The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today announced the amendment of the Kildare Conservation Easement and the Five Mile Conservation Easement Recreation Management Plans (RMPs) to include new opportunities for public access to recreation in the Adirondack Park. The Kildare and Five Mile conservation easements are located in the towns of Hopkinton and Parishville, St. Lawrence County.

“DEC is excited to announce that planning is underway to provide the recreating public with access to the 12,200-acre Kildare Tract Conservation Easement,” Region 6 Director Randall Young said. “The amended Recreation Management Plans will provide new opportunities for recreation in the Adirondack Park while supporting the local economy and continuing to protect natural resources.”

The amended RMPs will open the Kildare Conservation Easement to seasonal public motor vehicle and overland access for the first time since the easement was acquired in 1989. The easement will become accessible after the construction of a new half-mile connector road between the Kildare and Five Mile properties, which will open 16.1 miles of existing roads for public motor vehicle use and make the entire Kildare tract more accessible for non-motorized access and activities such as hunting, hiking, and wildlife observation. Planning for the road’s construction is underway. Road design and construction are anticipated to take several field seasons to complete. Additional updates will be shared after the road is complete.

The Kildare Conservation Easement includes more than 12,000 acres of working forest owned and managed by Molpus Woodlands Group (MWF Adirondacks, LLC). The Five Mile Conservation Easement is more than 18,000 acres of working forest owned and managed by WoodWise Forestland, LLC. Visit the DEC website for information about the 2021 Amendments to the Kildare and Five Mile Conservation Easement Tracts.