whitewater canoeing and kayaking are very popular. Hundreds of lakes, ponds, and slow-moving streams link to provide routes ranging from under one mile (1.6 km) to weeklong treks. Whitewater kayaking and canoeing are popular on many free-flowing rivers in the Adirondacks, particularly in the spring. Whitewater rafting trips are run in

378-491: The Civil War , Reconstruction Era economic expansion led to an increase in logging and deforestation , especially in the southern Adirondacks . In 1870 Verplanck Colvin made the first recorded ascent of Seward Mountain during which he saw the extensive damage done by lumbermen . He wrote a report which was read at the  Albany Institute and printed by the  New York State Museum of Natural History . In 1872 he

420-673: The Cold River , a tributary of the Raquette River. The west end of Seward Mtn. drains into Calkins Brook, thence into the Raquette River. The northern slopes of Seward drain into Ward Brook, thence into Ampersand Lake, Ampersand Brook, Stony Creek, and the Raquette River. Seward Mountain is within the High Peaks Wilderness Area of New York's Adirondack Park . This article about a location in Franklin County, New York

462-611: The Saint Regis and the Saranac Rivers . Only two of the lakes can be reached without a portage , or carry as it is known in the region. Primitive canoe camping is permitted on many of the lakes and ponds. Saint Regis Mountain and Long Pond Mountain are within the area. The area covers 18,400 acre (76 km) in southern Franklin County, New York between Tupper Lake and Paul Smiths . Adirondack Park The Adirondack Park

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504-646: The St. Regis Lakes . Although the climate during the winter months can be severe, with temperatures falling below −30 °F (−34.4 °C), a number of sanatoriums were located there in the early twentieth century because of the positive effect the air had on tuberculosis patients. Golf courses within the park border include the Ausable Club , the Lake Placid Club , and the Ticonderoga Country Club. Many of

546-542: The 19th century, the wilderness was viewed as desolate and forbidding. As Romanticism developed in the United States, the view of wilderness became more positive, as seen in the writings of James Fenimore Cooper , John Muir , Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson . The 1849 publication of Joel Tyler Headley 's Adirondack; or, Life in the Woods triggered the development of hotels and stage coach lines. William Henry Harrison Murray 's 1869 wilderness guidebook depicted

588-547: The Adirondack Mountains, such as Whiteface Mountain (Wilmington), Mt. Pisgah (Saranac Lake), Gore Mountain (North Creek), West Mountain (Glen's falls), Hickory (Luzerne), and Mt. Morris (Tupper Lake) have been developed as ski areas. Hunting and fishing are allowed in the Adirondack Park, although in many places there are strict regulations. Because of these regulations, the large tourist population has not overfished

630-532: The Adirondacks and Catskills as Forest Preserve to be forever kept as wild forest lands. This forestry law also established a Forest Commission which was charged with care, custody, control and superintendence of the Forest Preserve. In 1894, Article VII, Section 7, (renumbered in 1938 as Article XIV, Section 1) of the New York State Constitution was adopted, which reads in part: The lands of

672-512: The Adirondacks, a species that is unclear to have ever previously occupied the region, would continue after the late-19th century. After two previously failed attempts to introduce elk, in 1903, over 150 elk were reported by the State of New York Forest, Fish, and Game Commission to have been released and surviving in the park. The elk population increased for several years, only to decline and ultimately disappear due to poaching. To protect and maintain

714-583: The CCC coming to the Park was their trapping and killing of "vermin", which were animals such as hawks, owls, fox, and weasels that preyed on other species sought after by hunters and fishermen. This proved to have unanticipated ecological consequences (most notably the overpopulation of deer) which were reported by the New York State Conservation Department in 1945. Ongoing efforts have been made to reintroduce native fauna that had been lost in

756-476: The New York state land survey. In 1873, he recommended the creation of a state forest preserve covering the entire Adirondack region. In 1884, a state legislative commission chaired by botanist Charles Sprague Sargent recommended establishment of a forest preserve, to be "forever kept as wild forest lands." The New York State Legislature subsequently passed a law in 1885 for the preservation of forests which designated all state lands within certain counties in

798-525: The PSC VIC hosts the Great Adirondack Birding Festival. Throughout the year visitors can partake of guided interpretive walks, regular outdoor activities, naturalist-led canoe paddles on Barnum Pond, and assorted workshops and programs. In the winter the trails are open for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. The Adirondack Interpretive Center is situated on ESF's Huntington Wildlife Forest,

