Group buys up land to preserve watershed
Trail system to be developed in Edinburg, Providence
SARATOGA COUNTY, N.Y. » The Open Space Institute announced Wednesday the acquisition of land in the Saratoga County towns of Edinburg and Providence that will permanently protect the watershed for the city of Amsterdam.
Conservation of the “Hans Creek” property, named for a creek that flows through the northeast portion of the property and into the Great Sacandaga Lake, permanently protects the land within the watershed of the Steele and Ireland Vly reservoirs, including direct frontage along the Steele reservoir.
The Hans Creek property contains a well-established forest road network which will serve as the foundation of a propertywide trail system for both hiking and snowmobiling.
Purchased by OSI for $2.55 million, the 4,388-acre Hans Creek property is one of the largest contiguous, single-ownership tracts of forested land left in the southern Adirondacks. The property offers expansive seasonal views of the Great Sacandaga Lake.
“The Open Space Institute is delighted to have protected this large, connected, and scenic landscape in the Southern Adirondacks. This significant acquisition is an accomplishment for OSI and critically important for the city of Amsterdam, whose residents will benefit from the clean, filtered water from this land for generations,” said Kim Elliman, president and CEO of OSI. “The newly protected land will also provide new recreational opportunities and spur greater visitation to the area.”
Randy Gardinier, the chief water system operator for the city of Amsterdam, lauded the purchase of the land, saying it will protect that city’s water supply and address the needs of local communities
“Clean drinking water is critical to maintaining healthy communities,” he said. “By ensuring the city’s watershed is protected,
we are taking important steps to increase security of a clean supply of drinking water now and in the future.”
A broad forested plateau which overlooks the southern shore of Great Sacandaga Lake, the property’s size and location also make it an ideal outdoor recreational spot for public trails and a snowmobile corridor, officials said.
“The protection of this intact, working forest will be a great asset to Saratoga County and the public,” Saratoga County Planning Department Director Jason Kemper said. “This acquisition will not only advance our plans to create publicly accessible trails that benefit local communities and increase tourism, but it also has the potential to continue the tradition of responsible, private forest management.”
Edinburg Town Supervisor Jean Raymond said plans for a snowmobile trail will create a “key connection to a larger snowmobile corridor, serving as an economic boon to the town and surrounding communities during the winter.”
“This project is a fantastic example of a public private partnership resulting in benefits to the town, the public, and the local and regional forest products industry,” she said.
The entire terrain consists of a mix of welldrained ridges and valleys containing a mosaic of beaver ponds, seasonal creeks, and open marshes that serve as a sanctuary for local wildlife.
Looking ahead, OSI expects to transfer the property to a conservationminded timber buyer, allowing the property to remain in private ownership as a working forest. The property will be transferred with a responsible, long-term forest management plan in place and a conservation easement that will prohibit development on the property while allowing public recreational access.
This property was protected with support from the Lila and DeWitt Wallace Endowment, and New York state is expected to use the Environmental Protection Fund to obtain a conservation easement on the land.