Printer-friendlyEnvironment DEC
From the September 2007 issue
DEC Completes Easement Purchase of Rayonier Lands
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Pete Grannis announced that the state has closed on a $6.6 million deal to acquire conservation easements on 51,950 acres of forest lands in St. Lawrence County. "This agreement protects this property as open space, providing public recreation access for a range of activities. At the same time, it allows the continued, sustainable use of the forest resources," Grannis said.
Sustainable forestry will continue
The deal covers land owned by Rayonier, LLC in the towns of Colton, Clifton and Clare. The easement will open access to these lands for snowmobiling, hiking, fishing, canoeing/kayaking and camping, including access to the north and middle branches of the Grasse River.
The Trust for Public Land (TPL) helped to negotiate the easement, under which Rayonier will continue to practice sustainable forestry and provide private recreational leases, but subdivision of the lands will be limited.
Benefits to the Public
The public will gain access to Blue Mountain Stream and more than 26 miles of the Grasse River corridor along a 200-foot buffer on both banks. New York also acquired public fishing rights on nearly 16 miles of Grasse River tributaries, including Gulf Brook, Alder Brook, Bear Creek, Pleasant Lake and Stream and Stony Brook. In addition, the public will have access to several travel corridors on the property, and more than 90 miles of existing snowmobile trails will be permanently secured for public use.
Public use in the river buffer areas and on designated roads and trails will be from December 16 through September 30 annually. During the period of October 1 to December 15, the landowner has reserved recreation rights to the land with two exceptions: access to Blue Mountain would continue through October 10 annually, and there would be year-round use of a road into the Stone Dam Forest Preserve parcel adjacent to this property.
Parking areas, camping sites and other access facilities are expected to be built in the summer of 2008. Best access to the area currently and early next year is from Dean Road, which is a town road.
