ADK Conservation Comm opposes firetowers

[Peakbagr]

From the Adirondack Mtn Club's December Board meeting, the following resolution was passed by the Club's Conservation Committee(with the therefores and whereas's omitted) with a proposal that it become OFFICIAL Adirondack Mountain Club policy. This resolution was passed by the Conservation Committee on 10-22-25 and threatens the survival of existing towers like Mt Adams and others, in areas classified other than Wild Forest if adopted by ADK.

"Therefor be it Resolved that it is the policy of the Adirondack Mountain Club to oppose attempts to amend the definition of Wilderness, Primitive, or Canoe Areas, as set forth in the ALSLMP, to include fire towers as conforming structures in these aread, and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that it is the policy of the Adirondack Mountain Club to oppose an attempt by the state to reclassify fire towers and their respective footprints as Historic Areas."


If you support keeping towers and allowing the existing ones to survive this onslaught, please write or call the Adirondack Mtn Club to protest this resolution. If you are an ADK member, tell them and tell your Chapter Chair and representative. You can also contact Bernadette Castro, Commissioner, NYS Parks and Recreation Dept. Also, contacting DEC.
Adirondack Mt Club's headquarters in Lake George: 1.800.395.8080, or write to them protesting this resolution at RR#3, Box 3055, Lake George,NY 12845

 

[HAYDK]

peakbagr , this really ticks me off !!!!! Is there some where , that I can read
this on adk's web site . tom

 

[Peakbagr]

It was a proposal passed by the ADK's very powerful Conservation Committee, and submitted to ADK's Board with it being a recommendation that the Club adopt it as policy.
Its not "out there" yet, and I don't believe ADK has made it formal policy. My purpose was to have those who are concerned, pressure DEC, Parks & Recreation, and ADK(especially if you are a member), so that the the Club understands there are consequences.
The Mt Adams tower was a doomed structure more than a year ago when OSI purchased the land it sat on in the Tahawus tract. The Open Space Institute bought the land, and then they transfer it to the State. The tower is a "non-conforming structure" according to the Unit Mgt Plan. ADK's concern all along is not so much that a tower is terrible, but that if they "allow" the state to make exceptions in the Wilderness classification, exceptions like this will be seen as precedent to allow snowmobiles, ATVs and mountain bike organizations to seek similar accomodations in the Wilderness areas.
Had not many from VFTT pushed DEC, P&R, and ADK, the tower on Adams was all but gone. Pressure forced the issue to public attention and I'm hoping we can accomplish the same thing so that those in the hiking publice who want to retain towers, do not find ourselves on the opposite side of ADK, an organization who has done so much good in the areas of trail work and land acquistion. Spread the word and tell your friends to call, write and email.

 

[HAYDK]

Peakbagr ,
I appreciate the heads up about the ADK's conservations committees resolution to sacrifice MT Adams,Wakely and other fire towers .

I visited Mt Adams (ADK) firetower on 10/25/03 , when at that time the firetower was looking like it was going to be history. The trail was hard to follow but we found our way to the tower.
The stairs were , soft and the stairs were spongy.The top landing was completely missing.The cab roof was torn partially and was banging inside the cabin as I climbed in.
The weather was very overcast , but still this view was breath taking. Now it seems two years later that these people still want to mess with this tower.
I am a member of the xxxxxx chapter of the ADK club ,last night we had our monthly meeting.Our chapter director (contact between the chapter and the Main club) handed in his resignation ,he did not go into specifics but indicted the club was taking a bad direction .

 

[Jasonst]

Not to sound like an alarmist, but someday, in the name of conservation, we will be disallowed from climbing these same mountains.

 

[Peakbagr]

Just wanted folks who might have missed this over the weekend to be aware of the issue. It probably won't imperil Mt Adams, but may do so for Hurricane and St Regis towers.