Saratoga County is among New York’s fastest-expanding counties. In the face of this growth, we have been working to enhance the county’s recreational opportunities, protect climate-resilient lands and safeguard drinking water resources.
Creating connectivity
Though there’s no mountain in its name, the Palmertown Range that cuts through Moreau Lake State Park is part of the Adirondack foothills.
Here, we are working to connect Moreau Lake and Saratoga Spa State Parks via a 13-mile stretch of the Palmertown Range. This trail corridor will connect the communities of Saratoga Springs, Glens Falls and Queensbury.
The Palmertown Ridge Trail is one of the highest-priority acquisitions within Saratoga County for climate resiliency, meaning that its protection will increase the county’s ability to withstand floods and other weather events associated with climate change.
With the creation of the trail residents and visitors to Saratoga Springs will be able to step out their doors and travel to Moreau Lake State Park on a long-distance recreational trail.
Connecting Communities
In December 2017, OSI, in partnership with Saratoga PLAN, began the process of developing a Palmertown Conservation Master Plan with input from the community. Completed in the Fall of 2018, the plan is a blueprint that identifies 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.
Palmertown Range Master Plan
To learn more, read the full report or executive summary below!
Since the Strategy was created, OSI has protected land instrumental to the development of the recreation corridor, a community Outreach Coordinator has been hired to help implement the plan, and the project has received more than $550,000 in grants to continue conservation and trail work.
OSI is also partnering with Saratoga PLAN and the Saratoga Film Academy to debut an incredible four-part video series about the Southern Palmertown Range Conservation Initiative. Watch the trailer below!