Albany, NY (September 20, 2012)
On Sunday, September 23rd, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, Cabinet Commissioners and administration Senior Staff will travel to Boreas Ponds, located among the 69,000 acres that were recently acquired by the state.
The trip is designed to help promote tourism in the Adirondack Park and find new ways to attract tourists from around the world to visit one of America's most scenic and beautiful natural habitats. The Governor, Commissioners, and Senior Staff will be joined by local elected representatives and economic development officials.
Important Information for Media Wishing to Attend:
Members of the media should arrive no later than 11:00 AM at the parking lot of the former Frontier Town Amusement park directly off Exit 29 of the Northway. Shuttle vans will drive to property.
All members of the media wishing to attend must RSVP by Friday, September 21 at 5:00 PM to AdirondackCabinetRSVP@exec.ny.gov.
In addition, all members of the media wishing to attend MUST complete a waiver form which is attached and available here: http://www.governor.ny.gov/assets/documents/boreasretreatwaiver.pdf
Once completed, the waiver should be returned to the RSVP email listed above or can be brought on the day of the trip.
Attendees are advised to come prepared for any kind of weather, including bringing rain gear, sturdy shoes, non-cotton clothing, sunscreen, a hat, bug repellant and a water bottle. Fishing licenses are required for fishermen. Lunch and beverages will be provided. There is no cell phone service at the property, and the Boreas Lodge is seven miles from the nearest public road.
For media unable to attend, stills and a video feed will be made available.
Background:
The Boreas Ponds are located in the Town of North Hudson and border the High Peaks and Dix Mountain Wilderness Areas along the northern boundary. The spectacular property features the beautiful Boreas Ponds and provides abundant opportunities for hiking, paddling, hunting, trapping, camping, fishing, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.
In Greek mythology, Boreas is the god of the North Wind and bringer of the winter. Boreas means "North Wind" or "Devouring One," according to the writings of Pausanias.
In August, the Governor announced the state’s acquisition of 69,000 acres of the former Finch Pruyn and other Nature Conservancy lands throughout the Adirondacks. The acquisition was the largest single addition to the Adirondack State Forest Preserve in more than a century.
The entire 69,000 acres will become part of the “forever wild” Forest Preserve. The former Finch lands contain some of the most important recreational and environmental assets in the Adirondack Park which will be opened to public use for the first time in more than 150 years. The lands contain an astounding variety of mountains, cliffs, wilderness lakes, ponds, bogs, fens, swamps, alluvial forests, and flat and white-water rivers. The parcels contain extensive habitat for mammals, such as moose, bobcat and black bear, and aquatic habitat for brook trout, landlocked salmon, and small and largemouth bass.
The 69,000-acres include 180 miles of rivers and streams, 175 lakes and ponds, 465 miles of undeveloped shoreline along rivers, streams, lakes and ponds, six mountains taller than 2,000 feet and countless smaller hills.