Adirondack Chapter of The Nature Conservancy Announces Sale of Thayer Lake Reserve

Transition to Preserve Natural Resources, Establish Research Area, and Uphold Adirondack Tradition of Private Land Stewardship

Keene Valley, NY — March 18, 2008 — The Adirondack Chapter of The Nature Conservancy today announced the sale of Thayer Lake Reserve, a 15,500-acre property protected by a conservation easement, to a private buyer. The new landowner, who must maintain and care for the property under the provisions of the easement, will also use the property as a site for ecological research.

The remote property is located on the outskirts of the Towns of Long Lake and Webb in Hamilton and Herkimer Counties respectively. It was one of three tracts originally purchased by the Conservancy in 2001 as part of a larger transaction that resulted in significant additions to the Adirondack Forest Preserve.

In 2003 the Conservancy conveyed a conservation easement over the Thayer Lake parcel—now called the Shingle Shanty Preserve—to the Sweet Water Trust, a private foundation that supports conservation of wild lands and waters.

The property features five lakes and ponds, seven small mountains, vast wetlands, and important wildlife habitat. The Conservancy took it to market, listing it with Fountains Real Estate for wide distribution, as well as advertising the sale on its web site, www.nature.org/conservationbuyer. Closed bids from conservation-minded buyers were accepted until October 15, 2007.

As a privately-owned property, Shingle Shanty Preserve is not open to the public.

“We’re very excited about the opportunity to have such a unique protected area to conduct research and offer educational opportunities that will benefit the Adirondacks,” said Ross Whaley, president of the Shingle Shanty Preserve. “The property features a variety of ecosystems and varying forest conditions that make it an ideal research forest.”

“This beautiful property, rich in biodiversity and a long way off the beaten path, lies within a vast, ecologically-important landscape,” Michael Carr, executive director of The Nature Conservancy’s Adirondack Chapter said. “It bridges the gap between three wilderness areas—Pigeon Lake, Five Ponds and William C. Whitney—and provides excellent wildlife habitat.”

The purpose of the conservation easement over Shingle Shanty Preserve is to: protect the property as forever wild, in its predominantly natural, scenic, forested, and open space condition; safeguard biological diversity and ecological processes by protecting the plants, animals, natural communities, wetlands and water resources found there; and prevent any use of the protected property that will impair its ecological integrity. Should Shingle Shanty Preserve change hands again in the future, subsequent owners, too, must abide by the easement provisions.

As part of this transaction, the purchaser also donated to the Conservancy a conservation easement that protects an adjoining 2,400 acres of private land. Now, 17,900 privately-owned and contiguous acres are preserved, flanked by about 100,000 acres of “forever wild” Adirondack Forest Preserve land. The purchase price, plus the value of the donated conservation easement, was $1.2 million.

The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. The Adirondack Chapter has protected 556,572 acres since 1971 and works with a variety of partners to achieve a broad range of conservation results. For more information about the Conservancy’s work in the Adirondacks, visit www.nature.org/adirondacks.

Shingle Shanty Preserve and Research Station facilitates the study and dissemination of learning about the environment, geology, flora and wildlife of the Adirondacks through its unique physical resources and collaborative approach. The Shingle Shanty Preserve and Research Station (SSPRS) promotes research throughout the Adirondacks with a concentration on the rare wetlands, forests and numerous water bodies found within Shingle Shanty Preserve. Field research and academic study will be conducted through partnerships with academic, scientific, environmental organizations and independent researchers. www.shingleshanty.org

Sweet Water Trust, established in 1992, has been actively involved in conservation work in New England and Upstate New York, focusing in recent years on the forests of the Northern Appalachians, including neighboring lands in Canada. To date, the Trust has had a part in conserving nearly half a million acres of land that will remain forever wild. www.sweetwatertrust.org.