The Myth of Quiet, Motor-free Waters in the Adirondack Park Protect the Adirondacks PO Box 769, Lake George, NY 12845 518.685.3088 www.protectadks.org [email protected] Special Report A Plea for Natural Resource Protection and Recreational Fairness Board of Directors Charles Clusen Chair Lorraine Duvall Dale Jeffers Michael Wilson Vice-Chairs Kenneth Strike Secretary David Quinn Treasurer Nancy Bernstein Anya Bickford Peter Borrelli John Caffry Dean Cook Dear Friends of the Adirondacks, Mary Lou Doulin Robert Glennon Through the analysis and preparation of this special report The Myth of Quiet, Evelyn Greene Motor-free Waters in the Adirondack Park, Protect the Adirondacks is hoping to focus Sidney Harring a public discussion on the need for greater public motor-free waters opportunities Bill Healy Peter Hornbeck Maryde King Charles Morrison during the Forest Preserve classification of the Essex Chain Lakes and Boreas Ponds. Peter O’Shea The classification process of the Essex Chain Lakes has begun and the review of the Marilyn Sargent Boreas Ponds will take place in a few years. Peter Bauer PROTECT supports a Wilderness classification for both of these areas. We believe Executive Director Asthat readers a Wilderness will see classification in this report will when protect it comes the naturalto big lakes resources in the aroundAdirondacks, these April VanHeusen lakes and ponds and provide exciting new motor-free opportunities for the public.- Administrative Coordinator - most are overrun with all sorts of motorized watercraft and floatplanes or are pri May 2013 vately owned. The public deserves a greater array of motor-free waters opportuni Ofties the in 100the Adirondack biggest lakes Park. and ponds in the Adirondack Park, just eight currently pro- This report was Published by Protect the Adirondacks PO Box 769 vide motor-free opportunities. That’s not nearly enough. We need more. Lake George, NY 12845 —Chuck Clusen, Chair, Protect the Adirondacks The photo above is Third Lake, in Minerva, Essex County. At 340 acres, this is the 94th larg- 518.685.3088 est waterbody in the Adirondack Park. It is part of the Essex Chain Lakes. The state recently [email protected] www.protectadks.org completed purchase of this tract as new Forest Preserve lands. Formal Forest Preserve clas- sification is underway for this lake and surrounding lands. Just eight of the 100 biggest lakes All rights reserved. in the Adirondack Park are currently motor-free. The Myth of Quiet, Motor-free Waters in the Adirondack Park 2 Special Report The Myth of Quiet, Motor-free Waters in the Adirondack Park Executive Summary The Adirondack Park is held up as the great wilderness boat. These numbers shatter the myth of motor-free area in the eastern United States. It’s the place where Adirondackwaters in the Park Adirondack is tilted tooPark. far The towards perception non-motorized among people come for a wilderness experience and to enjoy - public officials and state policymakers is that the the great outdoors. Indeed, the Park contains well over comes to motor-free waters open and easily accessible 85% of the officially-designated state or federal Wilder recreational pursuits. The reality is far from this when it Oneness greatlands myth from aboutthe mid-Atlantic the wild Adirondack states to Maine. Park is that Protectfor the general the Adirondacks public. believes that the largest lakes in the Adirondack Park provide the most accessible op- onethere can is anpaddle abundance a canoe of or motor-free kayak without lakes interruption and ponds. In fact, the Park faces a scarcity of quiet waters where isportunities low when for compared public water-based to the abundance recreation. of opportuni But the- from motorboats, jet skis, floatplanes, and other types supply of motor-free experiences on these waterbodies Ofof motorizedthe 200 largest watercraft. lakes and ponds in the Adirondack ties for motorized watercraft. There needs to be greater forequity a wide for motor-freespectrum of waters outdoor recreation recreational so that opportuni the - overwhelmingPark, from Lake majority Champlain, of big with lakes 262,864 and ponds acres, provide to Adirondack Park can better meet the public’s demand- abundantRound Pond opportunities in Indian Lake, for motorizedcovering 134.9 watercraft—but acres, the ties. There is a great demand for recreational experi ences on accessible, motor-free lakes and ponds. The scant opportunity for quiet, motor-free waters. - demand is high, but the supply is low. motor-free,Among those and 200 public largest use lakes, on 2 114others are is open in the for process mo Two lakes in the Adirondack Park’s Top 200 are soon to torboating, 55 are private with no public access, 29 are be classified by the Adirondack Park Agency: Third Lake (Number 94, 340 acres) and Boreas Pond (Number 95, of being determined. 