Follensby Pond off the Raquette River

['Dack Paddler]

Any advice on this pond? Good fishing? Easy to find / get to? Is it available to the public, I know it wasn't for a time but was purchased by another entity. Appreciate any input.

[Wldrns]

Sorry, Follensby is still the private property of the Nature Conservancy and is not (yet) open to the public. NY missed a chance a couple of years ago to purchase. Since then, the Finch Pruyn tract has taken all the press. Visiting the site of the Philosopher's Camp and fishing from there will have to wait a while.

http://www.adirondackcouncil.org/pag...crown-256.html

From the Nature Conservancy web page:
"While The Nature Conservancy forges ahead with its protection plan for Follensby Pond, the property is not open to the public. We look forward to the day when college professors can hold sessions in an outdoor classroom so rich in meaning and history, and families can enjoyed these hallowed grounds. Until then, unauthorized access is considered trespass."

[dundee]

If there is anything left of the Philosophers Camp. I believe I read in the Explorer about the owner having travelled all over the property and seeing no sign of it.

[Wldrns]

Originally Posted by dundee

If there is anything left of the Philosophers Camp. I believe I read in the Explorer about the owner having travelled all over the property and seeing no sign of it.

I understand that everything has been torn down and removed. That's why I said the site, not the camp itself.

['Dack Paddler]

Originally Posted by Wldrns

Sorry, Follensby is still the private property of the Nature Conservancy and is not (yet) open to the public. NY missed a chance a couple of years ago to purchase. Since then, the Finch Pruyn tract has taken all the press. Visiting the site of the Philosopher's Camp and fishing from there will have to wait a while.

http://www.adirondackcouncil.org/pag...crown-256.html

From the Nature Conservancy web page:
"While The Nature Conservancy forges ahead with its protection plan for Follensby Pond, the property is not open to the public. We look forward to the day when college professors can hold sessions in an outdoor classroom so rich in meaning and history, and families can enjoyed these hallowed grounds. Until then, unauthorized access is considered trespass."

Thanks for the input, I kind of figured that but wanted to hear from this knowledgeable forum!

[forest dweller]

This in state hands yet?

[Festus]

Follensby Pond is not in state hands yet. No one knows where the philosophers camp ever was exactly as the previous owner that owned it since the 1950s and sold to the Nature Conservancy fairly recently, could never find any evidence of it anywhere. There is a bay named Philosophers Bay or something like that so it was possibly somewhere in that area but no one knows for sure. The only painting I know of that was made of the camp shows a rock in the foreground that, if the painting is accurate, may give a clue to the camps location. I'm waiting for the day it is opened to the public but it could be kept off limits indefinitely...

[Festus]

http://www.adkforum.com/attachment.p...1&d=1563717567

[forest dweller]

Man, what is taking so long with state acquisition of Follenby Pond? And when it goes through I hope they do the right thing and make it mostly wilderness.

[Festus]

The Nature Conservancy doesn't always buy land just to turn it over to the state. They protect sensitive sites that have unique plants, animal species or environmental conditions so not everything gets used/over-used by the public or entrusted to the under-manned state...They also give lands to the local towns, put easements on sites but still maintain ownership etc. They clearly feel this is a very sensitive and rare lake that they need to take their time on deciding what is best to do with it for it's long-term health...

[forest dweller]

They will pass it on to the state. They need the money to protect the next tract they can get their hands on. That's what they do and I love them!

[Festus]

I hope so!

[Buckladd]

I always thought this acquisition would happen after Boreas and the Essex Chain. But now I have to question if the state is even interested. It has a healthy population of lake trout, a true deep/cold water fish species which is certainly being monitored regarding climate change, and something TNC can do on their own. Another pubic access battle would certainly ensue. Perhaps they're thinking it may be better off just to leave it be?

[Zach]

I have been vaguely wondering if Follensby Pond and Follensby Clear Pond were named for the same person, and also if the latter is really clearer than the former.
Zach

[Rich Lockwood]

I just printed out the latest DEC map of the Essex chain. What a mish mosh of classifications and multi use areas and trails. The seemed to include every possible use in one small area. I hope that doesn't happen to this pond.

[forest dweller]

Originally Posted by Rich Lockwood

I just printed out the latest DEC map of the Essex chain. What a mish mosh of classifications and multi use areas and trails. The seemed to include every possible use in one small area. I hope that doesn't happen to this pond.

All to try to make everyone (including the not so smart) happy....while doing the WRONG thing. APA staff of yesteryear are probably rolling in their graves.

[DSettahr]

One of the complications with state acquisition of the Follensby tract is that there is a heritage strain of trout present in the pond. There are significant concerns that if the state were to ever acquire this property and open it to the public, said heritage strain has a high likelihood of being wiped out due to the inevitable introduction of invasive fish species through the use of bait fish. Bait fish are, of course, not legal to use in trout waters- but these regulations have proven ineffective at protecting trout populations in other easily accessible areas.

There are some in the Adirondack community who believe (quite strongly) that the best way to protect the trout population in Follensby Pond is for the state not to fully acquire the Follensby Pond tract. Given the historic track record of trout populations in easily accessible areas declining directly due to the introduction of bait fish- and the fact that Follensby Pond would be fairly accessible even if the entire tract were managed to be roadless due to the ponds proximity to the Raquette River corridor- I'm not entirely sure that I disagree with this line of thinking.

If I were in the shoes of the Nature Conservancy, I would undoubtedly at least be considering a conservation easement as an alternative to state land acquisition- one that protects the land from further development yet does not also allow for public access (not all conservation easements include the sale of public recreation rights to the state).

[Wldrns]

I tend to agree with DS. I fear it would only be trashed like too many other historic and environmentally important sites. I spoke with someone just today who would be one in the know with ADK politics. He indicated some thought toward recreating the Philosopher's camp, but not as a generally publicly accessible site. There is logging activity now going on there, which will probably continue as well.

[forest dweller]

Originally Posted by Wldrns

There is logging activity now going on there, which will probably continue as well.

I thought the Nature Conservancy owned Follensby Pond already?

[TCD]

Yes, they do. But logging takes place on Nature Conservancy parcels in many areas. (This is sort of a semi kept secret. You cannot find this on their website, but a little searching around finds plenty of information.)