DEC agrees to improve awareness, check on improper structures
By Gwendolyn Craig
The scene Bill Ingersoll stumbled across in the southern Adirondacks this summer had three things out of place. There was the remains of an illegal cabin; it was burnt down; and state Department of Environmental Conservation staff were surveying it on ATVs.
Ingersoll’s observations while hiking in the West Canada Lake Wilderness Area that day led to a rare DEC compliance agreement and a renewed look at illegal structures still standing on forest preserve lands. Ingersoll, vice-chair of Adirondack Wilderness Advocates, has been keeping track of three cabins on forest preserve that the state was required to remove years ago.
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This one on Little Moose Lake appeared to have been recently torched. The fire, Ingersoll said, “demonstrates that all three are attractive nuisances. The reason why that policy exists, eventually they’re going to be problem structures, safety issues.”
The DEC said its Bureau of Environmental Crimes is investigating “the cause and suspects involved” and declined further comment citing the open criminal investigation.
The DEC also admitted its staff violated the Adirondack Park State Land Master Plan, the 6-million-acre park’s leading policy document, when they drove on motor vehicles into a wilderness area.
“DEC has taken steps to assure that future patrols will not create this kind of intrusion,” the department said.
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DEC violation
Motor vehicles and biking are not allowed in wilderness areas, the most protected land designation in the park’s forest preserve. Exceptions include emergencies such as search and rescues.
The West Canada Lake Wilderness and neighboring Little Moose Wilderness are separated by a ribbon of land classified as wild forest to allow for mountain bikers to ride through.
The Adirondack Park State Land Master Plan allows for state staff to use wild forest corridors for structural improvements, research and law enforcement on motor vehicles. But there are no such exceptions in wilderness, where Ingersoll had observed tractors and ATVs parked in 2021. He was not sure who they belonged to at the time, but DEC staff later admitted they were their vehicles, Ingersoll said.
This summer when he returned to Little Moose Lake, he saw DEC uniformed staff on the ATVs.
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Adirondack Wilderness Advocates and Adirondack Wild: Friends of the Forest Preserve, filed a complaint with the Adirondack Park Agency, whose mission is to protect the public and private resources of the park, concerning the department’s illegal motor vehicle use. The organizations’ complaint appears to be the first test of a 20-year-old memorandum of understanding between the DEC and the APA over implementing the state land master plan.
On Nov. 14, the APA and DEC released a compliance agreement acknowledging DEC staff were in violation of the master plan when they drove motor vehicles “encroaching approximately 800 feet” into wilderness.
DEC Region 5 Director Joseph Zalewski and APA Executive Director Barbara Rice signed the agreement. It said the DEC “has taken corrective action” and planned an in-person meeting with staff to go over the master plan’s rules.
Both environmental organizations said they were satisfied with the result, though they’d like to see APA and DEC reclassify the wild forest corridor to wilderness. It “will always pose temptations to drive down it (and off it) for ‘administrative purposes,’” wrote Adirondack Wild.
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Cabins
Adirondack Wilderness Advocates also hopes the incident will encourage the state to remove a few remaining illegal cabins called “non-conforming structures.” It could also spur the DEC and APA to draft management plans for these areas that lack them.
Besides the Little Moose Lake cabin, which Ingersoll said was a former hunting camp, Ingersoll has documented another former hunting camp once owned by the Otterbrook Timber Co. in the Five Ponds Wilderness and the former Hillabrandt Rod and Gun Club cabin in the Ferris Lake Wild Forest.
The state bought the Otterbrook Tract Camp in 1989, the Little Moose Lake cabin in 1988 and the Hillabrandt cabin in 1979.
The Hillabrandt cabin appears to be in the best shape and seems to be used. Ingersoll has seen a modest supply of firewood, a well-stocked kitchen and bunk beds with sleeping bags. It’s the most habitable, aside from the “robust rodent population,” Ingersoll said. “You would think you’re trespassing on somebody’s private little getaway.”