11 of the 29 motor-free lakes are of338 the acres). governor, The APA’swill determine Forest Preserve the types classification of public uses inaccessible and involve a lengthy hike carrying one’s review, which is ultimately made official by approval - boat. allowable on these lakes. Protect the Adirondacks sup- If we look at the acreage of the 100 largest lakes in the tersports available Wilderness for allclassification types of motorized for these watercraft two remote and Adirondack Park, 96% are in waters open for motor lakes. This would help to correct the imbalance of wa boating. Only 2% are in motor-free waters, and some of these can be reached only by long hikes carrying one’s motor-free waters. Opportunities for Motorless Waters Experiences on the Motorless Motor Private Biggest Lakes in the Adirondack Park Lakes Lakes Lakes Biggest 100 Lakes & Ponds* 8 77 13 Biggest 200 Lakes & Ponds* 29 115 54 NOTE: 3 of 8 motorless lakes in Top 100 are remote, not accessible NOTE: 12 of 29 motorless lakes in Top 200 are remote, not accessible *Because the use of Third Lake and Boreas Pond has not been determined, they are not counted in this chart. The Myth of Quiet, Motor-free Waters in the Adirondack Park 3 Special Report The Myth of Quiet, Motor-free Waters in the Adirondack Park The Myth of Motor-free Waters Chart 1: Recreational State of the 100 Biggest Lakes in the Adirondack Park* The Adirondack Park contains more than 85% of the (5) (3) state- or federally-designated Wilderness lands from Private Thethe mid-Atlantic Adirondacks states Forest to Preserve Maine. Consequently, offers many wild people Lakes (13) mountainscome here forto climb, a broad trails range to hike,of wilderness and backcountry experiences. to bushwhack in, all free of motor vehicles—but the op- portunities for a motor-free, quiet lake experience on a Motor Lakes (77) Lowbig or Supply, moderately-sized High Demand lake or pond are few. Across the Adirondack Park there are few genuine opportunities for motor-free boating on a big lake or - Motorless Lakes (Accessible) *Third Lake & Boreas pond. In the top 100 biggest lakes in the Adirondack Pond not included Park, just five lakes stand out as lakes without motor Motorless Lakes (Inaccessible) lakesboats, are jetskis, all managed and floatplanes; as motor-free Lows waterbodiesLake, Little Tupper as Lake, Round Lake, Lake Lila, and St. Regis Pond. These Chart 2: Recreational State of the 200 Biggest Lakes in - the Adirondack Park* parts of the Forest Preserve. Three other lakes, Cedar Lake in the West Canada Lakes Wilderness Area, New free,comb but Lake they in arethe largelyHigh Peaks inaccessible Wilderness, for boating and Pharaoh by Lake in the Pharaoh Lake Wilderness are also motor- (17) (12) the general public. They are great lakes to hike to, and extraordinarily beautiful places, but they are difficult to Ofreach the with100 biggesta boat. lakes in the Adirondack Park, 77 are - Private Lakes (54) Motor Lakes (115) open for all manner of motorized boating and float planes. 13 lakes are privately owned and provide no arepublic currently access, in and process just 8 ofare being motor-free. purchased (Charts by the 1 and State of2 detail New Yorkthese for breakdowns.) addition to the Two Forest lakes Preserve, in the top after 100 which the type of allowable public use will be deter- Definition:mined through “Motor-free a public review lake” process. is a public The reality, lake Motorless Lakes (Accessible) *Third Lake & Boreas or pond where no motorized watercraft of any Pond not included Motorless Lakes (Inaccessible) kind or floatplanes are allowed. The Myth of Quiet, Motor-free Waters in the Adirondack Park 4 Special Report Boreas Ponds, in North Hudson, Essex County. These ponds lakes are open for motorized activity while only 8% of- border the High Peaks Wilderness. At 338 acres, this is the fertherefore, the motor-free is that more option, than and 75% just of 5% the are Park’s easily grandest acces- 95th largest waterbody in the Adirondack Park. Currently is private ownership, Boreas Ponds is under contract to be transferred to the state in 2017 as new Forest Preserve lands. Forsible those for a whomotor-free desire greaterexperience. motor-free opportunities, After transfer, the state will formally classify these lands, the numbers improve slightly in an analysis of the 200 which will determine public use. Just seven of the 100 biggest lakes in the Adirondack Park are motorless. Photo by Melody Thomas. biggest lakes in the Adirondack Park. 115 (57%) of the Park’s 200 biggest lakes are open for motorized uses, - 54 (27.5%) are privately-owned and thus closed, and 29 (14.5%) are open and motorless. However, of these within the Blue Line, the amount of water area dedicat 29 motor-free lakes, just 17 (9%) are easily accessible ed to motorized water uses is 90%.