Deal of the century. Adirondack Nature Conservancy buys all 161,000 acres owned by Finch, Pruyn. BY PHIL BROWN EXPLORER CORRESPONDENT

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1 Photo by Gerry Lemmo/courtesy of the Nature Conservancy The Essex Chain of Lakes lies at the heart of the proposed Wild Rivers Wilderness. Deal of the century Adirondack Nature Conservancy buys all 161,000 acres owned by Finch, Pruyn. BY PHIL BROWN EXPLORER CORRESPONDENT E xcept for loggers and a few privileged hunters, not too many people have seen the Essex Chain of Lakes. But we re seeing them today. That s the Essex Chain on the right, announces Mike Carr, executive director of the Adirondack Nature Conservancy. Very beautiful. See those little camps? That s all that s on them. We re flying at 3,000 feet, perhaps 1,500 feet above the lakes. Yet they seem tantalizingly close. In a sense, they have never been closer. In June, the Nature Conservancy, with help from the Open Space Institute, pulled off the deal of the young century: It bought, for $110 million, all 161,000 acres owned by Finch, Pruyn & Co., a family-owned company whose lands have been coveted by preservationists for decades including the Essex Chain, Boreas Ponds, Blue Ledge in the Hudson Gorge, and some of the highest summits in the state outside the High Peaks. The deal hands Gov. Eliot Spitzer a golden chance to prove his conservationist credentials and to build on the legacy of his predecessor, George Pataki, who preserved 663,000 acres in the Adirondacks during his time in office. This is a tremendous opportunity to add some very valuable lands to the Forest Preserve, said Neil Woodworth, executive director of the Adirondack Mountain Club (ADK). We ve waited for this for a very long time. As part of the deal, Atlas Holdings bought Finch, Pruyn s paper mill in Glens Falls and will operate it under the name Adirondack 36 EXPLORER Reading the map Most of the Finch, Pruyn lands purchased by the Adirondack Nature Conservancy are shown in detail in the color map at right (the rest of the lands can be seen in the small inset map). The region within the dotted lines is the 72,480-acre Wild Rivers Wilderness proposed by the Adirondack Council. Some of the highlights of various Finch, Pruyn parcels are described below. The numbers coincide with those on the map. 1. Eastern slopes of Santanoni Peak, state s 14thhighest mountain. Recently given to Open Space Institute in exchange for nearby timberlands. 6. Salmon Pond and Dun Brook Mountain, one of 2. Upper Hudson River and lower Opalescent River. Hudson and Cedar rivers.this parcel is critical to the proposed Wild Rivers Wilderness. 3. Boreas Ponds, with spectacular views of High 8. Confluence of Indian and Hudson rivers, a possible Peaks. Also, western slopes of Boreas Mountain, one of the Park s top 100 peaks. take-out before Hudson Gorge whitewater. Also part of proposed Wild Rivers Wilderness. 4. Parcel contains 200-acre Pickwackett Pond and 9. Blue Ledge and other lands along Hudson Gorge. extensive bogs. Provides access to 3-mile-long Catlin Lake. Also, OK Slip Falls, one of the Park s highest waterfalls. All part of proposed Wild Rivers Wilderness. 5. West of NY 30 are two large ponds, Minnow 10. Slopes of Snowy, Panther and Buell mountains in and Mud. Includes most of Blue Mountain, another of the Park s top 100 peaks, and a stretch of the Northville-Placid Trail. the Little Great Range, some of the highest summits outside the High Peaks. Nearby is a rock-climbing cliff on Sugarloaf Mountain. of Finch Paper. The Nature Conservancy has agreed to supply wood fiber to the mill for the next 20 years. This will require logging to continue on some of the lands. Finch, Pruyn was the last of four commercial timberland owners holding more than 100,000 acres to sell all its lands in the past decade. All told, the prior deals encompassed about 520,000 acres, land that was added to the forever-wild Forest Preserve or protected by conservation easements that permit logging and public recreation but prohibit development. It s expected that most of the Finch land also will be Park s top 100 peaks. 7. Essex Chain of Lakes and long stretches of the added to the Preserve or protected by easements, though some may be sold for development. The final mix will be worked out over the next 18 months in negotiations between the conservancy and, among others, the state, local officials, environmental groups, and hunters that lease Finch land. Meantime, the lands are not open to the public. The Finch transaction was not the largest in terms of acreage. That would have been the 2004 deal with Inter- FINCH PRUYN, Page 38 Map by Nancy Bernstein September/October

