Palmertown, NY (December 14, 2017)— The Open Space Institute (OSI, in partnership with Alta Planning and Design and Saratoga PLAN, hosted a public workshop on December 13 , seeking input on emerging recreation, conservation, and economic development opportunities in the Southern Palmertown region.
The Palmertown Conservation Area stretches from Moreau Lake State Park and the Village of Corinth in the north to Saratoga Spa State Park in the south, and from Route 9 to the east to Route 9N to the west (see map here).
More than 40 local residents and community leaders gathered in the Greenfield Community Center to learn more about the Palmertown region, and to provide valuable local knowledge and personal perspectives on important areas to protect, key destinations, natural areas appropriate for various recreational uses, and ways to enhance economic opportunities for those who live and work in the region. Participants were able to study and mark up maps with useful information.
“We are grateful to everyone who attended this workshop and provided ideas and insight into the next steps for developing a Palmertown Conservation Master Plan,” said Katie Petronis, OSI’s Northern Program Director. “Saratoga County has great potential to become a new center for outdoor recreational activities and this plan will identify conservation corridors and recreational areas, that, if protected, will create regional connectivity, bolster the recreational and forest economy in Saratoga County, and increase public access to trails.”
This workshop is the beginning of a community planning process for the Southern Palmertown region intended to develop a strategy that is responsive to local values and concerns.
“The collective wisdom, talents and enthusiasm of the workshop participants was impressive and encouraging. Working together, the Palmertown area can remain and flourish as an intact landscape, both environmentally and economically,” said Maria Trabka, Saratoga PLAN’s Executive Director.
The Palmertown area includes some of the wildest and most natural terrains in Saratoga County, with unfragmented forests providing important wildlife habitat and timber and protecting the headwaters of the Snook Kill and Kayaderosseras Creek. The area being studied encompasses 63 square miles.
For more than 20 years, OSI has been working to enhance Saratoga County’s recreational opportunities, protect climate-resilient lands, and safeguard drinking water resources. OSI has protected more than 6,200 acres in the area, doubling the size of Moreau Lake State Park and permanently protecting Greentree Lake, with 1,800 additional acres slated for protection in 2018. Local residents are encouraged to fill out a short online survey to provide their perspective on conservation, recreation, and economic development for the area. Call Saratoga PLAN at 518-587-5554 to sign up to receive notices of upcoming activities related to the Southern Palmertown region.