APA votes to protect Mt. Adams Firetower property

[beverly]

The Adirondack Park Agency voted on Friday to approve the subdivision of the Tahawus Tract by the Open Space Institute. This will allow the Mt. Adams Firetower to be preserved.

As you recall, the OSI bought the property in 2003, with the intention to sell it to the state for inclusion in the Forest Preserve. If no exception were granted, the firetower would have to be removed as a non-conforming structure - incompatible with a "wilderness" designation.

The OSI therefore propsed to keep, for historic preservation, three patches of land that include a rustic cabin on Upper Preston Pond, the Adams firetower, and and the fire-observers cabin at the base of Mount Adams. The APA had to approve this.

Various advocacy groups were opposed to the inclusion of these parcels of private land within the Forest Preserve.

The plan to allow the three parcels to remain private (and thus protected) hit a bit of a snag last week, but was finally resolved when an agreement was reached to limit use of the Upper Preston Pond camp and review any adverse impact.

You can read all about the deal here.

A practical solution that satisfies almost everyone - no?

 

[lumberzac]

Great news! I'll see if I can find out more info, as my firm has a meeting with OSI this afternoon.

 

[jade]

I don't live in NY but as my career is in historic preservation, I find this to be an impressive success for the people, the land and our history. Stories like this one only make it to the media after much time/work behind the scenes by very dedicated people.

Good...good....good!
...Jade

 

[Tom Rankin]

Excellent!

 

[Grumpy]

Somehow, I do not see preservation of historically significant sites as being terribly incompatible with "wilderness values" in places like the Adirondacks. Bravo! for this decision.

This is an excellent example of how people of good will, working together toward common goals can accomplish a great deal. It's good to be tough-minded and staunch on things like this, but rigidity is not so good. My hat is off to the folks who worked out this deal and got it past the last minute snags.

G.