When the state makes new forest preserve acquisitions, it must classify the lands and develop a unit management plan. Unit management plans detail the physical and natural resources of the area, as well as any recreational or environmental projects the state hopes to do there. The plans contain schedules for removing non-conforming structures.
The West Canada Lake Wilderness and Little Moose Wilderness are two of five areas in the Adirondack Park without unit management plans. The Ferris Lake Wild Forest has a draft plan, and the Five Ponds Wilderness has a plan nearly 30 years old. The Adirondack Explorer reported on these gaps in forest preserve planning earlier this year.
The DEC had a three-year window after the lands received classifications to remove non-conforming structures using motor vehicles without violating the state land master plan. Those deadlines have since come and gone, and Ingersoll wonders how the state will now attempt to remove them.
The DEC said it is aware of the camps “and is evaluating the options for removal.”
Seems to me much ado over nothing. Rangers conservation officers need every means available to do their jobs. Trails are trails. To be used by what ever conveyance is necessary.
As far as old camps. When we had to vacate Santanoni Club there were camps still on our property from old Tahawus Club. One on Lake Andrew another down by Santanoni brook. Both part of history. Guess these people want to forget our past . Probably don’t like Teddy Roosevelt either.
Well said John, though many reading this may not agree with you. There are a few of us still around. As far as Teddy’s concerned; We need more people like him in government. Maybe fewer people would get their feelings hurt.
It is much ado about nothing. Agree that DEC officers need whatever tools they can to do their job.
Ingersoll didn’t “stumble upon” this scene. He went looking for it so that he could blow his faux outrage.
I’d like to see Bill and his Wild crew quickly and efficiently clean up this mess without any vehicles or tools. Hint: they couldn’t and wouldn’t.
Yes, very well said.
spot on- all this over 800′.
So. Is that state paying the same fines a citizen would have to pay for the violation?
If the state pays a fine – WE pay the fine.
That’s for sure. “Feelings” aren’t necessarily evidence.
The state is above their laws.
Seems to me using horses to ride into these places and horse and wagon to remove the cabins would be very workable. To ride in to evaluate and look at sites, horses could be trailered in to a suitable location and then ridden to actual location.
Ohhhh nooooo! Horse hoofs are not good for the trails, they tear them up! Bottom line, use feet only. My problem is this rule discriminates against elderly and disabled persons from enjoying the back woods trails. Why not also build a bunch more lean-tos for campers and hikers.
Oh good lord. Tell that to everyone in western states so they will stop riding horses on trails in Montana, Colorado, Idaho, and Wyoming.
Patsy – Horses and wagons? What is this 1800?
I have never had a big problem with targeted, authorized, limited use of maintenance vehicles or power tools – but I believe the public should be aware of these exceptions in advance if possible. They should be rare and warranted.
But there are others who would disagree and point to the letter of the law, and I can’t argue with that legal point of view. I think safety, practicality, and efficiency of maintenance should all be balanced. But ROUTINE patrolling and such should not involve motors/power tools in Wilderness areas. However, it is hard to condemn under-staffed employees in most cases. When people are stretched thin, shortcuts are taken.
Crybaby crybaby…
I hope NYC mayor Adam’s doesn’t read this he’ll start sending illegals up from the great sanctuary city to take up residence in the cabins
Such petty nonsense, someone said they had a 99yr lease and the state reneged? Just ask the plains Indians about deals with the government! I agree, don’t want to see 4 wheelers and atvs tearing the trails up, but the use of overland vehicles for DEC and Police as well as Emergency vehicles is warranted. Let’s talk about things together rationally rather then point fingers, things in our lives would be so much better if we just took the time to look at the big picture and agree upon sound, commonsense solutions, just my opinion, I could be wrong! God Bless!
Too bad they are not conforming. Would make a few cool “hut” type structures for hikers and hunters. Maybe attract a few more people into these more remote areas where few people go. Relieve a bit of pressure on some heavily traveled areas.