2 Rare plants abound at OK Slip Falls, one of the state s highest cataracts. From Page 36 FINCH PRUYN national Paper brokered by the Conservation Fund, which preserved 276,000 acres, mostly through easements. Still, 161,000 acres is a lot of land, which is why Mike Carr suggested we see it from the air. Up there, you can get a true sense of the scope of this acquisition. And so on a sunny day in August, two other reporters and I find ourselves in a twin-engine Cessna piloted by Ben Eaby of Adirondack Flying Service. Also aboard are Carr, who acts as co-pilot, and two Nature Conservancy staffers, Connie Prickett and Gus Goodwin. Overview of the lands Starting in Glens Falls, we fly up the Hudson River to Blue Ledge, a limestone cliff that towers over the water. We then circle back to get a good look at OK Slip Falls, which drops 250 feet. It s one of the highest cascades in the state. Both Blue Ledge and the falls now belong to the conservancy, part of a large tract surrounded by the stateowned Hudson Gorge Primitive Area. Environmentalists regard them as scenic gems that should be added to the Forest Preserve. In 1990, the Commission on the Adirondacks in the 21st Century recommended that these and other Finch lands in the vicinity of the Hudson be incorporated into a proposed Wild Rivers Wilderness an idea that originated with the Adirondack Council (see Page 51). You have the confluence of the Hudson with four major rivers, John Sheehan, a council spokesman, said of the proposed Wilderness. It s unusual to find so many rivers coming together in one place. Together, they form a major recreational opportunity. And a lot of sections of these rivers haven t been seen by the public in a long time. We continue flying up the Hudson to its confluence with one of those tributaries, the Indian River. Thanks to the Finch deal, the land here also is owned by the conservancy, but it has been leased for a halfcentury to the Gooley Club. If the public were given access to this parcel, paddlers on the Hudson could take out before entering the gorge and its foaming rapids. It would open up 12 miles of the upper Hudson, between Newcomb and the gorge, to paddlers who can handle mild whitewater. It would be a doable day trip, assuming you did the shuttle early enough, the ADK s Neil Woodworth said. That would be a very nice trip, as long as you don t miss INSIDE One man s plan for 161,000 acres/ Page 45. The view from Boreas Mt./Page 51. The Wild Rivers Wilderness/Page 51. the take-out. Ideally, Woodworth said, the state would purchase the Gooley tract as well as Finch lands farther north along the Hudson. Then paddlers could camp out and enjoy a more leisurely trip down the river. The plane turns and heads southeast toward Indian Lake and the Little Great Range, the Adirondack Park s tallest mountains outside the High Peaks region. Soon we re flying through a deep green valley, several hundred feet below the summits of Snowy Mountain on the left and Panther and Buell mountains on the right. Finch, Pruyn owned this valley. In fact, its property line went over all three of these summits, which range in height from 3,786 to 3,899 feet. Woodworth and other preservationists believe these mountains should be added to the Preserve. That range deserves to be protected as much as the High Peaks, Woodworth said. There are ledges and viewpoints on some of those mountains. Maybe you leave it as a trailless bushwhacking experience; maybe you put a trail up to one of the ledges. In recent years, interest in the Little Great Range has grown as more hikers have joined the quest to climb the 100 highest peaks in the Adirondacks (see Page 69). If nothing else, the Finch deal could provide easier access to Panther and Buell via logging roads in the valley (Snowy has a public trail). Rounding Buell, the Cessna heads north toward Blue Mountain. On the way, we fly past a huge cliff on Sugarloaf Mountain, a few miles northeast of the Cedar River Flow. Even though the cliff was on Finch land, rock climbers occasionally scaled its clean slabs. One climber who visited the site described the cliff, in an online post, as 500 feet high and 1,000 feet wide. Jim Lawyer, who is writing a guidebook for Adirondack climbers (see Page 30), said he d like to see the cliff open to the public. Slab climbing is usually reserved for the higher mountains of the High Peaks, he noted in an . The slab climbing at Sugarloaf is unique in the southern section of the Adirondack Park. Its accessibility, long, clean sweeps of low-angle rock, moderate lines, and wilderness setting have long attracted climbers to the area. In a few minutes, we re passing Blue Mountain. To the west, on the far side of Route 30, we can see Minnow and Mud ponds, two large undeveloped ponds that had been in Finch hands. Salmon Pond, also owned by Finch, lies just north of Blue Mountain, not far from the Northville- Finch facts Following are some statistics