Well I know that riding our quads up North is hard enough, but now they want to limit sleds too!!! Plus, if you hunt,fish or camp in this area you might be screwed
Take a minute and email the address listed in the article below. I did and got a reponce back in just a few minutes. The more people they hear from the less likely the DEC will make this stupid move!!! Just my $.02
Whose Adirondacks Is It Anyway?
By Leo Maloney [excerpt from column in Oneida Daily Dispatch, 3-17-06]
Recent actions such as the APA push for the Moose River Plains Wild
Forest Unit Management Plan are hostile to the average person, whether a
resident or visiting sportsman. These plans were buried deep in their Master
Plan many years ago and now they are taking the initiative to push the DEC
towards making the Moose River Plains a wilderness area instead of a wild
forest that it currently is.
The DEC has developed a Unit Management Plan (UMP) for the Moose
River Plains which extends from Route 28 and the Fulton Chain to the West
Canada Lakes Wilderness Area and Adirondack League Club property on the
south. It claims that this is "another step in our efforts to improve
access." However if this UMP is enacted it will have the opposite effect.
The Moose River Plains is a unique area that was logged off and
turned over to New York State in the 1950s. Because of logging there is a
more varied habitat than you would find in most "forever wild" state lands.
The roads and second growth area are one of the few areas an average
sportsman can have reasonable access to hunting, fishing, camping, canoeing,
hiking, and similar activities. There are primitive campsites where people
could park their pop-up camper and enjoy a wild experience in relative
solitude.
All that is about to change thanks to the DEC plans and the push by
the APA. The plans call for closing all these campsites to pop-ups and
similar campers and allowing only walk-in camping, even at the Cedar River
headquarters. Twenty six miles of snowmobile trails will be closed.
They have already closed off 10 miles of roads to create wilderness in what
was clearly classified wild forest. They want to close Rock Dam road and the
main road beyond Otter Brook, further restricting access to this area.
This area is currently a wild forest area which by law permits a
wide variety of outdoor recreation." By restricting camping, closing roads,
and other changes they will keep the average sportsman out of the area.
It is currently the largest block of remote lands accessible by motor vehicle
but that is about to change under the DEC as the APA pressures it to accept
their views of the Adirondacks and who should use it.
Are we going to sit quietly while the DEC bureaucracy and the
interests of the elite shut out the ordinary person from yet another area
of the Adirondacks?. Should wealthy elite that dominate the APA have the
right to impose their view on what the Adirondacks will be? Whose
Adirondacks is it anyway?
There is a meeting at the Inlet Town Hall at 6 pm on Thursday, March 30.
This will provide the public with an opportunity to learn more about the UMP
and make comments. The DEC will also accept written comments until April
28, 2006. Comments may be sent to Keith Rivers, Senior Forester, NYSDEC, 7327
State Route 812, Lowville, NY 13367 or e-mailed to
r5ump@gw.dec.state.ny.us.
Let me state for the record that I enjoy wilderness. I think that it
is important that we have wilderness areas and we protect them. But
wilderness is not for everyone. And how much of the approximately 6 million
acres of the Adirondack Park needs to be wilderness? Nearly 1.3 million
acres, or 18%, of the Adirondack Park is already classified wilderness.
In the meantime, please get involved and act before it is too late!
