Two parcels of land near Lake George were recently purchased by a conservation group and a land trust. The pair of buyers bought the tracts for preservation purposes and with the intention of expanding recreational opportunities in the area.
According to Adirondack Daily Enterprise, Open Space Institute obtained “more than 800 acres of long-sought-after land in the Lake George Wild Forest,” known as the Huckleberry Mountain Forest. OSI plans on selling the property to the state in approximately three years so that it can be added to the Adirondack Forest Preserve.
“The Huckleberry Mountain Forest property will ensure the preservation of beautiful scenery and buffer the Hudson River, while keeping the land in the hands of the public,” OSI president and CEO Kim Elliman said in a statement. “The project represents the best type of land protection made possible by the state’s Environmental Protection Fund.”
In December, the Lake George Land Conservancy (LGLC) closed on 140 acres in the South Mountain range on the east side of Lake George. According to Adirondack Almanack, “The acquisition of this 140-acre ‘Reed property’ is part of LGLC’s South Mountain Initiative, a project that aims to protect the entire South Mountain ridge, with the goals of ridge-line and wildlife habitat protection, and recreational connectivity.”
The tract is home to a large vernal pool (a breeding habitat for amphibians), and is also critically located to provide a link for wildlife between the Green Mountains of Vermont to the Adirondacks. Acquiring this particular piece of property will allow the LGLC to move forward with its goal of “connect[ing] existing trails in Ticonderoga to those managed by LGLC in Putnam,” Adirondack Almanack reports.
Sources:
- Adirondack Daily Enterprise – Open Space Institute buys Lake George land for state
- NCPR – Group buys land near Lake George for state Forest Preserve
- Open Space Institute – OSI secures over 800 acres in Adirondacks
- Adirondack Almanack – Conservancy Purchases Northern Lake George Parcel
