APA allows campfires at Essex Chain

NEWCOMB | The Essex Chain of Lakes is a hidden gem that the Town of Newcomb wished wasn't quite so hidden. The 20,000-acre, lake-studded tract opened to the public seven years ago but has never gained traction as a paddler paradise. Town spokesman Dave Hughes said there are several reasons, including a couple of canoe carries required to get from the parking lot to Mud Pond and then from Mud Pond into the chain proper — three quarters of a mile in all. And the lakes are scenic, but not large. "You can bang it out in one day, and then maybe not return for a year or two," Hughes said. Newcomb hopes to change that, and one piece of the puzzle snapped into place Thursday, Dec., 10, when the Adirondack Park Agency agreed to permit campfires on 11 primitive camping sites at various points along the lakeshores. Fires were previously prohibited within 500 feet of the lakes. Hughes said fires will be a big help because they will encourage overnight camping, and are kay to socialization, cooking and safety. "The (state management plan) for Essex Chain was conservative, and rightly so, for its protection of species and wetlands," Hughes said. But the prohibition on fires restricted use in a way that other primitive sites in the park — with the exception of the High Peaks — did not have, said Joe Zalewski, acting Region 5 director for the DEC. "Why are we prohibiting campfires here and nowhere else?" he asked. APA Board member Art Lussi added that the destinations south of the High Peaks are designed to attract outdoors people, taking a measure of the load off of the popular Keene Valley trailheads. "By creating more opportunity for use (at Essex Chain) you take away use from other parts of the park," he said. The board's decision was not unanimous, and there were concerns about campers trampling the vegetation in search of firewood and the potential to spread invasive species on firewood that's carried in. "I've seen the impacts of campfires, and they concern me," said APA planner Walt Linck. The DEC plan calls for installing stone fire rings and monitoring the sites for damage. APA member Chad Dawson, though, said it's already known that campfires damage the ecology and likened the monitoring to one more study on the effects of cigarette smoking, which are already well-known. Dawson, the board's most outspoken conservationist, later resigned after a second DEC recommendation elsewhere in the park called for weakening conservation regulations as well. The Essex Chain was once part of a private hunting and fishing compound known as the Gooley Club. The club opened in 1950 on what was then great tracts owned by timber companies. When the land was sold to the state, the club's lease was terminated and a scattering of club-owned buildings were torn down in 2018. Hughes said the town plans a promotional campaign to attract traveler interest in the lake, including — once the town receives proper permits — drone footage of the area and photos of newly allowed campfires. Changes to the Essex Change plan also call for better equestrian facilities including friendlier trailer access and mounting blocks. Along with paddling, the chain offers opportunities for horseback riding, mountain biking and cross-country skiing.

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APA allows campfires at Essex Chain

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