Forest Preserve Land Classifications

Adirondack Park State 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 inclose 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 Park State 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.

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 such as campgrounds, ski centers, and visitor information centers.

These areas 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 Primitive, Canoe, Historic, Wild and Scenic River and Travel Corridor classifications do not appear in the Catskill Park State Land Master Plan.

Source: Catskill Park State Land Master Plan. Published by the Department of Environmental Conservation. 1985.