Environment DEC
From the June 2004 issue
DEC Prepares Management Plan for West Canada Lakes Wilderness Area
Many lakes and ponds are scattered
throughout the West Canada Lakes
Wilderness Area
The West Canada Lakes Wilderness Area, located in the southwestern Adirondack Park, is scheduled for a unit management plan (UMP). The wilderness area represents about 168,920 acres of State Forest Preserve lands in the towns of Arietta, Indian Lake, Lake Pleasant and Morehouse in Hamilton County and the Town of Ohio in Herkimer County.
Public Meetings in June
Two public meetings will be held on the UMP. The first will be Tuesday, June 22, from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM at the Community Center in Piseco Lake. The second will be Wednesday, June 23, from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM at the Town Hall in Inlet. The meetings are a chance for the public to meet with DEC staff and give input regarding land management, but are only the first of many opportunities for involvement.
A Watery Wilderness
The Wilderness Area's major attribute is its many lakes and ponds, including Spruce Lake, Whitney Lake, the Cedar Lakes and the West Canada Lakes. The unit's terrain ranges from swamp flats and rolling hills to steep mountains such as Panther, Lewey and Fort Noble. The peaks of Pillsbury and Snowy Mountains lie just outside the area, but views from their fire towers take in the West Canada Lakes Wilderness Area. About 28 miles of the famed Northville-Placid trail pass through the wilderness. Hiking and hunting are popular activities, and the area is well known for its native brook trout fishing.
The 2,935-acre West Canada Mountain Primitive Area is the largest of the three primitive areas included in the UMP. Located in the Town of Morehouse on the western side of the unit, it is bordered on three sides by private lands. Buell Brook Primitive Area is located in the Town of Indian Lake in the northeastern portion of the unit and the Wilmurt Club Road Primitive Area is located in the Town of Morehouse in the southern portion of the unit. Both are road corridors that provide access to private holdings.
The West Canada Lakes Wilderness contains few designated trails, thus providing some of the most remote lands and waters in the Adirondacks. Maintaining remoteness will be evaluated against the desire for more public access. Other issues include the identification of appropriate recreational opportunities, future status of the Cedar Lakes Dam, management and protection of the wilderness fishery resource, and the location of possible additional trails, including a portion of the North Country Scenic Trail.
Unit Management Plan
A UMP must be completed before significant new recreational facilities, such as trails, campsites and parking areas are built. The planning process culminates in a series of management actions to be implemented over a five-year period. Possible adverse impacts from the UMP may include temporary minor erosion, increased hiking traffic in certain areas and minor noise impacts during construction of new facilities.
DEC has primary responsibility for developing UMPs for each Forest Preserve unit, as identified under the Adirondack State Lands Master Plan (APSLMP). The APSLMP guides the Adirondack Park Agency (APA) in developing classifications for Forest Preserve lands in the Adirondack Park as Wild Forest, Primitive, Canoe or Wilderness, which define the uses allowed. The APSLMP places further management guidelines on allowable uses and these guidelines define the basis for developing plans for each Forest Preserve unit.
In the Adirondacks, UMPs are developed by DEC in consultation with the Adirondack Park Agency, who ensures that the plans are consistent with the APSLMP. Upon completion of the inventory of natural resources, analysis of recreational use and review of public comments, a draft plan will be prepared. Once the draft plans are published, they are widely distributed for public review and comment and a public meeting is scheduled. Typically, the planning process takes about two years.
Contact Us
Public involvement is essential to a sound, viable UMP. Any person or group wanting to be included on a mailing list for information about the development of the UMP or wishing to submit comments should contact Senior Forester Eric J. Kasza, NYSDEC, 225 North Main Street, Herkimer, New York, 13350, or call (315) 866-6330.
