Enviros split on Adirondack land swap deal
By KELLY FAY
On Nov. 5, voters will be asked to decide whether a privately owned company should be allowed to utilize up to 200 acres of the Adirondack Forest Preserve for mining. In exchange, land of equal or greater value — estimated to total more than 1,500 acres — would be added to the preserve. This would amend Article 14 of the state Constitution, which prohibits the sale, exchange or lease of land contained in the preserve.
The legislation (S.04688/A.07974), also known as proposition five, would allow NYCO Minerals — a company based in Essex County with roughly 100 employees — to extend its mining into the preserve onto a parcel of land called Lot 8. The bill has passed in the Assembly and Senate for two consecutive terms, and will now be turned over to voters to determine whether the company will be permitted to search and mine for wollastonite, a mineral used for asbestos replacement, plastics and paint.
"The land that would be acquired would connect the Jay Mountain Range with wonderful hiking trails and things that people are very excited about," said Senate sponsor Betty Little, R-Queensbury. "The land that would be mined on is really not recreational land and it's not used for anything. This would be a win-win for business, the environment and all people who enjoy the outdoors. It would help maintain the economy in a struggling area. In New York City, 100 jobs could be a coffee shop, but in the North Country that is a major employer and would impact about 100 families living there."
Assembly sponsor Robert Sweeney, D-Babylon, said the addition of 1,500 acres to the Adirondack Park would be a productive move for the preserve as well as the state's economy.
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