New York Pays $14.5 Million for the Boreas Pond Tract

In a park plagued with various land issues over motorized versus “hike-and-paddle” access, the Boreas Pond Tract is currently in the middle of a tug of war. After the governor announced plans to purchase the private and unclassified tract from the Nature Conservancy, debates flared up between local businesses and conservationists. The debate has been elevated to the next stage as the New York State has recently finalized the purchase of the tract.

Photo from TimesUnion

For $14.5 Million, the New York State purchased over 20,000 acres earlier this month, completing Governor Cuomo’s 2012 planned acquisition of 69,000 acres from the Nature Conservancy (Bradley). The next step in the process for the state is to develop a management plan for the area to determine how the Boreas Ponds will be used. Environmental groups are pushing for the tract to be added to the adjacent High Peaks Wilderness to create a preserve larger than Rocky Mountain National Park (Esch). Opposition groups are pushing for the tract to be classified as “wild forest” which will result in less restrictions for snowmobiles and other mechanized access, bringing in more tourism dollars (Esch). The issue at hand is part of a much bigger and complex problem. While some believe the Adirondacks should be left alone as much as possible and only used for wilderness recreation, others are prioritizing the economy and encourage development even at the expense of the natural lands. As the tug of war comes to an end, both the agenda of the New York State and the future of the Adirondacks will soon be unveiled.

Sources:

Bradley, Pat. "New York Buys Boreas Pond Adirondack Tract For $14.5 Million." WAMC. WAMC, 14 Apr. 2016.

Esch, Mary. "Hike vs Ride: Debate Heats up over next Adirondack Land Buy." The Big Story. AP, 29 Nov. 2015.