Also, seems like getting rid of stuff like this might qualify under the “emergency” use of a few machines. You don’t want to burn these down since it is terrible for the environment. But hauling it all out will take lots of foot trips that are not great either?
Helicopters are sometimes employed – especially for JBL resupply and lean-to replacement.
JBL is not wilderness it is not forest preserve. It’s a private inholding. I don’t think they use helicopters for lean-to work, maybe? They should be allowed to do it legally, it’s a dumb law in my opinion.
I am aware of JBL’s inholding status, but the helicopters can stray into the airspace over FP when delivering propane and supplies. I believe lean-to and bridge “packages” have been delivered by helicopter to FP sites over the years, but I don’t have specific data to back up my claim. Regardless, they would be few and far between, and I don’t really have a problem with it.
In instances such as this, perhaps better alternatives to UTV use should be investigated. But perhaps, UTVs are ultimately the best way to deal with removal of such structures. I suppose each location/situation is different. I am OK with DEC using reasonable judgement without hard and set policy throughout the Park. Increased patrols and removal “by foot” would involve Seggos hiring more temporary or permanent staff.
Did not include Ha Da Ron Dah Wilderness on the map/
It’s there. Click the green to the left of the “M” in Moose River.
I was thinking that remote cabins could be the help for life and death situations for lost or injured hikers/hunters. Keep them in bare necessities as they do in Alaska and other states.
Since these cabins are not useable, at least by humans, why not let them remain to become part of the forest naturally by rotting? It won’t make the disturbance burning or manually removing them will. They also might become a safe haven for any lost hiker.
In my opinion, the use of ATV ‘s, or motor vehicles of any sort, should be banned completely in the preserve with the exception of rescue or natural disaster use.
Motor vehicle of any sort should be banned?? Snowmobile season coming your way soon. Enjoy!!!
Snowmobiles are not allowed in Wilderness; they are allowed in Wild Forest.
Yes the helicopters are a wink wink motorized violation of wilderness area’s hidden with a badge
The log cabins at Cedar Lakes and West Canada Lakes were burned to create wilderness as well as the out cabins in the High Peaks Wilderness, the hotel at Lake Lila and many others that I’m not aware of and I don’t know how access was made to all of these but I’m sure the helicopter and vehicles were used in some of these with no complaints that I heard of other than the destruction of well-built interior headquarters. Many structures on the paper company lands that were purchased had to be taken down and removed by the owners as part of the deal, some were burned, others by the paper companies and many buried on site.
You know, these guys have a lot of work to do out in our forest preserves they need equipment to be able to do it but if you guys would rather have no ATVs, no tractors and guess what that means uncut trails, areas missing maintenance and overworked staff and these illegal”” camps where built legally when the laws changed they should have been grandfathered in
Stumbled onto, not hardly. Sounds to me like Mr. Ingersoll and the environmental lobby were tipped off by NYSDEC employees loyal to them. The environmental lobby flexing their muscles after their court victory for sure. One has to wonder; did Basil have to kiss the environmental lobby’s ring and pledge an oath of allegiance?
Is any of this political rant relevant to the situation, or are you just exercising YOUR muscles?
Yes, it is, exercising my right of free speech.
Yes – that was obvious. But to what end?? That was my point.
I hope the tresspassers don’t get punished, just warned. People do much worse, and this was probably done in the spirit of frontiersmanship.
At one time, in the 1960s, my uncle and his sons built a wonderful cabin on Lower Saranac Lake. It was a 99 year lease, but later, the government took it back. It was a real loss. We had enjoyed camping there.
“Frontiersmanship” when on heavily protected public land, but illegal squatting when done on private land. Interesting distinction. Regulations without penalties are pretty worthless.
