New York State Banner
D E C banner
D E C banner

State Land Classifications

Forest Preserve

The Forest Preserve consists of public lands in the Adirondack and Catskill Parks within "forest preserve counties" as defined by the New York State Legislature. Forest Preserve lands are protected by Article XIV of the New York State Constitution.

Article XIV (Section 1) states in part that: "The lands of the state, now owned or hereafter acquired, constituting the forest preserve as now fixed by law, shall be forever kept as wild forest lands. They shall not be leased, sold or exchanged, or be taken by any corporation, public or private, nor shall the timber thereon be sold, removed or destroyed". Currently some 2.6 million acres of land within the Adirondack Park and 300,000 acres of land within the Catskill Park are included in the Forest Preserve. Definition: (ECL 9-0101)"...lands owned or hereafter acquired by the state within the county of Clinton, except the towns of Altona and Dannemora, and the counties of Delaware, Essex, Franklin Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer, Lewis, Oneida, Saratoga, Saint Lawrence, Warren, Washington, Greene, Ulster and Sullivan,..."

Forest Preserve lands are further broken down into categories based on their capacity to withstand use and are classified as Wilderness, Wild Forest, Canoe, Primitive, Intensive Use, Wild and Scenic Rivers, Travel Corridors, Historic, or State Administrative. These categories are defined in either the Adirondack Park State Land Master Plan or the Catskill Park State Land Master Plan depending on which area they are located in. For a further information please refer to New York's Forest Preserve page.

State Forests

"State Forests" is a generic term encompassing many legally defined classifications of lands outside the Forest Preserve. It was originally confined to "reforestation areas", but has been expanded to include land parcels acquired under several Bond Acts. Those lands known as "State Forests" are under the administration of the Division of Lands and Forests. The 1988 revised draft of the Master Plan for State Forests defines "State Forests" as the approximately 600,000 acres classified as reforestation areas and the approximately 100,000 acres classified as multiple use lands. These are forested areas which have been acquired by the people of the State of New York, outside the Adirondack and Catskill Parks, on which multiple use management practices may be conducted.

There are 4 basic State Forest classifications (defined below):

  1. Reforestation Areas
  2. Multiple Use Areas
  3. Unique Areas
  4. State Nature and Historic Preserves

1. Reforestation Areas

[ECL 9-0501 (1)]: "In order to provide for the acquisition of lands outside of the Adirondack park and the Catskill park... which are adapted for reforestation and the establishment and maintenance thereon of forests for watershed protection, the production of timber and other forest products, and for recreation and kindred purposes, the Department may acquire in the name of the state, by gift, purchase or appropriation, reforestation areas which shall consist respectively of not less than five hundred acres of contiguous lands, which shall be forever devoted to the planting, growth and harvesting of such trees as shall be reforested." Reforestation Area may be divided only by a highway, railroad, transmission line, telephone line, telegraph line, pipe line or other rights of way or only by canals or streams and are also devoted to watershed protection, the production of timber and other forest products, and for recreation and kindred purposes.

2. Multiple Use Areas

[Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Law, 15.01 (1) (b)]:"...moneys received by the State from the sale of bonds sold pursuant to the park and recreation land acquisition bond act of 1960 and 1962 shall be expended for the following purposes..." For the acquisition of real property for other than state park or municipal park purposes, to provide additional opportunities for outdoor recreation, including public camping fishing, hunting, boating, winter sports, and, wherever possible, to also serve multiple purposes involving the conservation and development of natural resources, including the preservation of scenic areas, watershed protection, forestry and reforestation... Definition: A parcel of land owned by the state acquired for outdoor recreation, including public camping, fishing, hunting, boating, winter sports, and, wherever possible, to also serve multiple purposes involving the conservation and development of natural resources, including the preservation of scenic areas, watershed protection, forestry and reforestation

3. Unique Areas

[ ECL 51-0703 (4)]: "A state project to acquire lands of special natural beauty, wilderness character, geological, ecological or historical significance for the state nature and historical preserve and similar lands within a forest preserve county outside the Adirondack and Catskill parks" Definition: A parcel of land owned by the state acquired due to its special natural beauty, wilderness character, or for its geological, ecological or historical significance for the state nature and historical preserve, and may include lands within a forest preserve county outside the Adirondack and Catskill Parks.

4. State Nature and Historic Preserves

[ECL 45-0117 (3)]: Lands dedicated to the preserve (State Nature and Historic Preserve as referred to in Section 4 of Article XIV of the State Constitution) are declared to be put to their highest, best and most important use and are to be held for one or more of the following purposes:

  1. As natural communities for maintaining plants, animals and natural communities;
  2. As reservoirs of natural materials and ecological processes that contribute to the state's biological diversity;
  3. As field laboratories for scientific research and education in the natural sciences, including the fields of biology, conservation, ecology, natural history and paleontology; and
  4. As places of natural and historical interest and beauty which provide the public with passive recreational opportunities including, where appropriate, fishing, hunting and trapping, or commercial fishing opportunities that are compatible with protecting the ecological significance, historic features and natural character of the area.

Definition: A parcel of land owned by the state acquired to protect the biological diversity of plants, animals and natural communities and may provide a field laboratory for the observation and education in these relationships. The areas may also provide for the protection of places of historic and natural interest. The areas may be used for passive recreational pursuits by the public.

Wildlife Management Areas

Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) are lands owned by New York State under the control and management of the Department of Environmental Conservation's Division of Fish, Wildlife and Marine Resources. These lands have been acquired primarily for the production and use of wildlife.

Conservation Easements

[ECL 49-0303 (1)]: "An easement, covenant, restriction or other interest in real property, created under and subject to the provisions of (Title 3) which limits or restricts development, management or use of such real property for the purpose of preserving, or maintaining the scenic, open, historic, archaeological, architectural, or natural condition, character, significance or amenities of the real property in a manner consistent with the public policy and purpose set forth in 49-0301 of this title, provided that no such easement shall be acquired or held by the state which is subject to the provisions of article fourteen of the constitution". Definition: A parcel of land under management of the state which has an easement, covenant, restriction or other interest in real property which limits or restricts the development, management or use of such real property for the purpose of preserving, or maintaining the scenic, open, historic, archaeological, architectural, or natural condition, character, significance or amenities of the real property. It can not be subject to the provisions of Article XIV of the State Constitution.