APA gets initial look at proposed state campground improvements

RAY BROOK | The Adirondack Park Agency (APA) Commission met Aug. 14, the first monthly session for new board members Jose Almanzar and Rush Holt Jr. The meeting was led by the presiding member for August, Matthew Tebo, New York Secretary of State's designee to the APA board. Board members will take turns leading monthly meetings, pending appointment of a new chairperson. Former APA Chair John Ernst retired at the end of June. APA Executive Director Barbara Rice welcomed the new commissioners and three additions to agency staff. Rice also announced a new online database for documents, environmental site assessment, geotechnical data and other information related to the agency's plan to relocate APA headquarters to Saranac Lake. Updates to site review will be online as the project moves forward: apa.ny.gov/headquarters-project.html The Park Agency is assessing reuse and renovation of the former Paul Smith's Power and Light building at 1-3 Main Street in Saranac Lake, along with construction of a new facility nearby. STATE LAND USE The morning APA board session focused primarily on Adirondack Park State Land Master Plan revisions. Commissioner Ken Lynch, chair of the State Lands Committee, welcomed staff presentations related to ongoing analysis of amendments to the master plan. Two popular local state campgrounds are currently in land use planning review and poised for significant improvements. The Lincoln Pond Campground and Day Use area is located in Elizabethtown on Lincoln Pond Road. The Luzerne Campground and Day Use area is on Lake Avenue in Lake Luzerne, about eight miles west of Lake George. Both campgrounds see high use by residents largely within their respective Essex and Warren counties. Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Program Specialist Oliver Miller provided APA commissioners with an overview of usage trends, recreational use, capacity, infrastructure and natural resource inventories. APA will eventually vote on whether to move forward with these improvements proposed on state-owned Adirondack Park land. Luzerne has 173 campsites and Lincoln Pond has 35, and both campgrounds have seen steady use over the past five years. DEC Day Use fees are $8. Miller said the proposed projects would improve infrastructure that is aging and provide American Disability Act (ADA) compliant access. "We think they are going to be a really nice asset," he said. IMPROVEMENTS: LUZERNE CAMPGROUND The Luzerne campground on Fourth Lake was added to the Adirondack Park in December 1963. Seasonal attendance remains steady, Miller said, with 23,191 visitors in 2024. Major improvements outlined in DEC's Unit Management Plan (UMP) update would replace five bathroom buildings to meet modern standards and achieve ADA compliance. Bathroom demolition and rebuild for all five is expected to cost $3.2 million. Miller said roads through the Luzerne campground are in poor shape, and DEC recommends rebuilding all six miles, an investment of $3.9 million DEC is looking to rehabilitate the existing water systems, connecting the back camping area to the local municipal water. Altogether, water system updates would cost about $895,000. Infrastructure improvements at Luzerne Campground include replacing overhead power lines with an underground system at a cost of approximately $725,000. The bridge that connects the front and back of Luzerne campground sites needs to be replaced at a projected cost of $425,000. State investment would add utility sinks to each restroom facility and connect them to the campground's wastewater system for around $30,000. Planners also suggest removing an underused volleyball court and adding a playground and a small picnic pavilion to that site for an estimated $125,000. Other improvements include landscaping, campsite restoration, dock removal, and rehabilitation of equestrian area trails, kiosks and the barn. Total investment at Luzerne Campgrounds is nearly $9 million. An interactive story map outlining each proposed improvement is online along with a public comment survey: DEC created an interactive StoryMap illustrating recommended updates at Luzerne Campground: arcg.is/bTX141 A link to DEC's Luzerne Campground StoryMap is also available on APA's website: apa.ny.gov/meeting/2025/08/index.html IMPROVEMENTS: LINCOLN POND CAMPGROUND State investments related to DEC's proposed updates at Lincoln Pond campground approach $5 million. Opened by the state in 1971, additions over time included primitive campsites in an area called "The Kingdom," due in part to their proximity to the Kingdom Dam at the terminus of Lincoln Pond. "These remote sites offer a pleasant camping experience with a sense of remoteness and receive consistent attendance throughout the entirety of the camping season," Miller said. "The boat launch in the Kingdom Dam sites will be decommissioned as well to prevent the launching of trailered boats into Lincoln Pond." Camper days and day use is 85 percent state residents, the majority from Essex County. There were 11,188 camp visits in 2024, including 3,333 day visits. In their most expensive recommendation, DEC recommends building a new shower facility at Lincoln Pond, a cost of about $2 million. "Design considerations for the new shower building will include six unisex shower units and a family room to accommodate individuals requiring assistance; accessible parking; universal accessibility within the current ADA guidelines and an outdoor utility sink for public use," Miller said. DEC suggests rebuilding the campground's entire water system, which they found old and in poor condition. The estimated cost for new water infrastructure is $650,000. "Additional water spigots should be installed as necessary to meet health codes and current accessibility standards," DEC said in their plan. "(This) would include the complete replacement of all existing water distribution lines with a HDPE (High Density Polyethylene) pipe and standardized fittings." The Lincoln Pond management plan suggests tearing down the bathroom facility built some 70 years ago and replacing it. The $400,000 cost includes new water and septic systems. In conjunction with water and sewer improvements, DEC recommends updating wastewater infrastructure at a cost of $500,000. "The current leach fields for a majority of the campground are older than 1971 and should be replaced," DEC said. "This must be done in conjunction with a survey of water and sewage lines because they have never been properly mapped and are likely in poor condition." Another $750,000 state investment would pave Lincoln Pond campground's main parking lot beside the day use area. And DEC suggests adding a Recycling Building near the new showers for a cost near $250,000. Additional updates could include a boat wash station at the Lincoln Pond Road launch area, landscaping additions and campsite restoration. A StoryMap outlining DEC's proposed improvements for Lincoln Pond campground are online: arcg.is/1r0LSC2 A link to DEC's StoryMap is also available on APA's website: apa.ny.gov/meeting/2025/08/index.html SEEKING PUBLIC COMMENT DEC and APA invite public input on these plans. Public comments will be accepted from August 13 until September 15 to help inform final decisions. Luzerne Campground: To read or download a copy of DEC's Luzerne Unit Management Plan and add a public comment: dec.ny.gov/places/luzerne-campground-and-day-use-area Lincoln Pond Campground: To read or download a copy of DEC's Lincoln Pond UMP or add a public comment: dec.ny.gov/places/lincoln-pond-campground-and-day-use-area Digital copies of the DEC Unit Management Plans may be obtained by calling (518) 457-6252. Public comments can also be submitted by mail or email to: Oliver Miller, EPS1 (NR), DEC Bureau of Planning and Facilities Management, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12233-5253 Email: dec.sm.OpsPlanning@dec.ny.gov Public comments on proposed UMP conformance to the APSLMP can be sent via mail to: Megan Phillips, Deputy Director for Planning, Adirondack Park Agency, P.O. Box 99, Ray Brook, NY 12977 Or submitted via email: SLMP_UMP_Comments@apa.ny.gov

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APA gets initial look at proposed state campground improvements

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