The Adirondack Regional Chamber of
Commerce supports passage of two propositions
on the statewide ballot that it says
will benefit the economy and environment
of the Adirondack Region.
Proposition 5 — which is being referred
to as The Adirondack Land Swap — offers
New Yorkers the opportunity to approve
an innovative public-private partnership
between New York state and an Adirondack
business that will help protect 100 goodpaying
Essex County jobs and open an additional
1,500 acres of Adirondack forestland
for public recreation, Chamber officials said
in a statement.
The propositions will be on the ballot
statewide on Election Day, Nov. 5.
If approved, New York state will temporarily give longtime Adirondack business NYCO Minerals a 200-acre parcel of state Forest Preserve land that adjoins NYCO’s current wollastonite mine. This will allow NYCO to expand its mine and strengthen its long-term future as an employer, taxpayer and community leader, according to the Chamber.
NYCO, in return, will give the state more than seven times as much forest land (1,500 acres) elsewhere in the region, which will be added to the Forest Preserve and opened for new recreational opportunities, officials said. When NYCO has removed the wollastonite buried on the 200-acre parcel in eight to 10 years, the company will reclaim the mine, replant vegetation and give the property back to the state, according to the proposed agreement.
The proposal provides New York state with “a golden opportunity to help a New York business with 100 manufacturing jobs, while also immediately expanding the Forest Preserve by a net total of 1,300 acres, all without any taxpayer dollars,” the Chamber said in a statement.
The ARCC said it is a firm believer that “thoughtful collaboration by community stakeholders can make our region an even better place to do business, while continuing to improve our quality of life — and this is a perfect example.”
New York state endorses the proposition, and it has been approved by two consecutive state Legislatures.
Proposition 5 also has the backing of several environmental groups including the Adirondack Mountain Club, the Chamber said.
People can learn more information about the Adirondack Land Swap by going to www.adirondackslandswap.com or facebook.com/landswap.
The ARCC also supports passage of Proposition 4 on the statewide ballot, another collaborative effort between the state and a group of public and private property owners in Long Lake and Raquette Lake in Hamilton County.
In this case, a proposed land exchange between the state and the property owners will settle longstanding property disputes dating back to the 1800s and result in the state receiving 295 forested acres known as the Marion River Carry for inclusion in the state Forest Preserve.
While both of these proposed transactions are Adirondack issues, they require approval by voters statewide due to the involvement of state Forest Preserve Land.