Blue Line redrawn?

[Woodsman]

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Does the Blue line get redrawn often?

If I was buying a little shack (to be honest), should I worry about the blue line being redrawn? The little shack is like 4 miles from the line (inside) with no running water. It would be a considerable investment for me though.

I don't want to be outside the line.

Thanks in advance!

[pico23]

The blueline would only move outward, barring a constitutional ammendment to Article 14.

It has been redrawn at times, I'd pick up a ADK history book on this, but no your shack should be in the blue line till they find oil in the forest preserve and promise it to NYS residents for $1 a gallon. Then you might have a problem.

[Bill I.]

The Adirondack Park's Blue Line has been expanded several times since 1892, from the original 2.8 million acres to the present 5.9 million acres. The most recent expansion was in 1973. In every case land was added to the park, not taken away. This link shows a comparison of the original park boundaries versus the current one.

I have not heard any recent discussions about changing the Blue Line again, but that doesn't mean that something won't come up in the future. What type of "neighborhood" is the shack in--developed and built up, or woodsy and rustic? Any state land nearby? If it's developed and commercial, then maybe a scenario *might* arise someday where some excess acreage is shaved from the park boundaries in exchange for something else. If the area is forested and not too developed, then you're probably safe. If there is state land very close by, then you're golden.

Pico's statement about the Blue Line being tied to Article XIV of the state constitution is incorrect. Article XIV only applies to the Forest Preserve. The Adirondack Park's boundary is set by statute and can be changed by an act of the legislature.

The Catskill Park's Blue Line is more likely to be changed, since the present boundary is impractical and excludes two of the High Peaks.

[pico23]

The Adirondack Park's Blue Line has been expanded several times since 1892, from the original 2.8 million acres to the present 5.9 million acres. The most recent expansion was in 1973. In every case land was added to the park, not taken away. This link shows a comparison of the original park boundaries versus the current one.

I have not heard any recent discussions about changing the Blue Line again, but that doesn't mean that something won't come up in the future. What type of "neighborhood" is the shack in--developed and built up, or woodsy and rustic? Any state land nearby? If it's developed and commercial, then maybe a scenario *might* arise someday where some excess acreage is shaved from the park boundaries in exchange for something else. If the area is forested and not too developed, then you're probably safe. If there is state land very close by, then you're golden.

Pico's statement about the Blue Line being tied to Article XIV of the state constitution is incorrect. Article XIV only applies to the Forest Preserve. The Adirondack Park's boundary is set by statute and can be changed by an act of the legislature.

The Catskill Park's Blue Line is more likely to be changed, since the present boundary is impractical and excludes two of the High Peaks.

Hmm, thanks for the update. So the blue line doesn't denote the area within the forest preserve? Actually, thinking about it slightly more I guess I miswrote/misthough more so than anything else. In light of the fact that I've read and own just about every historical book on the Daks, I'd receive an F for not thinking before writing.

Of course the blue line isn't entirely protected by article 14. for instance lake george is part of the park since 1973 (??, I know it was one of the later additions) but not entirely protected by article 14. only state owned land is. the APA's jurisdiction as which was created by governor Nellie R. (and ultimately an act of legislature) is defined by the blue line.

Duh? Ah, it was late...but as you said, if it's near or surrounded by state land he's golden. Best would be an inholding. Still my dream to buy an inholding in the middle of a wilderness. That's golden.

[Woodsman]

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It's not developed and there is a good amount of state land around it - Hooray!

Thank you both. I'm always impressed by the information and the people on this site.

Thanks again!

[Bill I.]

So the blue line doesn't denote the area within the forest preserve?

The Blue Line defines the area within which the state is to focus the acquisition of Forest Preserve lands, and it defines the limits of the APA's jurisdiction. Other than that, it is little more than a line on a map.

Forest Preserve parcels can be purchased anywhere in the so-called "Forest Preserve Counties": Oneida, Lewis, Herkimer, St. Lawrence, Franklin, Hamilton, Essex, Warren, Fulton, Saratoga, Washington, Delaware, Greene, Sullivan, and Ulster. Clinton County is another, although parts of it are exempt. If the state buys a forested property anywhere in these counties--inside the Adirondack/Catskill parks or out--and it meets a certain size threshold, then it is technically Forest Preserve. If the parcel falls below that threshold, then the state can reclassify it to something else.

There is currently an issue with Moreau State Park near Glens Falls. The state recently cleared a corner of the park to make way for a water filtration facility. The Adirondack enviro groups are crying foul because technically this parcel qualifies as Forest Preserve, and is therefore subject to Article XIV protection, even though it's outside the Adirondack Park.

So the moral of the story is that the Blue Line is sort of a soft boundary, compared to, say, the boundary of a national park. Legally, there is not much difference on either side of the line.

Of course the blue line isn't entirely protected by article 14. for instance lake george is part of the park since 1973 (??, I know it was one of the later additions) but not entirely protected by article 14. only state owned land is. the APA's jurisdiction as which was created by governor Nellie R. (and ultimately an act of legislature) is defined by the blue line.

If you look at the link I posted above, the map will show how the park has grown from the original 1892 Blue Line to the present. It's interesting to see what WASN'T included in the original park: everything east of Keene Valley (Giant, Hurricane, Jay); everything north of Whiteface; Pharaoh Lake and Lake George; and everything south of Hamilton County.

According to a timeline in Jerry Jenkins's Adirondack Atlas, the Lake George islands were added to the Adirondack Park in 1893, the year after the Park was created. (The State of New York inherited ownership of the islands from the colonial government, making them the oldest parcels of state land in the Adirondacks, by the way.) The eastern boundary was expanded all the way to Lake Champlain in 1931.

Yes, Article XIV only applies to state-owned lands; it has no bearing on the private lands within the park. So, only the state-owned shoreline of Lake George is protected, just like most other Adirondack Lakes. However, there is within the Adirondack Park such a thing as the Lake George Park, overseen by a Lake George Park Commission whose responsibilities are primarily to ensure the health of the lake's watershed. So Lake George in its entirety falls within two parks simultaneously.

So nothing about Adirondack politics is easy. There are exceptions to every case, and additional layers of complexity to things that seem to be easy to understand.

[Bill I.]

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It's not developed and there is a good amount of state land around it - Hooray!

Thank you both. I'm always impressed by the information and the people on this site.

Thanks again!

Glad we could help!