New York's Forest Preserve

These public lands include 2.7 million acres in the Adirondack Forest Preserve and 288,000 acres within the Catskill Forest Preserve. Forest Preserve lands represent a majority of all state owned property within the Adirondack and Catskill Parks. These Preserve lands are protected as "forever wild" by Article XIV of the New York State Constitution.

Adirondack Park Map:

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Catskill Park Map:

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Adirondack Forest Preserve Land Classifications

Wilderness

A wilderness area, in contrast with those areas where man and his own works dominate the landscape, is an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man - where man himself is a visitor who does not remain. A wilderness area is further defined to mean an area of state land or water having a primeval character, without significant improvement or protected and managed so as to preserve, enhance and restore, where necessary, its natural conditions, and which

generally appears to have been affected primarily by the forces of nature, with the imprint of man's work substantially unnoticeable;
has outstanding opportunities for solitude or a primitive and unconfined type of recreation;
has 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; and
may also contain ecological, geological or other features of scientific, educational, scenic or historical value.

Wild Forest

A wild forest area is an area where the resources permit a somewhat higher degree of human use than in wilderness, primitive or canoe areas, while retaining an essentially wild character. A wild forest area is further defined as an area that frequently lacks the sense of remoteness of wilderness, primitive or canoe areas and that permits a wide variety of outdoor recreation.

Primitive

A primitive area of land or water that is either:

Essentially wilderness in character, but
1. contains structures, improvements, or uses that are inconsistent with wilderness, as defined, and whose removal, though a long term objective, cannot be provided for by a fixed deadline; and/or
2. contains, or is contiguous to, private lands that are of a size and influence to prevent wilderness designation; or,
Of a size and character not meeting wilderness standards, but where the fragility of the resource or other factors require wilderness management.

Canoe

A canoe area is an area where the watercourses or the number and proximity of lakes and ponds make possible a remote and unconfined type of water-oriented recreation in an essentially wilderness setting. The terrain associated with parcels meeting the above definition is generally ideally suited to ski touring and snowshoeing in the winter months.

Intensive Use

An intensive use area is an area where the state provides facilities for intensive forms of outdoor recreation by the public. Two types of intensive use areas are defined by this plan: campground and day use areas.

These areas provide overnight accommodations or day use facilities for a significant number of visitors to the Park and often function as a base for use of wild forest, wilderness, primitive and canoe areas.

Historic

Historic areas are locations of buildings, structures or sites owned by the state (other than the Adirondack Forest Preserve itself) that are significant in the history, architecture, archaeology or culture of the Adirondack Park, the state or the nation; that fall into one of the following categories:

state historic sites;
properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places;
properties recommended for nomination by the Committee on Registers of the New York State Board for Historic Preservation; and that are of a scale, character and location appropriate for designation as an historic area under this master plan and the state has committed resources to manage such areas primarily for historic objectives.

Wild, Scenic, and Recreational Rivers

A wild river is a river or section of river that is free of diversions and impoundments, inaccessible to the general public except by water, foot or horse trail, and with a river area primitive in nature and free of any man-made development except foot bridges.

A scenic river is a river or section of river that I free of diversions or impoundments except for log jams, with limited road access and with a river area largely primitive and undeveloped, or that is partially or predominantly used for agriculture, forest management and other dispersed human activities that do not substantially interfere with public use and enjoyment of the river and its shore.

A recreational river is a river or section of river that is readily accessible by road or railroad, that may have development in the river area that may have undergone some diversion or impoundment in the past.

Travel Corridors

A travel corridor is that strip of land constituting the roadbed and right-of-way for state and interstate highways in the Adirondack Park, the Remsen to Lake Placid railroad right of way, and those state lands immediately adjacent to and visible from these facilities.

State Administrative Areas

State administrative areas are areas where the state provides facilities for a variety of specific state purposes that are not primarily designed to accommodate visitors to the Park.

