Southern Palmertown Conservation project update

MOREAU, N.Y. >> An ambitious, continuing collaborative effort has been underway to connect the trail dots between Moreau Lake State Park in the north to Saratoga Springs in the south, with many branches connecting local communities in Greenfield, Wilton, Corinth, and Moreau.

Volunteers and local preservation and conservation groups have been actively participating in the mission to coalesce the best routes through the beautiful Southern Palmertown Ridge area.

Their goal is to preserve these valuable lands and to make recreational opportunities available to local residents and visitors.

The Southern Palmertown area stretches from Moreau Lake State Park in the north to Sara-

toga Springs in the south, and from Route 9 in the east to Route 9N in the west, including properties in Corinth and Greenfield.

Officials said one important goal is to eventually create a trail network that will run the length of the conservation area, crossing some of the wildest and most natural terrain in Saratoga County. The area that includes unfragmented forests which provide important wildlife habitat and timber protects the headwaters of the Snook Kill and Kayaderosseras Creek.

Saratoga Plan Executive Director Maria Trabka and Northern Program Director Katie Petronis of Open Space Institute head up two of the agencies involved that have just completed compiling a detailed, lengthy document that provides the data and includes proposals on existing conditions, possibilities for public engagement, recreational demand, conservation analysis and land use scenarios.

A detailed landscape analysis identified the landscape’s high potential for groundwater recharge and resiliency, two important ecosystem functions.

“Southern Palmertown contains existing public lands and trail systems, which can be linked together to create a long distance trail network connecting communities and providing recreation opportunities throughout,” said Trabka.

“Our goal is to develop a landscape-scale conservation strategy for the area that promotes community engagement and recreation opportunities while balancing ecological protection and community development” added Petronis.

At present, there are public trails that traverse from the water level at Moreau up to the ridge of the Palmertown Range.

A recent addition of more than 1000 acres of land adjacent to the park, along with the McGregor parcel added land heading south toward Lincoln Mountain State Forest in the Town of Greenfield.

Daniels Road State Forest, at the southern end of the proposed trail network, has a pre-existing network of mountain biking trails.

Officials said the southern end of the trail will eventually link up with the Saratoga Greenbelt Trail, which in turn will be connected to other trail networks.

The entire report on the Southern Palmertown Preservation Area can be reviewed at https://www. saratogaplan.org/.

FRANCINE D. GRINNELL — DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA Lake Bonita trailhead in Corinth, part of Moreau State Park. The park is an integral part of the Southern Palmertown Project currently underway.

IMAGE PROVIDED The Southern Palmertown area stretches from Moreau Lake State Park in the north to Saratoga Springs in the south, and from Route 9 in the east to Route 9N in the west, including properties in Corinth and Greenfield.

FRANCINE D. GRINNELL — DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA Northern Program Director Katie Petronis, left, and Saratoga Plan Executive Director Maria Trabka, right, have completed a lengthy recreational and conservation strategy report on the Southern Palmertown Conservation and Recreation Project.