Lows Lake Shoreline Protected, Wilderness Canoe Route Significantly Enhanced

“New York State and the Adirondack Land Trust are on the edge of something truly extraordinary—not just protecting a particular place, but protecting a whole experience. This stretch of Lows Lake helps complete the series of acquisitions and easements that make it possible to paddle just about forever in the heart of the Adirondacks,”
- Bill McKibben

Keene Valley, NY—March 21, 2006—The Adirondack Land Trust recently teamed up with Governor Pataki and New York State to protect 1,800 acres along Lows Lake surrounded by thousands of acres of Forest Preserve. The newly protected property is within a remote area of the Adirondack Park characterized by few roads, vast stretches of unbroken forest, and miles of wild, connected waterways.

The Sabattis Land Company, a family ownership, has committed to protecting its 1800-acre holding in the towns of Colton and Long Lake. The company sold 1,000 acres outright and a conservation easement on the remaining 800 acres to the Adirondack Land Trust (ALT). ALT, based in Keene Valley and staffed by The Nature Conservancy, is holding the property and the easement for transfer to New York State.

Aerial photo of Lows Lake
© The Nature Conservancy

Immature Bald Eagle on Lows Lake Shoreline

This cooperative project is supported by the New York State Open Space Conservation Plan. The project consolidates huge swaths of publicly protected lands in the region, including the William C. Whitney Wilderness and Five Ponds Wilderness. It also enhances the wilderness character of a popular paddling route, keeps intact important wildlife habitat, and preserves traditional land uses associated with private ownership.

One highlight of the project is that it safeguards 4.5 miles of undeveloped shoreline on Lows Lake. As a result, the lake’s entire southern shoreline, some of which is lined with winding eskers, will remain intact. New public campsites will be established along this undeveloped stretch, less than a mile from the dam that creates Lows Lake.

“The Adirondacks are home to some of our nation’s most beautiful natural resources, and over the past 11 years, we have protected critical components of the Adirondack Park,” Governor Pataki said. “This agreement will increase public access to important wilderness areas and one of the most popular canoe camping destinations in the Northeast, Lows Lake, while also maintaining traditional land uses that will include sustainable forest management.”

To the west of Lows Lake, adventurous paddlers can make their way to the Oswegatchie River, which flows through the 118,000-acre Five Ponds Wilderness Area, one of the few places in the Northeast where virgin timber stands exist. Bog Lake and Clear Pond, the final links to restoring a historic 45-mile canoe route that has been off-limits to the public for more than a century, are to the south. Both are slated for transfer to the Forest Preserve.

Harry Groome, Chairman of the Adirondack Land Trust and Adirondack Nature Conservancy, said, “This project protects the wild character of Lows Lake, a massive undeveloped lake within one of the least disturbed landscapes in the Northeast.”

The terms of the conservation easement on the 800 privately owned acres ensure that no structures visible from Lows Lake will ever be built. An additional 4.25 miles of shoreline on Alfred and Long Ponds are also protected. The easement also provides for continued sustainable logging practices, and limits building structures to hunting and fishing cabins.

"We see this as a practical solution for all concerned. The wilderness character of our land will stay the same for our family to enjoy. The even bigger parcel that we sold goes into the Forest Preserve, owned by all the people of the state forever," said Charles Brumley, President of the Sabattis Land Company.

This 1,800-acre transaction builds upon decades of land protection efforts in this region of the park where the Land Trust, Adirondack Chapter of The Nature Conservancy, and New York State DEC have worked together to protect more than 71,000 acres since 1978. “Last summer, a group of ALT trustees and staff was paddling on Lows and landed on a beach just after a bald eagle took off. It was magical,” added Michael Carr, Executive Director of the Adirondack Land Trust and Adirondack Nature Conservancy.

Henry Tepper, New York State Director of The Nature Conservancy, said, “This area is more than a paddler’s paradise; it also provides habitat for a wide range of birds, including olive-sided flycatcher, common loon, northern goshawk, and American black duck, and a host of other wildlife. We’re honored to work with Governor Pataki, New York State, and the Adirondack Land Trust to secure such an irreplaceable natural treasure.”