This category, like the travel corridor category with which it is closely associated, contains a wide variety of developed areas related directly to the activities of many state agencies. It includes the administrative offices of the Department of Environmental Conservation, Division of State Police and Adirondack Park Agency itself as well as the Department of Environmental Conservation fish hatcheries, Department of Transportation offices and maintenance and storage sites, the Atmospheric Science and Research Center at Whiteface Mountain, the Sunmount Developmental Center, the Adirondack Correctional Facility, the Dannemora Correctional Facility, Lyon Mountain Correctional Facility, Camp Gabriels and several sewage treatment plants operated by the Environmental Facilities Corporation. All of these facilities are in close proximity to public highways and are generally in developed areas of the Park.

Source: Adirondack Park State Land Master Plan. Published by the Adirondack Park Agency - November 1987. Updated June 2001.

Catskill Forest Preserve Land Classifications

Wilderness

A wilderness area, in contrast with those areas where man and his own works dominate the landscape, is an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man - where man himself is a visitor who does not remain. A wilderness area is further defined to mean an area of state land or water having a primeval character, without significant improvement or permanent human habitation. Such an area is protected and managed so as to preserve its natural conditions. Wilderness:

generally appears to have been affected primarily by the forces of nature, with the imprint of man's work substantially unnoticeable;
has outstanding opportunities for solitude or a primitive and unconfined type of recreation;
has at least ten thousand acres of contiguous land (and/or water) or is of sufficient size and character as to make practicable its preservation and use in an unimpaired condition; and
may also contain ecological, geological or other features of scientific, educational, scenic or historical value.

Wild Forest

A wild forest area is a section of the Forest Preserve where the resource can sustain a somewhat higher degree of human use than a wilderness area. It may contain, within its bounds, smaller areas of land or water that are essentially wilderness in character, where the fragility of the resource or other factors require wilderness management. A wild forest area is further defined as an area which lacks the sense of remoteness of wilderness areas and permits a wider variety of outdoor recreation.

Primitive Bicycle Corridor

A primitive bicycle corridor is a linear area of Forest Preserve land, adjacent to or going through, a Wilderness Area, where bicycles are permitted, but which is otherwise managed under wilderness guidelines.

Intensive Use

An intensive use area is an area where the state provides facilities for intensive forms of outdoor recreation including facilities designed to accommodate significant numbers of visitors. Examples of such facilities would be the park's visitor information centers, 8 public campgrounds, and Belleayre Ski Center.

These areas may also provide for congregations and/or accommodations of visitors to the Park and often function as a base for day use of wild forest or wilderness areas.

State Administrative

Administrative areas are locations within the Catskill Park under the jurisdiction of the Department of Environmental Conservation, which were acquired and are managed for other than Forest Preserve purposes.

There are three areas that fall within this category; the Vinegar Hill Wildlife Refuge, the Simpson Ski Slope and the Catskill Mountain Fish Hatchery, which includes the DeBruce Environmental Education Camp.

Note: the Catskill Park State Land Master Plan does not recognize the following land classifications: Canoe; Historic; Wild, Scenic, and Recreational Rivers; Travel Corridors. Therefore, these land classifications do not exist in the Catskill Forest Preserve.

Source: Catskill Park State Land Master Plan. Published by the Department of Environmental Conservation - May 1985. Updated August 2008.

Article XIV of the New York State Constitution

Conservation

(Forest preserve to be forever kept wild; certain highways and ski trails authorized; limited use for certain highways authorized; exchange of lands with the village of Saranac lake, town of Arietta, International paper company and Sagamore Institute, Inc. Authorized for certain purposes.)

