The State Departments of Environ-mental Conservation (DEC) and Trans-porta-tion (DOT) announced Wednesday that they will reopen for review the 1996 Unit Management Plan/ Environmental Impact Statement (1996 UMP/EIS) for the Remsen–Lake Placid Travel Corridor.
This is in response to public interest, said DOT Commissioner Joan McDonald.
The UMP governs the use of the 119-mile Corridor that has allowed rail travel in the Adirondack Park since the first tracks were laid in the early 1890s.
The review of this UMP will focus separately on two segments.
One segment, the rail stretch between Tupper Lake and Lake Placid, is being considered for conversion to a “recreational trail.”
Presumably, this would mean removing the rails and ties from the rail bed, and allowing the corridor to be used for pedestrians, bicycles, and other non-motorized modes of travel.
The remainder of the Corridor—the segment from Remsen to Tupper Lake—is being looked at for opportunities to maintain and realize the full economic potential of rail service.
Currently rail service, from Utica through Remsen and on to Old Forge, is being conducted by Adirondack Scenic Railroad, which came into being in 1994.
But the rail service envisioned by the 1996 UMP/EIS has never been fully realized, according to a statement by the DEC.
The recurring short-term lease, under which the Adiron-dack Scenic Railroad operates, has hindered the capital investment necessary to improve the rail line.
Primarily this has been the case in the most remote sections of the corridor, according to the DEC.
The UMP review will explore assurances that the rail operator and investors would need to move forward with much-needed improvements to the line, DEC said.
An additional sub-focus of the UMP review involves the Corridor segment between Old Forge and Tupper Lake.
The interest here relates to snowmobiling.
The state will review options to create and expand “alternative snowmobile corridors” to connect communities from Old Forge to Tupper Lake on existing state lands and conservation easements.
“Snowmobilers have long used the travel corridor during peak season to transit between communities,” the DEC acknowledged.
That use is made unsafe during periods of lesser snow as track becomes exposed, it said.
These new and expanded snowmobile corridors would open new recreational and tourism opportunities for those communities, according to DEC Commissioner Joseph Martens.
They would also provide a safer riding experience for the snowmobiling community, he said.
The determination to revisit the UMP was made following a thorough assessment of options, and a review of the extensive public comments made during four public meetings held by DEC and DOT last year.
DEC and DOT will prepare the UMP and draft EIS, which will seek to increase recreational use of the rail corridor, and ensure it promotes tourism and economic growth in the surrounding communities.
As part of this process, the public will have an opportunity to review and comment on a draft scope that outlines significant issues and environmental impacts, and guides preparation of the UMP and draft EIS.
In addition, the public will be able to review and comment on the draft UMP and draft EIS when they are deemed complete.
Revisiting the 1996 UMP/EIS will enable DEC and DOT to thoroughly review those aspects of the 1996 UMP/EIS that recommend enhanced recreational opportunities and community connections.
Alternatives can also be examined for the best future use of the Corridor along the Tupper Lake to Lake Placid segment.
DEC and DOT will work with the Adirondack Park Agency (APA) and public stakeholders.
These include local officials and residents.
The purpose is to assess alternatives that reflect current realities along the corridor and potential environmental and economic impacts.
“Our goal is to protect our natural resources, while also exploring ways to increase opportunities for people to enjoy outdoor recreation activities in the Adirondacks,” DEC Commis-sioner Martens said.
“We recognize that the future of the Remsen to Lake Placid Travel Corridor is important to local residents, communities and the regional economy, and the UMP process is the appropriate way to determine the best use of the corridor,” he said.
Additionally, he said the DEC appreciates the input received and continues to encourage the public and stakeholders to be actively involved in the UMP process.
Their views and interests will be an important part of the decision-making process, Martens said.
The UMP process will provide a transparent and public means of exploring a proposed amendment to the 1996 UMP/EIS, according to Martens.
Ideally, any amendment would maximize benefits from public use of the corridor, while conforming with the Adirondack Park State Land Master Plan, he said.