about the Finch, Pruyn & Co. lands purchased by the Nature Conservancy. Acres: 161,000 Wetland acres: 15,900 Number of bogs: 13 Miles of river: 144 Lakes & ponds: 70 Mountains: 80+ Elevation: 1,300-3,900 ft. Placid Trail. Peter Bauer, executive director of the Residents Committee to Protect the Adirondacks, believes all three ponds should be acquired for the Forest Preserve. It s fishing, it s paddling, it s camping on relatively accessible, undeveloped waterbodies, he said. Mud and Minnow are a stone s throw from Route 30. Salmon Pond would be a real treat for people on the Northville-Placid Trail. Although the state owns the 3,759-foot summit of Blue, most of the mountain had been owned by Finch, Pruyn. Backcountry skiers sometimes descended Blue via an access road that crossed Finch land. Unless they had permission, they were trespassing. If the state purchases the slopes or acquires a recreational easement, skiers would have legal access to an exciting down-mountain run. Just past Blue, we can see the 3,580-foot summit of Dun Brook Mountain. Hikers in pursuit of the Hundred Highest had been stymied by Finch, Pruyn s refusal to let them climb Dun Brook. This could change if the state buys the mountain or an easement. A deal with the state might also improve access to nearby Fishing Brook Mountain, another of the Hundred Highest. Presently, the plane crosses NY 28N between Long Lake and Newcomb and circles over Pickwacket Pond, a large brook-trout pond on a tract that borders the High Peaks Wilderness. Nearby lies an extensive bog. The Pickwacket tract also provides access to three-mile-long Catlin Lake, which lies largely within the Huntington Wildlife Forest, managed by the State University College of Environmental Science and Forestry. Bauer argues that the state should purchase the Pickwacket tract as well as Finch lands on the south side of NY 28N in order to preserve the ecological connection between wild lands in the High Peaks Wilderness and the Blue Mountain Wild Forest. Now flying south, we cross the highway again and make a beeline for the Essex Chain of Lakes, eight blue gems of various sizes, strung out over four miles, all undeveloped except for a few hunting camps, also owned by the Gooley Club. The Essex Chain lies within a Finch tract that contains long stretches of the Hudson and Cedar rivers. It is an essential piece of the Wild Rivers Wilderness proposed by the Adirondack Council. Woodworth, who supports the council s idea, argues that the entire tract belongs in the Forest Preserve. That area has the potential to be the best and greatest Wilderness Area in the central Adirondacks, Woodworth said. He envisions backpackers hiking to the Essex Chain from the Northville-Placid Trail, located about five miles to the west. Turning north, we pass over the hamlet of Newcomb and pull alongside the east flank of Santanoni Peak, the state s 14th-highest mountain. We get a good gander at the Twin Slide, an enticing Y-shaped streak of bedrock that stretches almost to the summit. Until recently, most of the slide had been owned by Finch, Pruyn and off limits to hikers. In June, however, the Open Space Institute acquired this parcel in a land swap with the paper company and opened it to the public and within a few weeks hikers had climbed the slide. Yet the most direct approach to the slide remained on Finch land. It s now possible that this will be open to the public as well. 38 Adirondack EXPLORER

3 The future of the lands Boreas Ponds could become a premier backpacking destination in the High Peaks Wilderness. or habitats have been found. The conservancy is conducting an ecological assessment to identify other biologically significant sites. The findings will help determine which areas can be logged, which should remain off limits to the public and which should be added to the Forest Preserve. Carr said the main goals are to avoid fragmentation of the backcountry and to protect wetlands, quality forests, and rare plants and wildlife. Once the ecological assessment is done, the conservancy will sell the lands. Presumably, the state will buy much of the property. David Gibson, executive director of the Association for the Protection of the Adirondacks, said the state should be well-positioned to acquire Finch lands, noting that the state s annual land kitty will increase to $300 million in 2009 double what it was last year. I think the state has the money, it has the will, and it has the desire, he said. It has all the elements in place to move quickly when the time comes. Anyone will be allowed to submit bids on lands not sold to the state, but it is expected that timber investment management organizations (TIMOs, in industry parlance) will be the major players. Shortly after the Finch sale, in fact, four TIMOs approached the conservancy. Carr