Section 1. The lands of the state, now owned or hereafter acquired, constituting the forest preserve as now fixed by law, shall be forever kept as wild forest lands. They shall not be leased, sold or exchanged, or be taken by any corporation, public or private, nor shall the timber thereon be sold, removed or destroyed. Nothing herein contained shall prevent the state from constructing, completing and maintaining any highway heretofore specifically authorized by constitutional amendment, nor from constructing and maintaining to federal standards federal aid interstate highway route five hundred two from a point in the vicinity of the city of Glens Falls, thence northerly to the vicinity of the villages of Lake George and Warrensburg, the hamlets of South Horicon and Pottersville and thence northerly in a generally straight line on the west side of Schroon Lake to the vicinity of the hamlet of Schroon, then continuing northerly to the vicinity of Schroon Falls, Schroon River and North Hudson, and to the east of Makomis Mountain, east of the hamlet of New Russia, east of the village of Elizabethtown and continuing northerly in the vicinity of the hamlet of Towers Forge, and east of Poke-O-Moonshine Mountain and continuing northerly to the vicinity of the village of Keeseville and the city of Plattsburgh, all of the aforesaid taking not to exceed a total of three hundred acres of state forest preserve land, nor from constructing and maintaining not more than twenty miles of ski trails thirty to eight feet wide on the north, east and northwest slopes of Whiteface Mountain in Essex county, nor from constructing and maintaining not more than twenty miles of ski trail thirty to eighty feet wide, together with appurtenances thereto, on the slopes of Belleayre Mountain in Ulster and Delaware counties and not more than thirty miles of ski trails thirty to eighty feet wide, together with appurtenances thereto, on the slopes of Gore, South and Pete Gay mountains in Warren county, nor from relocating, reconstructing and maintaining a total of not more than fifty miles of existing state highways for the purpose of eliminating the hazards of dangerous curves and grades, provided a total of no more than four hundred acres of forest preserve land shall be used for such purpose and that no single relocated portion of any highway shall exceed one mile in length.

Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions, the state may convey to the village of Saranac lake ten acres of forest preserve land adjacent to the boundaries of such village for public use in providing for refuse disposal and in exchange therefore the village of Saranac lake shall convey to the state thirty acres of certain true forest land owned by such village on Roaring Brook in the northern half of Lot 113, Township 11, Richards Survey. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions, the state may convey to the town of Arietta twenty-eight acres of forest preserve land within such town for public use in providing for the extension of the runway and landing strip of the Piseco airport and in exchange therefore the town of Arietta shall convey to the state thirty acres of certain land owned by such town in the town of Arietta. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions and subject to legislative approval of the tracts to be exchanged prior to the actual transfer of title, the state, in order to consolidate its land holdings for better management, may convey to International paper Company approximately eight thousand five hundred acres of forest preserve land located in townships two and three of Totten and Crossfield's Purchase and township nine of the Moose River Tract, Hamilton county, and in exchange therefore International Paper Company shall convey to the state for incorporation into the forest preserve approximately the same number of acres of land located within such townships and such County on condition that the legislature shall determine that the lands to be received by the state are at least equal in value to the lands to be conveyed by the state. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions and subject to legislative approval of the tracts to be exchanged prior to the actual transfer of title and the conditions herein set forth, the state, in order to facilitate the preservation of historic buildings listed on the national register of historic places by rejoining an historic grouping of buildings under unitary ownership and stewardship, may convey to Sagamore Institute, Inc.

A not-for-profit educational organization, approximately ten acres of land and buildings thereon adjoining the real property of the Sagamore Institute, Inc. And located on Sagamore Road, near Raquette lake Village, in the Town of Long Lake, county of Hamilton, and in exchange therefore; Sagamore Institute, Inc. shall convey to the state for incorporation into the forest preserve approximately two hundred acres of wild forest land located within the Adirondack park on condition that the legislature shall determine that the lands to be received by the state are at least equal in value to the lands and buildings to be conveyed by the state and that the natural and historic character of the lands and buildings conveyed by the state will be secured by appropriate covenants and restrictions and that the lands and buildings conveyed by the state will reasonably be available for public visits according to agreement between Sagamore Institute, Inc. And the state. (Formerly 7 of Art. 7. Renumbered and amended by Constitutional Convention of 1938 and approved by vote of the people November 8, 1938; further amended by vote of the people November 4, 1941; November 4, 1947; November 5, 1957; November 3, 1959; November 5, 1963; November 2, 1965; November 6, 1979; November 8, 1983.)

