Dun Brook. Any progress on this?

[Neil]

The following was brought to my attention this morning and I was curious if anyone is aware of the potential access mentioned in the article becoming reality.

The quoted material is from this link dated June 2011.

In 2007 Morrissey, who grew up in Long Lake and now lives in Lake Placid, New York, published The Other 54: A Hiker's Guide to the Lower 54 Peaks of the Adirondack 100 Highest. It turns out that three of the 100 highest (Panther, Buell and Dun Brook Mountains) are in the Upper Hudson Woodlands in the Town of Indian Lake. The state acquired the public access rights to them as part of its conservation easement purchase in December 2010. That means the state is removing the landowner-permission hurdle any goal-oriented hiker would have to clear to be able to attain the "other-54" or "full-100" badge. (The easement will also improve access to some of the highest 46.)

....


Morrissey plans to update his guidebook and will be working with the regional forester to identify new access points and potential parking areas to help the public gain access to those of the hundred highest that can be found on the Upper Hudson Woodlands.

 

[Peakbagr]

DEC is waiting to come up with the revenue to purchase the 'fee land' that the Nature Conservancy is holding onto on behalf of NYS.
DEC also purchased conservation easements on thousands of acres of former Finch Pruyn land. Some of those easements are for pure protection to save the land for development. Some of those easements call for hiking, snowshoeing, xc skiing easement corridors across the surrounding otherwise non accessible land.

There was a 10 year clock set in motion from when the easements were purchased. The first few years - no public access. The next couple of years - seasonal public access based on avoidance of hunting and trout fishing seasons. Last 5 years - full public access. If DEC had the staffing to accomplish the easement corridor assessments, those sporting corridors, parking and camping areas would be in place already and the public would be someplace between seasonal and full year 'round access. When the recreational corridor in those easement areas are set, the public access is wherever the date is on the 10year clock.

In perspective of how long the mountains have been around and the ages that the lands in question have been in Finch Pruyn/sportman's clubs leases, the time until people can have access is relatively short.
I'd be more concerned with The Nature Conservancy carrying the note and hanging onto tens of thousands of acres of fee land, waiting for NYS to come up with the money to pay them and put the land in the forest preserve. There is an effort by a couple of groups to protect their inholdings and sabotage the purchase of the land where they have camps.

 

[Neil]

DEC is waiting to come up with the revenue to purchase the 'fee land' that the Nature Conservancy is holding onto on behalf of NYS.

How is the DEC doing with respect to coming up with the revenue?

There was a 10 year clock set in motion from when the easements were purchased.

When was the 10 year clock set into motion?

 

[Peakbagr]

The clock was set in motion when the leases were purchased a few years ago. See pp x to xii in Spencer Morrisey's second edition of The Other 54 for a fuller explanation of the fee and easement deal with TNC and former Finch Pruyn lands.