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Governor signs off on fire towers, Moose River Plains
In one of his final acts before leaving office, Gov. David Paterson has approved state land classifications recommended by the Adirondack Park Agency for state lands inside the Adirondack Park. -Classification of the historic fire towers on Hurricane and St. Regis mountains to a Historic Classification and reclassification of the former Hurricane Mountain Primitive Area to wilderness. Our mission is to save the St. Regis Mountain Fire Tower and then to restore it for safe public access so it can remain permanently on the summit of St. Regis Mountain where we feel it belongs. The St. Regis Mountain Fire Tower is located on the 2,874' summit of the St. Regis Mountain in the town of Santa Clara, Franklin County in the Adirondack Forest Preserve of New York State. The current tower on St. Regis Mountain was erected in 1918 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This tower provides spectacular views of the high peaks and the many water bodies of the northern Adirondacks. In 1990 St. Regis Mountain Fire Tower was closed, being one of the last four towers in the Adirondacks to be manned by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). The current fate of this tower is unclear. The tower is considered a "non-conforming" structure as it is located in the St. Regis Canoe Area which has a land use designation which prohibits most man made structures. The Adirondack Park State Land Master Plan specifically calls for its removal. As a result, this tower could be removed by the DEC if the classification of the land on which the tower stands is not changed. Our hope is that the DEC and the Adirondack Park Agency will work with the New York State Legislature to alter the State Land Master Plan (SLMP) so that the St. Regis Mountain Fire Tower can be restored and remain permanently, where many feel it belongs, on the summit of St. Regis Mountain. There is considerable support of this historical local landmark. To date over 2,500 individuals/families have added their names to our petition. Several organizations and local government bodies have written resolutions of unanimous support for the retention of this tower. These government bodies include the Franklin County Legislature, the Town of Santa Clara, and the Town of Brighton, the Rainbow Lake Association, and the Adirondack Park Local Government Review Board.
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