wouldn t identify the companies, but one is Lyme Timber, the largest private landowner in the Park. In two blockbuster deals in recent years, Lyme Timber acquired 360,000 acres in the region, all now protected by conservation easements. In 2005, Lyme worked with the In revealing the richness of the Finch lands, the flight underscored their enormous potential for public recreation. But how much of the land will be bought by the state? And how much of the land that stays in private hands will be open to the public? The answers will depend on ecological, economic and political considerations. Mike Carr points out that the Nature Conservancy exists to protect flora and fauna, not to provide public recreation even if the two often go hand in hand. Our mission is biodiversity conservation, he said, and in some cases that conflicts with public-recreation access. Take Blue Ledge and OK Slip Falls. Adirondack preservationists say they belong in the Forest Preserve. Yet Blue Ledge is home to 36 species of rare mosses. Likewise, OK Slip Falls harbors 22 hard-to-find species of mosses and liverworts. In fact, the ecologist Jerry Jenkins has said that the limestone outcrops in the Hudson Gorge and along the Cedar and Indian rivers may contain the largest concentration of rare and uncommon plants in the Park. Opening such places to the public might endanger the flora. The Little Great Range and Blue Mountain (and probably Boreas Mountain) are home to the Bicknell s thrush, a rare tropical songbird that breeds in the Adirondacks. Boreas Ponds supports the highest diversity and abundance of boreal bird species on the property, according to the conservancy. The Pickwacket Pond tract boasts more than 70 acres of sensitive bogs. And a stretch of the Branch River contains an alluvial silver-maple forest that is largely undisturbed. These are just some of the places where rare plants, birds From Santanoni, we turn southeast, flying over the wild Opalescent River, much of which had been in Finch hands, and pass beneath Allen Mountain. Then it comes into view, the Finch crown jewel: Boreas Ponds. These interconnected ponds (named after the Greek god of the North Wind) add up to one big lake, stretching for 1.5 miles, offering a superb vista of the High Peaks. Finch, Pruyn built a corporate retreat at the south end of the ponds, but otherwise they remain undeveloped. Woodworth and others argue that Boreas Ponds should be added to the High Peaks Wilderness (and the buildings torn down). Ecologically, the whole area belongs to the southern High Peaks, he said. Boreas Ponds has the potential to be a magnificent backpacking experience. A hike into a remote lake of that size is a treasured experience. He also would like to see a trail built from Boreas Ponds to the 3,776-foot summit of Boreas Mountain, another of the Hundred Highest peaks. Finch owned the western slopes of the mountain and half of the summit. There is a trail to the top from Elk Lake Lodge, but it is open only to the lodge s guests (see Page 51). Leaving the ponds, we fly close to Boreas Mountain, a massive hulk of green, and start back to Glens Falls. Three-mile-long Catlin Lake touches on and drains into Nature Conservancy Lands. Nature Conservancy to buy 84,000 acres owned by Domtar Industries. It later purchased 276,000 acres that had been owned by International Paper. Peter Stein, one of Lyme s general partners, told the Explorer that his company is interested in buying the available Finch lands from the conservancy. In an earlier interview, in 2006, he said he believed that half of the Finch lands including those near the High Peaks should be added to the Forest Preserve. If Lyme were to buy the rest, it would own about 440,000 acres, roughly one-seventh of the Park s private land. The conservancy wants to sell the land as soon as possible, Carr said, but that probably won t happen for more than a year. Meantime, the nonprofit organization is saddled with a huge debt. It borrowed the entire $110 million used for the purchase, including $25 million from the Open Space Conservancy, an arm of the Open Space Institute. The annual debt service will be several million dollars. In addition, the taxes on the property exceed $1 million a year. The Nature Conservancy expects to collect roughly the same amount from hunting clubs and others who lease the lands. The conservancy plans to extend the leases at least until the fall of And after that? We might renew some of them, Carr said, and some of them we may not, depending on what the ecological assessment tells us. The conservancy hopes to raise tens of millions of dollars to help pay for the deal. We ve taken a giant leap of faith, financially, that people will rally around this project, Carr said. Carr also faces an enormous challenge perhaps an impossible one in getting