For Immediate Release: October 28, 2020
Contact:
Keith P. McKeever | Public Information Officer | Adirondack Park Agency
contact@apa.ny.gov | (518) 891-4050
RAY BROOK, NY - The Adirondack Park Agency (APA) and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) are holding a joint public comment period to solicit comments on the Draft Scope document related to proposed State Land Management Actions in the Debar Wild Forest Area including a State Land reclassification of approximately 41 acres adjacent to Debar Pond from Wild Forest to Intensive Use and the development of a Day Use Area. A Draft Generic Environmental Impact Statement (DGEIS) is being prepared pursuant to the State Environmental Quality Review Act to analyze the relevant areas of environmental concern resulting from the reclassification of land, in accordance with Executive Law ยง 816 and the Adirondack Park State Land Master Plan (APSLMP), and adoption of Unit Management Plans (UMPs) in the vicinity of Debar Mountain Wild Forest.
The Debar Mountain Wild Forest is an 88,300-acre unit of Forest Preserve land located in the northern Adirondack Park within the of Towns of Franklin, Brighton, Duane, Santa Clara, and Waverly within Franklin County.
The proposed actions in the DGEIS will include two major components:
1. The DEC proposes the adoption of UMPs for both the existing Debar Mountain Wild Forest and the proposed Debar Lodge Day Use Area. Currently, major topics under consideration for discussion in the UMPs will include:
- Removal of the Debar Lodge and other buildings located near Debar Pond. DEC will incorporate elements of the lodge complex into the design of the day use facility where possible;
- Creation of a day-use area and recreation hub on Debar Pond at the former Debar Lodge site. This area will include two pavilions, picnic tables, grills, fireplace, parking, restrooms, foot access to Debar Pond, connections to trail networks, interpretive elements related to the sites historical past, and facilities designed to accommodate people with disabilities;
- Improvement of the areas trail system by adding to existing trail networks, creating new trail networks, building new connector trails, and rerouting poorly located trails;
- Improvement of access to recreation opportunities by addressing deficiencies at existing parking areas, building new parking areas, and providing better access to water bodies; and
- Construction of new primitive tent sites and the closure of tent sites which are not in compliance with the APSLMP.
2. The APA proposes re-classification of approximately 41 acres of land from the Debar Mountain Wild Forest to a new day-use area, classified as Intensive Use, on the shore of Debar Pond, and changes to the APSLMP's area descriptions.
For more information, please download the Draft Scope Document from APA's website at: http://www.apa.ny.gov or from the DEC's website at https://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/109817.html Please address all written comments related to the Draft Scope Document to:
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
Steven Guglielmi, Forester
New York Department of Environmental Conservation
PO Box 296, 1115 NYS Route 86
Ray Brook, NY 12977-0296
E-mail: r5.ump@dec.ny.gov
All comments must be received by November 12, 2020.