840-548: The Park. A number of non-governmental organizations work for the park: The fur trade led to the near-extirpation of the beaver in the park by 1893. Other species, such as the moose , elk , wolf , and cougar were hunted either for their meat, for sport, or because they were seen as a threat to livestock. The historical presence in the area of animals such as the Canada lynx , wolverine , and caribou are unclear. Reintroduction efforts for beaver began around 1904 by introducing

882-507: The Paul Smith's College VIC, owned and operated by Paul Smith's College. Located on approximately 2,700 acres (11 km2) in Paul Smiths, New York , near Paul Smith's College , the Paul Smith's College Visitor Interpretive Center has approximately 25 miles of maintained trails. Throughout the property visitors will encounter every habitat type found in the Adirondack Park except alpine. Each spring

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924-475: The area as a place of relaxation and pleasure rather than a natural obstacle. Financier and railroad promoter Thomas Clark Durant acquired a large tract of central Adirondack land and built a railroad from Saratoga Springs to North Creek . By 1875, there were more than two hundred hotels in the Adirondacks including Paul Smith's Hotel . About this time, the Great Camps were developed. Following

966-456: The area, and as such, the brooks, rivers, ponds and lakes are home to large trout and black bass populations. Although restricted from much of the park, snowmobile enthusiasts can ride on a large network of trails. The Adirondack Park Agency visitor interpretive centers are designed to help orient visitors to the park via educational programs, exhibits, and interpretive trails. Educational programs are available for school groups as well as

1008-613: The building of Interstate 87 in the 1960s, private lands came under great pressure for development. This growing crisis led to the 1971 creation of the Adirondack Park Agency (APA) to develop long-range land-use plans for both the public and private lands within the Blue Line . In consultation with the DEC, the APA formulated the State Land Master Plan which was adopted into law in 1973. The plan

1050-478: The commission that recommend the creation of the APA. This system of management is distinctly different from New York's state park system , which is managed by the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation . According to the State Land Master Plan, state lands are classified. The Adirondack Park Land Use and Development Plan (APLUDP) applies to private land use and development. It defines APA jurisdiction and

1092-666: The elk population in the future, the DeBar Mountain Game Refuge was established within the Forest Preserve. This act of preserving the species was motivated for hunting purposes rather than an ecological or natural aspect. The Game Refuge was defined by a wire fence, numerous postings, and caretakers employed by the State. This effort to control nature was also observed in the actions of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), work crews who established access roads and water-supply expansion. A negative result of

1134-482: The foundation for the U.S. National Wilderness Act of 1964 . As a result of the legal protections, many pieces of the original forest of the Adirondacks have never been logged and are old-growth forest . Early in the 1900s, recreational use increased dramatically. The State Conservation Department (now the DEC) responded by building more facilities: boat docks, tent platforms, lean-tos, and telephone and electrical lines. With

1176-615: The general public. The Wild Center in Tupper Lake offers extensive exhibits about the natural history of the region, including a 1,000-foot-long series of elevated bridges that rise up over the forest on the center's campus. Many of the exhibits are live and include native turtles, otter, birds, fish and porcupines. The center, which is open year-round, has trails to a river and pond on its campus. The Adirondack Experience in Blue Mountain Lake contains an extensive collection about

1218-793: The human settlement of the Park. The Six Nation Indian Museum in Franklin has as a mission to provide education about Iroquois (also known as Haudenosaunee) culture, particularly environmental ethics, and to reinforce traditional values and philosophies. This is done via artifacts, presentations, and hosted visits. The 46 highest mountains in the park, known as Adirondack High Peaks , were thought to be over 4,000 feet (1,219 m) when climbed by brothers Robert and George Marshall between 1918 and 1924. Surveys have since shown that four of these peaks — Blake Peak , Cliff Mountain , Nye Mountain and Couchsachraga Peak — are in fact just slightly under 4,000 feet (1,219 m). Some hikers try to climb all of

1260-472: The latter is practically unnoticeable, for example virgin forest. No powered vehicles are allowed in wilderness areas. The 19,000-acre (77 km ) Saint Regis Canoe Area , presently the only Canoe Area in the park, operates under essentially the same conditions as the Wilderness Areas. Private organizations are buying land in order to sell it back to New York State to be added to the public portion of

1302-495: The legislature further clarified that the park included the privately owned lands within it as well as the public holdings. The restrictions on development and lumbering embodied in Article XIV have withstood many challenges from timber interests, hydropower projects and large-scale tourism development interests. Further, the language of the article, and decades of legal experience in its defense, are widely recognized as having laid