the many stakeholders to agree on what to do with the land. Finch owned property in 31 towns and six counties. In addition, it leased 131,000 of its 161,000 acres. Local politicians and the leaseholders are likely to disagree with environmentalists over how much land should be added to the Preserve. Although Finch land is scattered throughout (and a little beyond) the Park, the vast majority of it lies in five towns: Newcomb, Indian Lake, North Hudson, Long Lake and Minerva. Supervisors in the five towns would not like to see the state gobble up the lion s share of the holdings. The logging industry is still an important part of our economy, said Long Lake Supervisor Gregg Wallace. It should remain working land. All the local government officials I ve talked with are apprehensive of it becoming state forest. Newcomb Supervisor George Canon argues that the state already owns too much land in the Adirondacks, hindering development and hurting the economy. I m opposed to more land in the Forest Preserve, wherever it is, he said. Where does it stop? The supervisors also want the hunting camps to stay FINCH PRUYN, Page 50 September/October

4 Philanthropists wanted The Nature Conservancy borrowed $110 million to buy the 161,000 acres owned Finch, Pruyn & Co. It was the most expensive private land deal in the history of the Adirondack Park. Much of the money will be recovered if the group sells the lands to the state, timber companies or others. However, the conservancy still needs to raise tens of millions of dollars to finance the massive land-protection deal. If you d like to contribute, contact Nancy Van Wie, director of philanthropy at the conservancy s Adirondack chapter office in Keene Valley: Telephone: (518) (ext. 139). nvanwie@tnc.org. The Nature Conservancy now owns a scenic stretch of the Hudson Gorge. something that would not be allowed on lands added to the Preserve. Indian Lake Supervisor Barry Hutchins said the hunters who lease the camps pump dollars into the community. Canon, who belongs to the Gooley Club, sees the sportsmen s clubs as part of the regional culture. They are part of the Adirondack fabric, he said. The clubs have been around a long time. Environmental activists, on the other hand, would like the state to buy a large portion of the Finch land, including property leased by hunting clubs. I would say 75,000 to 100,000 acres really ought to be Forest Preserve, said George Davis, who served as executive director of the state Commission on the Adirondacks in the 21st Century. Davis said the obvious acquisitions include the Hudson Gorge, Boreas Ponds and Essex Chain of Lakes region. The lands I m worried about are the ones that are not so obvious, he said, referring to ecologically significant sites that might get overlooked. The RCPA s Peter Bauer argues that 75,000 acres belongs in the Preserve (see Page 45). John Sheehan said the Adirondack Council puts the figure at 40,000 to 50,000 acres. David Gibson said tens of thousands of acres should go into the Preserve. Fifty thousand acres is not unreasonable, and it may go higher, he said. Environmentalists want nearly all of the rest kept as working timberlands, protected by easements that prohibit development and mandate environmentally responsible forestry. However, they say they would not object if the conservancy allowed some Finch lands near hamlets to be developed a concession to local politicians and state Sen. Betty Little, who contend that Adirondack communities need room to grow. Little praised the conservancy for allowing logging to continue, renewing the leases of the hunt clubs and paying property taxes. She is worried, however, that all the land might be put off limits to development. That s 161,000 acres that will never have a home, people with children going to school, she said. Connie Prickett, a conservancy spokeswoman, said a small amount of land not deemed conservation worthy could be developed. She mentioned, for example, a farmhouse in Newcomb that came with the Finch property. Out of 161,000 acres, maybe 1% could be sold for development, she said. She added that the rest, if not sold to the state, will be protected by easements. The towns will have a fair amount of clout during the negotiations. Since 1993, they have had the authority to veto state land deals financed by the Environmental Protection Fund, the usual source of money for land purchases. The state can get around the veto by using other funds, but Environmental Conservation Commissioner Pete Grannis has said he will not go that route. Adirondack 50 EXPLORER From Page 39 FINCH PRUYN Much of the Little Great Range west of Indian Lake had been in the hands of Finch, Pruyn. The state legislature exempted a number of coveted properties, including the Hudson Gorge, when it gave municipalities the local