ALBANY — The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has announced a proposed amendment to the state-owned easement that will allow the continued leasing of hunting camps on the former Champion International Corp. lands in Franklin, Herkimer, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties in exchange for the transfer of 2,661 acres of valuable wildlife habitat along the Deer River to the State Forest Preserve and State Forest holdings.
The proposed amendment is subject to the current landowner, Heartland Forestland Fund, III, LLC, obtaining a subdivision permit amendment from the Adirondack Park Agency.
In 1999, Champion paper sold 29,000 acres in the North Country to New York state as Forest Preserve and 114,000 acres to Heartland Forestland Fund III, LLC. The state in turn acquired a working forest easement on 110,000 of the Heartland acres that required the removal of traditional hunting camps on the easement lands by 2014. Since then, the state and Heartland have worked together along with other stakeholders to explore options to maintain the hunting camps, an important part of the rich outdoor culture in this lightly settled and remote portion of the northwest Adirondacks.
Notice of the draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the conservation easement modifications was published in the Environmental Notice Bulletin, launching a 30-day public comment period.
The DEIS can be found at www.dec.ny.gov/lands/59344.html, or copies can be obtained by contacting Heather Carl, NYS DEC, Division of Lands and Forests, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12233 or by calling 408-5511. Send written comments by Dec. 11 to HFF3DEIS@gw.dec.state.ny.us.
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