It has little to do with a lack of staff. People use any opportunity they can to lobby for spending more money. DEC rangers have known about illegal hunting cabins as long as the forest preserve has existed. I bet you I know of at least 10 of these kinds of camps, just like the local rangers do. They have to live with these people. It’s easy to out this sort of stuff when you don’t live year round in the Adirondacks like some of these people raising this issue.
In fact, over the years, it is pretty safe to say that folks using these types of cabins have actually assisted the rangers in doing their jobs when it comes to things like enforcing game laws. They have folks that are back in these isolated areas during the hunting season that can help them patrol what they normally can’t cover all the time. They stop in the ask them if they have seen any weird stuff, heard shots at night etc. Most people are actually good people. People who haven’t grown up in the Adirondacks don’t understand this kind of thing. All they see are laws on the books and assume they must be followed to the T, no exceptions..
Untrammeled by man.
New York State is full dumb laws, anti everything
Makes no sense….
What? No electric ATVs! They are destroying the Adirondacks with horrible gas engines.
How are they destroying the the Adirondacks with horrible gas engines Mike???
Aren’t military jets still allowed to use the air space over the ‘wilderness preserves’ in the ADKs? If so, is it truly wilderness? And sadly, maybe it’s time to acknowledge the hypocrisy and to also then acknowledge a similar allowance for DEC personnel a waiver in such instances? I just wish they would have not burnt down the buildings but instead let time take them over as is done in the western US (and in Canada and other countries where it’s similarly outback and wilderness areas. )
That would never fly in the halls of power of Albany.
The western environment is quite different from our Adirondacks. Adirondack foot trails would be much more susceptible to damage from horse and/or pack mule traffic.
Just wondering how else the DEC is supposed to carry out those old cabin remains w/o ATVs. Let’s keep our eyes on the prize . . . and grounded in reality.
I hunt elk in northwest montana on private, state and federal land which ha many
remnants of old cabins scattered about. Mostly the walls are left standing. Most are log structures with finely crafted corners. They are a reminder of those in the past lived there and protected the land. Many are buried there and long forgotten, but the lives they had are in the old walls. The fallen down homesteads don’t bother anyone, make me ponder the life that existed long ago. Simple, hard, meaningful….
Old hunting camps in ADKs represent similiar ideas. An old 93 year old friend of mine has shared many stories of his fathers camp in Onchiata built in the 1920’s…
It was log and rotted itself into the earth years ago…..anyhoo….just my thoughts…
Drones, while subject to hawk attacks, are useful in spotting all types of illegal endeavors. They cover areas that would be impossible to observe by any other means. The result would mean far fewer hours spent covering or travelling thru known areas. The noise would be minimal if flow high enough. No pollution , sight, sound or exhaust. I would suppose that they may be excluded by statute. If so let’s try to change the statute.
On a scale of lesser import, I witness two young couples who didn’t seem to know anything about the life of a NYS ranger driving out of the forbidden road that leads to the NYS ranger cabin down on the shore of Lonesome Bay in their big, new SUV, thinking these are children of privilege enjoying privileges of the connected they have no right to enjoy
The people that leased that land at otter Brook from the lumber company had a deal with them complete with a contract and down payment for 1800 or 2800 acres. The lumber company returned the down payment and sold it to the nature conservancy after a long and costly court case. Of course we all know the rest of the story. Still screwing the little guy. Bill has to much time on his hands.
Jack Fleischmann, you hit the nail on the head, there is no commonsence used anymore.
Is there a set fine for pulling a vehicle onto wilderness property ? And any other consequences whether you drive on 100 ft or 800 ft . ❤️
Why are snow mobile trails so important to so few? Has anyone noticed the amount of snow
each winter is no longer what it was? Have ORDA, the DEC or the ski resorts kept records of snow fall the last 40+ years? With climate change this “hot topic” may soon be irreverent as
there will not be enough snow for the trails. The “fuss” about a few rotting cabins is a sad
example of how some have lost focus on what is really relevant to our existent in these mts.