veto. At Finch, Pruyn s urging, the gorge was later removed from the exempt list. Which list should be followed, the original or amended one, could become a matter of debate. No other Finch lands were on the exempt list, meaning that the towns could block or at least hinder the state s acquisition of some of the most desirable lands in the No Trespassing! The Finch, Pruyn lands, though purchased by the Nature Conservancy, remain closed to the public. Over the next 12 to 18 months, the conservancy plans to conduct an ecological survey that will determine the future use of the property.afterward, most of the lands probably will be sold to the state and timber companies, opening the door to some public recreation. About 131,000 of the 161,000 acres are leased to hunting clubs and others. The lessees have exclusive use of these lands.their leases will be renewed for at least a year. In some places, however, there are public trails across the former Finch lands, such as a section of the NorthvillePlacid Trail near Blue Mountain. Park. But no one is wishing for such an outcome. I hope we don t have to come to any vetoes at all, said Supervisor Hutchins. I hope the state as well as the Nature Conservancy will listen to all sides on the issues. Despite all the uncertainties, environmentalists are thrilled that these lands are in the hands of the conservancy. It s fantastic, George Davis said. I always said if the state ever bought Finch, Pruyn, the environmentalists would never have to worry about the Park from a Forest Preserve perspective. Finch, Pruyn had been viewed as hostile toward state acquisition. Unlike other major timber companies, it had not sold easements on its lands. Fears that the company would subdivide its property for development were fueled three years ago when it sold 4,900 acres near the High Peaks to a family from out of state. In fact, Finch, Pruyn apparently had no intention of selling its lands when it put the Glens Falls mill on the market last year. Atlas Holdings submitted one of the bids for the mill. Because it wasn t the high bid, Atlas came back with a proposal to buy the lands as well, according to Joe Martens, executive director of the Open Space Institute. Atlas then worked out an arrangement to sell the land to the conservancy. When the deal was made public, wilderness lovers breathed a huge sigh of relief. They almost crashed the Nature Conservancy Web site in their rush to read the news. This is history we re making, Mike Carr said. We ll never again have this opportunity.

5 You could own this view BY PHIL BROWN EXPLORER STAFF Iprobably shouldn t tell you this, but Boreas Mountain has great views. The main summit ledge looks east toward Elk Lake, the Dix Range and, in the distance, the Green Mountains. Another rock outcrop affords a spectacular vista of the entire Great Range. And if you look around you can find a view toward Boreas Ponds and the western High Peaks. The rub is that Boreas Mountain is off limits to the general public. That could change if the state buys the western slopes of the 3,776-foot peak. For now, the only trail to the summit is on the property of Elk Lake Lodge, and its use is restricted to the lodge s guests (I was granted permission to hike it for this story). The lodge owns the eastern side of the mountain, while Finch, Pruyn & Co. had owned the western side. The property line follows the summit ridge. In June, the Nature Conservancy bought all of Finch, Pruyn s land, raising hopes that Boreas Mountain and Boreas Ponds eventually will be sold to the state. If that happens, Neil Woodworth would like a trail built from the ponds to the summit. If the state acquires that tract, people are going to want to get to the top of that mountain, said Woodworth, executive director of the Adirondack Mountain Club (ADK), which represents thousands of hikers. Woodworth noted that more and more hikers are climbing the Park s 100 highest peaks (Boreas is No. 65). Without a trail, he said, bushwhackers are likely to create a herd path straight up the mountain. Such paths often are steep and prone to erosion. It makes a lot more sense to build a trail with switchbacks that doesn t go right up the fall line, he said. Elk Lake Lodge manager Mike Sheridan told me to expect killer views on Boreas, so my expectations were pretty high as I set out on the 4.6-mile trek to the summit. Elk Lake, Nippletop (left) and the Dix Range seen from Boreas Mountain. Nevertheless, I was wowed when I emerged from the balsam-fir forest onto an open ledge that afforded me a new perspective on the High Peaks. To the northeast were Blake Peak, Mount Colvin and Nippletop. Farther east, sighted through Hunters Pass, was Giant with all its slides. Then came Dix, Hough, South Dix and Macomb. Also clearly visible were Sunrise Mountain (reached by