Reservoirs

Sec. 2. The legislature may by general laws provide for the use of not exceeding three per centrum of such lands for the construction and maintenance of reservoirs for municipal water supply, and for the canals of the state. Such reservoirs shall be constructed, owned and controlled by the state, but such work shall not be undertaken until after the boundaries and high flow lines, thereof shall have been accurately surveyed and fixed, and after public notice, hearing and determination that such lands are required for such public use. The expense of any such improvements shall be apportioned on the public and private property and municipalities benefited to the extent of the benefits received. Any such reservoir shall always be operated by the state and the legislature shall provide for a charge upon the property and municipalities benefited for a reasonable return to the state upon the value of the rights and property of the state used and the services of the state rendered, which shall be fixed for terms of not exceeding ten years and be readjustable at the end of any term. Unsanitary conditions shall not be created or continued by any such public works. (Derived in part from former 7 of Art. 7. Renumbered and amended by Constitutional Convention of 1938 and approved by vote of the people November 8, 1938; further amended by vote of the people November 3, 1953.)

Forest and Wildlife Conservation; Use or Disposition of Certain Lands Authorized

Sec. 3. 1. Forest and wild life conservation are hereby declared to be policies of the state. For the purpose of carrying out such policies the legislature may appropriate moneys for the acquisition by the state of land, outside of the Adirondack and Catskill parks as now fixed by law, for the practice of forest or wildlife conservation. The prohibitions of section 1 of this article shall not apply to any lands heretofore or hereafter acquired or dedicated for such purposes within the forest preserve counties but outside of the Adirondack and Catskill parks as now fixed by law, except that such lands shall not be leased, sold or exchanged, or be taken by any corporation, public or private.

2. As to any other lands of the state, now owned or hereafter acquired, constituting the forest preserve referred to in section one of this article, but outside of the Adirondack and Catskill parks as now fixed by law, and consisting in any case of not more than one hundred contiguous acres entirely appropriate legislation, notwithstanding the provisions of section one of this article, authorize: (a) the dedication thereof for the practice of forest or wildlife conservation; or (b) the use thereof for public recreational or other state purposes or the sale, exchange or other disposition thereof; provided however, that all moneys derived from the sale or other disposition of any of such lands shall be paid into a special fund of the treasury and be expended only for the acquisition of additional lands for such forest preserve within either such Adirondack or Catskill park. (Formerly 16 of Art. 7. Renumbered and amended by Constitutional Convention of 1938 and approved by vote of the people November 8, 1938; further amended by vote of the people November 5, 1957; November 6, 1973.)

Protection of Natural Resources; Development of Agricultural Lands

Sec. 4. The policy of the state shall be to conserve and protect its natural resources and scenic beauty and encourage the development and improvement of its agricultural lands for the production of food and other agricultural products. The legislature, in implementing this policy, shall include adequate provision for the abatement of air and water pollution and of excessive and unnecessary noise, the protection of agricultural lands, wetlands and shorelines, and the development and regulation of water resources. The legislature shall further provide for the acquisition of lands and waters, including improvements thereon and any interest therein, outside the forest preserve counties, and the dedication of properties so acquired or now owned, which because of their natural beauty, wilderness character, or geological, ecological or historical significance, shall be preserved and administered for the use and enjoyment of the people. Properties so dedicated shall constitute the state nature and historical preserve and they shall not be taken or otherwise disposed of except by law enacted by two successive regular sessions of the legislature. (New. Added by vote of the people November 4, 1969.)

Violations of Article; How Restrained

Sec. 5. A violation of any of the provisions of this article may be restrained at the suit of the people or, with the consent of the supreme court in appellate division, on notice to the attorney general at the suit of any citizen. (New. Derived from former 7 of Art. 7. Adopted by Constitutional Convention of 1938 and approved by vote of the people November 8, 1938. Renumbered 5 by vote of the people November 4, 1969.)