Purchase of Finch, Pruyn presents great opportunities; Hard work of crafting long-term protection and stewardship just begun

Niskayuna and Keene, NY -- The Association for the Protection of the Adirondacks believes today’s announcement of the sale of Finch, Pruyn lands to The Nature Conservancy presents great opportunities for the environment, for the residents of the Adirondack Park and or all who visit the region, but also leaves a host of questions.

“We congratulate Finch, Pruyn, Atlas Holdings, The Nature Conservancy and the Open Space Institute. It is an historic day in the Adirondacks when lands of this size and significance, as well as a mill of such importance, are kept intact for the benefit of our environment, which of course includes the people and communities who depend on the mill and on the lands,” says David Gibson, Executive Director. “The TNC/OSI purchase of the Finch-Pruyn Lands in full fee heralds a critically needed vision of longevity for the core forest and private wild lands of the Adirondack Park so threatened by real estate speculation, fragmentation and development,” says the Association’s Director of Park Protection Dan Plumley. “This purchase is a promise to future generations of Adirondackers and New Yorkers and, indeed, the World, that at the heart of the Adirondacks we can have both wild and working, sustained forest ecosystem that benefits future generations, local communities and wildness.”
“However, the work of disposing, managing and protecting these lands, as well as paying for all that has barely begun,” Gibson notes. “We recognize the need to balance ownership and use of these magnificent lands for jobs, for productivity, for forest products and for long-term protection and preservation of some of the Adirondacks most valuable ecological jewels.”

“Finch, Pruyn deserves a lot of credit for keeping these forests, healthy, intact and productive for the past 100 and more years. Now, the diverse parties responsible for managing and disposing of these lands need to rise to the occasion and conserve this heritage in the best possible way for the Adirondack region. The State of New York will be a critically important partner as a long-term stewardship plan is developed.”
“The lake, river and mountain ecosystems of the Boreas, Cedar, North Hudson, Indian and others should be protected by this acquisition; the 80 mountains, 70 lakes and innumerable special habitats and rare species (including 95 significant species, 37 of which are rare in NY State) deserve protection consistent with the NY State's Open Space Planning process,” Plumley observes.
“These lands contain some of the most important wild, ecologically sensitive, scenic and recreational lands in the Adirondacks. Conservationists have sought protection for some of these lands for since the days of Teddy Roosevelt,” says Association Trustee Chuck Clusen.
The State of New York needs to step forward and acquire some of the most important of these lands for the New York State Forest Preserve. The remainder should be protected by a conservation easement. It is absolutely critical that New York State government, led by Governor Spitzer, assemble the funds in the year ahead to make this project succeed.”

To the Association, that means:
· land to go into the publicly-owned, forever wild Forest Preserve, and conservation easements on the balance of the most sensitive holdings, all of which prevents development and provides a significant amount of public recreation
· lands managed to keep Adirondack waters clean and pure and a hardwood forest that remains unfragmented
· lands certified as sustainably managed for Adirondack fiber and energy uses

“New York State residents from Long Island to Buffalo will have an intense interest in seeing these historic Adirondack lands, owned and managed by one company for more than century, conserved for the benefit of generations unborn,” says Gibson. “Over the next 18 months, the Association pledges its full support and with great anticipation looks forward to participating in the creation of a creative, lasting management plan that makes sense for the Adirondacks.”

See map of Finch, Pruyn's Adirondack lands

Read fact sheet about the acquisition of Finch, Pruyn's lands