another of the lodge s trails) and the many rocky peaks east of the Niagara Brook valley. The distinctive profile of Camel s Hump in Vermont also could be seen. A second lookout to the north provided a view of the Great Range, from Lower Wolf Jaw to Mount Marcy, in addition to the High Peaks visible from the first ledge. Also entering the picture were Sawteeth, Skylight, Redfield, Allen and Adams. I also found, just below the summit, a short path leading west to a view of Boreas Ponds, the North River Mountains, the Santanoni Range and the Sewards. All told, more than half of the High Peaks can be seen from Boreas. Woodworth envisions people camping on Boreas Ponds and hiking up the mountain as a day trip. The three interconnected ponds, which extend for 1.5 miles, have a magnificent view of the High Peaks from the south. Except for a corporate retreat, they are undeveloped. Woodworth wants the state to purchase the ponds and tear down the buildings. He says the walk from the road to the ponds should be long, perhaps six or seven miles, to lend the place a feeling of remote wilderness. Access to Boreas Ponds is via a dirt road from the south. If the state bought the ponds, it could allow the road to revert to a hiking path. Other trails could be built to connect the ponds to the trails in the High Peaks Wilderness, Woodworth said. Photo by Phil Brown A wild idea, now within reach When George Davis proposed creating a 72,480-acre Wild Rivers Wilderness in the central Adirondacks in 1990, it seemed a little like pie in the sky. Finch, Pruyn & Co. owned most of the private land inside the proposed Wilderness Area and had no intention of selling to the state. Seventeen years later, the idea does not seem so far-fetched. The Adirondack Nature Conservancy s purchase of all of Finch, Pruyn s lands this past June raises the possibility that the Wild Rivers parcels will be added to the state Forest Preserve. If so, most of the Wild Rivers Wilderness would be in state hands. The Finch parcels include Blue Ledge in the Hudson Gorge, the 250-foot OK Slip Falls, the confluence of the Hudson and Indian rivers, and a large tract that encompasses the Essex Chain of Lakes, numerous ponds and long stretches of the Hudson and Cedar rivers. Still missing would be a large tract owned by the Northwoods Club and a few small parcels. But Brian Houseal, executive director of the Adirondack Council, said the state could designate a Wilderness Area without those lands. Neil Woodworth, executive director of the Adirondack Mountain Club (ADK), said the Wild Rivers Wilderness, even in its smaller version, would become a premier destination for hikers, paddlers, fishermen and others. For example, he envisions backpackers trekking through the wilderness to the Essex Chain and paddlers putting in at Newcomb for a 12-mile trip down the Hudson. Five major rivers come together in the region: the Hudson, Indian, Cedar, Boreas and Rock. If the state purchases the confluence of the Hudson and Indian, paddlers will be able to take out before reaching the frothing whitewater of the Hudson Gorge. If the state also buys the Finch lands farther north along the Hudson, paddlers could camp along the river. Woodworth said this stretch of the upper Hudson reminds him of rivers in northern Ontario. It has that sense of remoteness, he said. Those who don t want the heavy whitewater of the Hudson Gorge could have an easier but still scenic experience. Here s how Alec Proskine described the Blackwell Stillwater on the upper Hudson in Adirondack Canoe Waters: South and West Flow: Here you may see some of the wildlife that lives in the area: deer, otter, beaver, mink and muskrats. Look back up the river to view the High Peaks. It s by no means certain that the state will purchase all the Finch lands within the proposed Wilderness Area. Most of the lands lie in the town of Newcomb, whose supervisor, George Canon, opposes expanding the public Forest Preserve. Moreover, Canon belongs to a hunting club that leases Finch land around the Essex Chain of Lakes. If the state bought the Essex Chain, the club would have to disband or move. Supervisors in other towns also might raise objections to state acquisition. Under state law, towns have the right to veto state land deals financed by the Environmental Protection Fund, the usual source of cash for acquisitions. George Davis proposed the Wild Rivers Wilderness, in the second of four 20/20 Vision reports of the Adirondack Council (see Page 58). At the time, the state already owned more than 45,000 acres in the region. About 27,000 acres were privately owned, most by Finch, Pruyn (see map, Page 36). The state Commission on the Adirondacks in the 21st Century, which Davis served as executive director, later endorsed the Wild Rivers proposal. Phil Brown September/October