2006 New York Code - Forest preserve to be forever kept wild; certain uses and exceptions authorized.

 
                                 ARTICLE XIV
 
                                Conservation
 
    Section  1.  The  lands of the state, now owned or hereafter acquired,
  constituting the forest preserve as now fixed by law, shall  be  forever
  kept  as wild forest lands. They shall not be leased, sold or exchanged,
  or be taken by any corporation, public or private, nor shall the  timber
  thereon  be  sold,  removed or destroyed. Nothing herein contained shall
  prevent the state from  constructing,  completing  and  maintaining  any
  highway  heretofore specifically authorized by constitutional amendment,
  nor from constructing and maintaining to federal standards  federal  aid
  interstate  highway  route five hundred two from a point in the vicinity
  of the city of Glens Falls, thence northerly  to  the  vicinity  of  the
  villages  of  Lake  George and Warrensburg, the hamlets of South Horicon
  and Pottersville and thence northerly in a generally  straight  line  on
  the  west side of Schroon Lake to the vicinity of the hamlet of Schroon,
  then continuing northerly to the  vicinity  of  Schroon  Falls,  Schroon
  River and North Hudson, and to the east of Makomis Mountain, east of the
  hamlet  of  New  Russia,  east  of  the  village  of  Elizabethtown  and
  continuing northerly in the vicinity of the hamlet of Towers Forge,  and
  east  of  Poke-O-Moonshine  Mountain  and  continuing  northerly  to the
  vicinity of the village of Keeseville and the city of  Plattsburgh,  all
  of  the aforesaid taking not to exceed a total of three hundred acres of
  state forest preserve land, nor from constructing  and  maintaining  not
  more  than  twenty-five  miles  of ski trails thirty to two hundred feet
  wide, together with appurtenances thereto, provided that  no  more  than
  five  miles of such trails shall be in excess of one hundred twenty feet
  wide, on the north, east and northwest slopes of Whiteface  Mountain  in
  Essex  county,  nor  from  constructing  and  maintaining  not more than
  twenty-five miles of  ski  trails  thirty  to  two  hundred  feet  wide,
  together  with  appurtenances  thereto,  provided  that no more than two
  miles of such trails shall be in excess of one hundred twenty feet wide,
  on the slopes of Belleayre Mountain in Ulster and Delaware counties  and
  not more than forty miles of ski trails thirty to two hundred feet wide,
  together  with  appurtenances  thereto, provided that no more than eight
  miles of such trails shall be in excess of one hundred twenty feet wide,
  on the slopes of Gore and Pete Gay mountains in Warren county, nor  from
  relocating,  reconstructing  and  maintaining  a  total of not more than
  fifty miles of existing state highways for the  purpose  of  eliminating
  the  hazards of dangerous curves and grades, provided a total of no more
  than four hundred acres of forest preserve land shall be used  for  such
  purpose and that no single relocated portion of any highway shall exceed
  one  mile in length. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions, the state
  may convey to the village of Saranac Lake ten acres of  forest  preserve
  land  adjacent  to  the  boundaries  of  such  village for public use in
  providing for refuse disposal and in exchange therefore the  village  of
  Saranac  Lake  shall  convey  to  the state thirty acres of certain true
  forest land owned by such village on Roaring Brook in the northern  half
  of  Lot 113, Township 11, Richards Survey. Notwithstanding the foregoing
  provisions, the state may convey to the  town  of  Arietta  twenty-eight
  acres  of  forest  preserve  land  within  such  town  for public use in
  providing for the extension of the  runway  and  landing  strip  of  the
  Piseco airport and in exchange therefor the town of Arietta shall convey
  to the state thirty acres of certain land owned by such town in the town


  of  Arietta.  Notwithstanding  the  foregoing  provisions and subject to
  legislative approval of the tracts to be exchanged prior to  the  actual
  transfer  of title, the state, in order to consolidate its land holdings
  for  better  management,  may  convey  to  International  Paper  Company
  approximately eight thousand five hundred acres of forest preserve  land
  located  in  townships two and three of Totten and Crossfield's Purchase
  and township nine of the Moose River  Tract,  Hamilton  county,  and  in
  exchange therefore International Paper Company shall convey to the state
  for incorporation into the forest preserve approximately the same number
  of  acres  of  land  located  within  such  townships and such County on
  condition that the legislature shall determine  that  the  lands  to  be
  received  by  the  state  are at least equal in value to the lands to be
  conveyed by the state.  Notwithstanding  the  foregoing  provisions  and
  subject  to  legislative approval of the tracts to be exchanged prior to
  the actual transfer of title and the conditions herein  set  forth,  the
  state,  in  order  to  facilitate the preservation of historic buildings
  listed on the national register  of  historic  places  by  rejoining  an
  historic  grouping of buildings under unitary ownership and stewardship,
  may convey to Sagamore  Institute  Inc.,  a  not-for-profit  educational
  organization,  approximately  ten  acres  of  land and buildings thereon
  adjoining the real property of the Sagamore Institute, Inc. and  located
  on Sagamore Road, near Racquette Lake Village, in the Town of Long Lake,
  county  of  Hamilton, and in exchange therefor; Sagamore Institute, Inc.
  shall convey to the state for incorporation  into  the  forest  preserve
  approximately  two  hundred acres of wild forest land located within the
  Adirondack Park on condition that the legislature shall  determine  that
  the lands to be received by the state are at least equal in value to the
  lands and buildings to be conveyed by the state and that the natural and
  historic character of the lands and buildings conveyed by the state will
  be  secured by appropriate covenants and restrictions and that the lands
  and buildings conveyed by the state will  reasonably  be  available  for
  public  visits  according  to agreement between Sagamore Institute, Inc.
  and the state. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions  the  state  may
  convey to the town of Arietta fifty acres of forest preserve land within
  such  town  for  public use in providing for the extension of the runway
  and  landing  strip  of  the  Piseco  airport  and  providing  for   the
  maintenance  of  a  clear  zone  around  such  runway,  and  in exchange
  therefor, the town of Arietta shall  convey  to  the  state  fifty-three
  acres  of  true  forest  land  located  in  lot  2 township 2 Totten and
  Crossfield's Purchase in the town of Lake Pleasant.
    Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions and  subject  to  legislative
  approval  prior to actual transfer of title, the state may convey to the
  town of Keene, Essex county, for public use as a cemetery owned by  such
  town,  approximately  twelve  acres  of forest preserve land within such
  town and, in exchange therefor, the town of Keene shall  convey  to  the
  state  for  incorporation  into  the  forest  preserve approximately one
  hundred forty-four acres of land, together with an  easement  over  land
  owned  by  such  town  including the riverbed adjacent to the land to be
  conveyed to the state that will restrict  further  development  of  such
  land,  on  condition  that  the  legislature  shall  determine  that the
  property to be received by the state is at least equal in value  to  the
  land to be conveyed by the state.