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1344-415: The original 46 peaks, and there is a Forty Sixers club for those who have done so. Cliffs with rock climbing and ice climbing routes are scattered throughout the park boundaries. The surface of many of the lakes lies at an elevation above 1,500 ft (457 m); their shores are usually rocky and irregular, and the wild scenery within their vicinity has made them very attractive to tourists. It

1386-439: The park are devoid of settlements and distant from usable roads. The park includes over 2,000 miles (3,200 km) of hiking trails; these trails comprise the largest trail system in the nation. An estimated 7–10 million tourists visit the park annually. There are numerous accommodations, including cabins, hunting lodges, villas and hotels, in and around Lake Placid , Lake George , Saranac Lake , Old Forge , Schroon Lake and

1428-591: The park does contain large areas of wilderness, some areas developed to a varying degree. Census towns with more than 5,000 inhabitants include: Seward Mountain (New York) Seward Mountain stands within the watershed of the Raquette River , which drains into the Saint Lawrence River in Canada , and into the Gulf of Saint Lawrence . The southeast slopes of Seward Mtn. drain into Seward Brook, thence into

1470-770: The park during earlier exploitation. There are 53 known species of mammals that live in the park, including raccoons , moose , black bears , coyotes , opossums , beavers , porcupines , fishers , martens , river otters , and bobcats . Notable birds of prey that breed in the park include the red-tailed hawk , broad-winged hawk , peregrine falcon , osprey , great horned owl , barred owl , northern saw-whet owl , and turkey vulture . Other notable breeding birds include northern forest specialists like Canada jays , black-backed woodpeckers , boreal chickadees , spruce grouse , palm warblers , and yellow-bellied flycatchers . There are more than 3,000 lakes and 30,000 miles (48,000 km) of streams and rivers. Many areas within

1512-457: The park via educational programs, exhibits, and interpretive trails. Educational programs were available for school groups as well as the general public. Due to state fiscal and budgetary constraints, Governor David Paterson marked the VICs for closure on December 31, 2010, and in 2011, New York State sold both visitor centers to nearby colleges. The Paul Smith's VIC opened in 1989 and in 2011 became

1554-455: The remaining beaver in the Adirondacks to imported Canadian ones, and later, from Yellowstone . The population quickly grew to around 2000 in roughly ten years, and around 20,000 in 1921, with the addition of beavers in different areas of the park. Although the reintroduction was marked as an ecological success, the elevated beaver population was found to have negative economic impacts on waterways and timber sources. The introduction of elk to

1596-719: The remaining leases for recreational hunting and fishing on the property expire. Data compiled by the Adirondack Experience , Blue Mountain Lake, New York The park is managed by two state agencies; the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation , created in 1970 and headquartered in Albany ; and the Adirondack Park Agency, created in 1971 and headquartered in Ray Brook . Noted forest ranger Clarence Petty sat on

1638-555: The spring on the Moose River near Old Forge. Raft trips are possible on the Hudson River near North River from April to October, due to dam releases provided by the Town of Indian Lake. Motorboating is formally restricted on only a few bodies of water. The Adirondack Park Agency visitor interpretive centers (or VICs) were established in 1989 and 1990. The centers helped orient visitors to

1680-449: The state, now owned or hereafter acquired, constituting the forest preserve as now fixed by law, shall be forever kept as wild forest lands. They shall not be leased, sold or exchanged, or be taken by any corporation, public or private, nor shall the timber thereon be sold, removed or destroyed. In 1902, the legislature passed a bill defining the Adirondack Park for the first time in terms of the counties and towns within it. In 1912

1722-592: The year staff conduct naturalist-led trail walks, guided paddles on Rich Lake, and assorted workshops and lectures. All trails are open in the winter for snowshoeing; cross-country skiing is permitted, and requires varying degrees of skill depending on trails and conditions. Management and ownership of the Newcomb center was assumed by the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY-ESF) on July 1, 2010, with program responsibility beginning January 1, 2011. While

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1764-557: Was named to the newly created post of Superintendent of the Adirondack Survey and given a $ 1000 budget by the state legislature to institute a survey of the Adirondacks. In 1873 he wrote a report arguing that if the Adirondack ;watershed was allowed to deteriorate, it would threaten the viability of the  Erie Canal , which was then vital to New York 's economy. He was subsequently appointed superintendent of

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