Proposed Backcountry Area Definition and Guidelines

Proposed Backcountry Area Definition and Guidelines

Proposed Backcountry Area Definition and Guidelines A Backcountry Area is proposed as a section of state land where the size and quality of the landscape will inspire the visitor to explore and appreciate the wild heritage of the Forest Preserve in a semi-primitive setting. Backcountry Areas may exhibit many of the same characteristics as Wilderness, including a natural appearance where the works of man are minimally apparent, and they will provide opportunities for solitude or a primitive and unconfined type of recreation; but they will be places where existing features and facilities resulting from prior human activities make possible a broader range of muscle-powered recreation. A Backcountry Area is further defined as an area of state land and water that (1) consists of at least ten thousand acres of contiguous land and water, or is of sufficient size and character as to make practicable its preservation and use in an unimpaired condition; (2) shall be generally free of motorized forms of access, except in limited circumstances as prescribed below; (3) may contain structures and facilities associated with the history of Forest Preserve management and stewardship; and (4) may also contain ecological, geological or other features of scientific, educational, scenic or historical value. Guidelines for recreation activities: All activities that conform to Wilderness guidelines will also be permitted in Backcountry Areas. Muscle-powered forms of mechanical transport, including all-terrain bicycles, wagons, and pushcarts may be used on appropriate trails and ways; except that additional devices not contemplated by this master plan should first be reviewed by the APA for conformance with Backcountry guidelines and authorized for public use by an approved DEC management plan. Group camping may be allowed at specially designated facilities, under permit by DEC. Group day use may be allowed on specific routes and waterways, under permit by DEC. Guidelines for structures & facilities: All structures and facilities that conform to Wilderness guidelines will also be permitted in Backcountry Areas. Fire towers and their associated structures, including observer cabins, may be retained for their recreational and historical value; provided that such structures occupy the same locations as they did in 1972, and that they remain in a suitable condition for recreational access or historical interpretation, unimpaired with electrical equipment or other features not associated with their historical uses, public safety, or structural stability. Existing structures may be repaired, but destroyed or removed structures shall not be replaced. Trails may be designated for the use of all-terrain bicycles, or other forms of muscle-powered mechanical transport as approved above. Small groupings of primitive tent sites designed to accommodate a maximum of 20 people per grouping under group camping conditions may be provided at carefully selected locations in Backcountry Areas, even though each individual site may be within sight or sound and less than approximately one-quarter mile from any other site within such grouping, subject to the following criteria: (1) such groupings will only be established or maintained on a site-specific basis in conformity with a duly adopted unit management plan for the Backcountry Area in question; (2) such groupings will be widely dispersed (generally a mile apart) and located in a manner that will blend with the surrounding environment and have a minimum impact on the semi-primitive character and natural resource quality of the area; (3) all new, reconstructed or relocated tent sites in such groupings will be set back a minimum of 100 feet from the mean high water mark of lakes, ponds, rivers and major streams and will be located so as to be reasonably screened from the water body to avoid intruding on the natural character of the shoreline and the public enjoyment and use thereof. All management and administrative actions and interior facilities in Backcountry Areas will be designed to emphasize the self-sufficiency of the user to assume a high degree of responsibility for environmentally sound use of such areas and for his or her own health, safety and welfare. Motorized access Motorized access (including trucks, automobiles, snowmobiles, trail groomers, all-terrain vehicles, off-highway vehicles, motorboats, airplanes, helicopters, and motorized bikes) shall be permitted under the same guidelines allowed in Wilderness. For waterways subject to riparian rights held by entities other than the State of New York, the use of motorized vessels, including boats and floatplanes, shall be allowed as appropriate to the location; except that at waterways where the riparian rights are owned by private entities, public motorized use and access will not be permitted. Truck trails designated and regularly used by DEC prior to the Backcountry designation shall be retained as long as their use by administrative personnel is required for a specific and ongoing DEC program; but no new truck trails will be designated, and discontinued truck trails shall be closed or reclassified as recreational trails. 2

Applying the Backcountry Designation to the Essex Chain and Hudson Gorge The accompanying maps outline the new and existing state lands in the Essex Chain and Hudson Gorge region that could qualify for a Backcountry Area designation. This is a contiguous geographic region that would provide ample space for a variety of backcountry recreational activities, including hiking, hunting, cross-country skiing, paddling, whitewater rafting, all-terrain bicycling, camping, horseback riding, rock climbing, and limited floatplane access. This designation would incorporate nearly all of the Essex Chain, Indian River, and OK Slip tracts; portions of the Blue Mountain and Vanderwhacker Mountain Wild Forests; and all of the Hudson Gorge Primitive Area. The estimated size of the area is 69,000 acres. The promotion of these lands to Backcountry would result in an increased level of protection for this part of the Forest Preserve. In addition to the major features of the Essex Chain and the Hudson Gorge, the area would also preserve several open summits, caves, unique ecological environments, and many miles of rivers. The name Six Rivers Backcountry Area is suggested for this unit, reflecting the area s significance as the confluence of the Hudson, Goodnow, West Branch Goodnow, Rock, Cedar, and Indian rivers. The boundaries of the proposed Six Rivers Backcountry Area have been drafted so as not to disrupt existing snowmobile usage between the communities of Indian Lake, Blue Mountain Lake, Newcomb, and Minerva. To address opportunities for motorized recreational access to the unit, I am suggesting that non-backcountry keyhole exceptions be designated at selected peripheral sites. This is a new concept that will direct motorized access to locations where such use cannot be avoided, including ways encumbered by private ROWs. This Map 1: Overview of the proposed Six Rivers Backcountry Area method obviates the need for Primitive Corridors and allows the preservation of a core motorless area. I have identified four such keyholes adjacent to the Six Rivers Backcountry Area: OK Slip access road: Upon acquisition of the OK Slip parcel, the Northern Frontier camp will become a private inholding accessed by a winding gravel road. Since this road cannot be closed and added to the Backcountry Area, I am proposing that it become an opportunity for public motorized recreation. Rather than becoming a Primitive Corridor subject to an eventual reclassification, a small Wild Forest zone should be designated to allow camping, hunting, and motor vehicle access to interior trailheads. Gooley Steps: There seems to be a strong desire for motorized access to the confluence of the Hudson and Indian rivers. Because this will likely become a hub of activity for commercial whitewater services, with large groups of people arriving and departing, I am proposing that this be classified as an Intensive Use Area. This would allow the installation of facilities capable of supporting larger groups of visitors, including picnic and improved camping areas that would otherwise be non-conforming with Backcountry guidelines. This Intensive Use Area would be intended to draw larger groups away from more sensitive Backcountry locations. However, this 3

