In November, 2007 Dan Plumley made arrangements for Ken Rimany, Dave Gibson and Dale Jeffers to fly aloft in a Cessna piloted by volunteer pilot Bob Keller (Lighthawk, a nonprofit which works for environmental organizations) to get a sense of this landscape and historic acquisition from the air. In acquiring all of the former Finch, Pruyn and Co's 161,000-acres, the Adirondack Nature Conservancy has made one of the most significant land purchases in the Adirondack Park's 115-year history. These lands form a vital ecological connection through the heart of the Adirondacks, connecting Blue Mountain Lake to North Hudson (west to east) and Cedar River Flow to the Ausable Valley (south to north). We took photographs of some of the most intact northern hardwood and spruce-fir forests of any commercial timber land in the northeast. Roads are narrow, ponds and wetlands many, and the sense of connectivity between these lands and proximity to "Forever Wild" Forest Preserve immediate. The opportunity presented by the Conservancy for scientific-based, long-term protection of this landscape is immense. However, TNC can not hold onto these lands forever. After intensive study and negotiation, in one year they will find new owners. AFPA is joining with our sister groups now to capture the imagination of Governor Spitzer and his DEC about what they must do in 2008: help The Nature Conservancy to prevent forest fragmentation, connect wild lands together, maintain a critical refugia during times of climate change, think far ahead about these landscapes and ensure substantial purchases for the NYS Forest Preserve.

For more, read AFPA special report, Seeing the Forest for the Trees" by Mike DiNunzio