Environment DEC
From the August 2004 issue
McKenzie Mountain Wilderness Unit Management Plan To be Developed
DEC is developing a Unit Management Plan (UMP) for the 36,200-acre McKenzie Mountain Wilderness in western Essex County. The McKenzie Mountain Wilderness includes State Forest Preserve lands in the Towns of North Elba, St. Armand and Wilmington. The area is known for hiking trails on McKenzie, Moose and Haystack mountains, hunting, camping and fishing the brook trout streams and interior border waters and camping on their shores.
Upcoming Public Meeting
A public meeting will be held on Wednesday, August 4, from 6:00 to 9:00 PM at the DEC Region 5 headquarters in Ray Brook. The meeting allows the public to meet with DEC staff and share their thoughts, ideas, and suggestions regarding management of state lands in this unit. Some issues to be considered during development of the UMP include the illegal use of mountain bikes, access from the north, and trail access from the shores of Lake Placid.
An UMP must be completed before significant new recreational facilities, such as trails, camping sites, and parking areas can be built. The plan covers management actions to be implemented over a five-year period. Possible adverse impacts resulting from the implementation of the UMP may include temporary and minor erosion, increased hiking traffic in certain areas and minor noise impacts during construction of new facilities.
Wilderness Location
The McKenzie Mountain Wilderness is bordered on the north by the Saranac River, the Franklin Falls Reservoir, and the Wilmington-Franklin Falls Road; on the east by Whiteface Mountain Memorial Highway, the Whiteface Mountain Ski Center and the West Branch of the Ausable River; on the south by Lake Placid and Route 86; and on the west by the Saranac River and Moose Pond.
Moose Mountain
The area's major natural features are McKenzie Mountain, Moose Mountain and the western slopes of Whiteface Mountain. The Saranac and Ausable rivers, Moose and McKenzie Ponds, Lake Placid and the Franklin Falls Reservoir are large boundary waters, but the area also includes small interior waters such as Bartlett Pond, Loch Bonnie and Lincoln and French brooks.
Any interested individual or organization wishing to be included on a mailing list for information about the development of the UMP or wishing to submit comments should contact: Supervising Forester Kris Alberga, NYSDEC, PO Box 296, Ray Brook, NY 12977-0296, or call (518) 897-1291. You may also e-mail your comments.
