An example of this struggle can be found around the Raquette Lake area in Township 40. The problem was first recognized in an annual report in 1904. Due to the errors of tax collectors, assessors, and others, the titles of certain lands could not be definitively confirmed. For over 100 years now, certain squatters have payed taxes for these disputed lands. These owners have had no equity in their homes and have not been able to get mortgages. Proposition 4, passed in 2013, allowed for the settlement of these disputed lands, though. The DEC sent out letters to the owners of disputed lands asking them to participate in a settlement. This settlement allows participants to claim their land by paying the Town for the inclusion of some land in the Forest Preserve (the township 40 website states that owners agreed to pay this fee to avoid burdening the taxpayers). Those who don't respond or don't agree to the settlement are referred to the Office of the Attoreny General for an action to quiet title. In other words, these cases are brought to court to be resolved.
Cases like that of Township 40 display some of the complexities caused by the rigid laws of the Adirondacks. They reveal the natural struggle that arises between keeping the land wild and living off of it. It seems that recent propositions, particularly those that involve the trading of land, have been giving precedence to human/business needs. Should we perhaps be more strict with this or is this wiggle room beneficial to the park and its inhabitants, both human and other?
Sources:
Cases like that of Township 40 display some of the complexities caused by the rigid laws of the Adirondacks. They reveal the natural struggle that arises between keeping the land wild and living off of it. It seems that recent propositions, particularly those that involve the trading of land, have been giving precedence to human/business needs. Should we perhaps be more strict with this or is this wiggle room beneficial to the park and its inhabitants, both human and other?
Sources:
"Disclaimer." Township 40 Settlement. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2015.
Mckinley, Jesse. "A Property Fight in the Adirondacks, Brewing for a Century, Is on the Ballot." The New York Times. The New York Times, 31 Oct. 2013. Web. 13 Apr. 2015.
"Township 40 - Raquette Lake, NY." Township 40. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2015.
Mikey, this is a really interesting example of the continuing struggle of transitioning towards the more regulated state-owned Adirondack Park after its creation. Even though it has been over a century since the creation of the park, there are still issues that need to be resolved under the new legal framework that came with the establishment of the park. I think it is perfectly reasonable to favor the human/business needs in situations that started before the park's establishment. However, I do think we should be more strict in respect to new land disputes that arise in the future, because if we continue to favor human/business needs forever, eventually there will be no park left.
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