proposal does need to be weighed against the fact that this part of the Hudson is a designated Wild River, which may actually prevent all motorized access and improvements (see discussion below). Northwoods Club Road: This is a public highway that penetrates the eastern side of the proposed Backcountry Area, with existing roadside campsites and one established trailhead. The road should not be considered part of the Backcountry Area or proposed for eventual closure; instead a buffer of Wild Forest extending perhaps 500-1000 feet on both sides of the road should be considered to ensure that existing uses can continue. West Branch Goodnow River: A small exception is proposed near this river, on the northwestern boundary of the Backcountry Area. The public should be allowed to drive westward from the Goodnow Flow area on a forestry road parallel to the West Branch. This road is the boundary between Forest Preserve and conservation easement lands. The keyhole area would be a small patch of Wild Forest located where the side road to Deer Pond crosses the West Branch. Aerial photographs suggest that there is a large clearing in this vicinity that could serve as a trailhead parking area. The continuing road to Deer Pond would be redesignated as a multi-use trail and become the primary access route to the Essex Chain of Lakes. Relationship with Wild River areas The above guidelines do conflict with provisions in environmental conservation law and the SLMP regarding Wild River areas. Rivers are so-designated by statute, and the state-owned portions of their shorelines fall under special SLMP guidelines that are additional to any underlying land classification. These corridors extend a minimum of 0.25 mile from either side of the river, and per the SLMP must be managed as Wilderness. Wild River guidelines specifically consider only foot trails, horse trails, bridges, and primitive campsites as conforming facilities. Bicycle trails, group campsites, and the intensive use facilities contemplated above do not fit into this management scheme. Map 2: Existing Wild, Scenic, and Recreational Rivers in the Six Rivers Backcountry Area Admittedly, this would complicate the designation of the Six Rivers Backcountry Area since long portions of the Cedar River and Hudson River are designated by state law as Wild, and per the SLMP these corridors must be managed as though they were Wilderness, to the extent that allowable facilities and forms of access are concerned. Per the statute, Wild River areas should be inaccessible to the general public except by water, foot or horse trail, and exceptions can only be permitted where a physical barrier exists which effectively screens the sight and sound of motor vehicles. Further: Limited existing exceptions to the criteria will not automatically exclude rivers from designation. Rather, the river area shall be examined as a whole with its overall worthiness for inclusion being the deciding factor. These provisions seem to prevent proposals to establish a whitewater ingress/egress point with direct motor vehicle access on the Hudson near the Gooley Club, since such a facility was not existing at the time the river was designated. 4

This scene of Blue Ledges on the Hudson River illustrates how the Finch Pruyn land purchases will intermesh with existing parcels of state land. This should be reflected in a management plan that views the landscape as a comprehensive whole, not as a jigsaw puzzle. The nearest point allowed for such an improvement would be on the Indian River upstream from the Gooley Steps, which would only be suitable for groups entering the river. Paddlers seeking to exit the Hudson River at the Gooley Club would need to carry their craft to the nearest road, which could extend no closer than the boundary of the Wild River area. Bicycle use of the closed portion of the road where it passes near the Hudson would also be non-conforming. It might be interesting to discuss the degree to which the Wild River designation is appropriate to the Hudson, given that this section is subject to artificial stream-flow control by upstream dams. The river might be better served if reclassified as a Scenic River, which would remove all of the above limitations. Of course, any such change in the river s status would require an act by the state legislature. Perhaps a substitute river could be identified for Wild River protection to offset any perceived loss of status on the Hudson. Potential Backcountry Areas Elsewhere in the Adirondacks This is not intended to be a one-off designation like the St. Regis Canoe Area. If designed right, Backcountry can be a useful new management option for a variety of areas elsewhere in the Adirondack Park. Obviously a largescale reclassification package would be a significant and controversial undertaking, but in my opinion the following management units would be better served as Backcountry: St. Regis Canoe Area (reclassified as St. Regis Backcountry Area) Hurricane Mountain Wilderness (reclassified as Hurricane Mountain Backcountry Area, including the fire tower) William C Whitney Wilderness (reclassified as William C Whitney Backcountry Area) Round Lake Wilderness (perhaps expanded northward to NY 421 and reclassified as Bog River Backcountry Area) Tongue Mountain Range section of the Lake George Wild Forest (reclassified as Tongue Mountain Backcountry Area) Shiras Pond section of the Wilcox Lake Wild Forest (exact designation pending final configuration of the local snowmobile trail network) Big Alderbed section of the Ferris Lake Wild Forest (exact designation pending final configuration of the local snowmobile trail network) 5

The Proposed Six Rivers Backcountry Area Suggested Public Trailhead & Main Access Point for Essex Chain Boundary follows existing snowmobile trail Keyhole opportunities for motorized access to strategic locations Suggested Wild Forest buffer along Northwoods Club Road 6