Legislature Passes ADK’s Legislation

to Protect Zoar Valley

The NYS Legislature has passed ADK’s legislation to dedicate the Zoar Valley Unique Area to the State Nature and Historical Preserve. Assemblyman William Parment sponsored the legislation in the Assembly and Senator Catharine Young sponsored the legislation in the Senate. The legislation is now awaiting the Governor’s signature. ADK submitted a letter in support of this legislation to the Governor’s office on June 8, 2007.

The Zoar Valley Unique Area is a 1,492-acre property spanning the border of Erie and Cattaraugus Counties. The entire Zoar Valley tract is approximately 2,900 acres. The area includes 7.5 miles of tributary gorges formed by the Cattaraugus Creek following the retreat of the last glaciers. The steep cliffs which form the gorge walls reach over 400 feet from the creek bottom.

ADK has advocated for this greater level of protection for Zoar Valley since 2003. We were the first organization to advocate that the gorge and a buffer area located within Zoar Valley Multiple Use Area be afforded greater legal protection due to its wilderness character and natural beauty. DEC agreed and reclassified this “protection area” as a Unique Area and requested that the state legislature formally dedicate it to the State Nature and Historical Preserve.

Unique Areas, pursuant to the NYS Environmental Conservation Law (ECL), are lands located outside of the Forest Preserve counties that possess a wilderness character and natural beauty, and are ecologically and geographically significant. One of the stated purposes of a Unique Area is to promote passive recreation such as hiking, canoeing and kayaking, while protecting the area’s wilderness character and ecological and geological resources. Once an area has been classified as a Unique Area, it may be nominated for inclusion in the State Nature and Historical Preserve.

 

“We all owe a debt of gratitude to Neil Woodworth and Marisa Tedesco of the Adirondack Mountain Club for their efforts in getting this legislation submitted and passed, efforts which began years ago and laid the groundwork for this current success.” Julie Broyles, Director of the Zoar Valley Nature Society