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Sunday, 29 November -0001 19:03

A P.L.A.N. for the Future

By | Business

PROVIDENCE – Knee-deep in mud next to the waterline of the marsh, a small doe picked her way along, nibbling on small slivers of grass poking up from the mist-shrouded water.

 

As a flock of geese passed noisily overhead, she raised her head, looking first toward the opposite side of the marsh, then back toward the darkening forest. For a few moments, she stood motionless, her breath coming out in puffs of silvery smoke, and then she took a cautious step forward, lowering her head to graze.

That scene was one of several breathtaking moments during a recent hike on the new trails opened by Saratoga P.L.A.N. (Preserving Land and Nature,) in the Hennig Preserve in Providence.

The Hennig Preserve is now the largest parcel of land managed by the organization – 604 acres of pristine forest boasting mixed hardwoods and hardy pines, streams, creeks and ponds – an ecosystem of wetlands, marshes and forests with wildlife in abundance.

Previously owned by the Hennig family for the last 50 years, the property was donated in 2010 to Saratoga P.L.A.N. Volunteers, eager to get started, began the tedious task of designing, mapping, and constructing the trails in the spring of 2011. Those trails were opened earlier this month for public use.

The trail, explained P.L.A.N. Stewardship Director Andy Fyfe, is divided into five separate routes and takes hikers, among others, along a natural esker, past a beaver pond, and near a house foundation from the Civil War era.

But getting to that point, said Fyfe, was not an easy task. Mapping the trails, he explained, is a mix of technology, science, and good ol’ legwork.

“We have GIS software in which we can put in the wetlands, the elevations, streams, old roads, even soil types,” he said. “But then we get out on the land and start seeing what is there.”

He went on, explaining that the GIS software helps them create a topographical map of the land giving them a scientific understanding of the land, but then they have to actually walk the parcel to see what can and cannot be done.

“We want to make sure the trails do not go onto neighboring properties and that they are not on more than a 10 percent slope,” Fyfe said. “It is a lot of hard dedicated work.”

Even so, the walking of the land and cutting of the trails, he added, is what the volunteers love the most. “That is the most enjoyable because we get to see what is there,” said Fyfe. “We get to be out in nature.”

That part also requires skill and common sense. For example, he explained, they want hikers to be able to see and enjoy landscapes such as ponds, creeks and marshes, but they also need to protect them.

“We want to allow for the viewing of streams and such,” said Fyfe. “But without disrupting it or damaging it.”

One of the ways they do that is by building boarded walkways, like they did in the Bog Meadow Marsh Preserve or with scenic overlooks, like in Hennig where there is a marshy pond overlook and an area to view a beaver pond.

Getting such land gifts over the years has not been easy, but as more and more people understand the benefits for everyone, including themselves, people are more apt to give the organization an easement, conservatory, or deed to parcels of land Fyfe said.

Saratoga P.L.A.N. is a relatively new organization but it has its origins in humble, but determined grassroots movements from the 1980s.

One was the Open Space Project, begun in 1987, which was made up of a small group of dedicated volunteers who advocated for the preservation of the unique city and country atmosphere Saratoga Springs is famous for. The other, the Land Trust Foundation, started in 1988, worked at acquiring stewardship, easements, and ownership of property in Saratoga County in an attempt to keep their rural nature.

According to Saratoga P.L.A.N., Open Space became “the voice of smart growth, protecting and preserving public access to natural resources,” while the Land Trust organization worked toward conservation of the county’s natural resources.

“It was a unique situation we had here in the Saratoga area,” said Fyfe. “They wanted to do both things, so they decided to merge. It made sense because they could get more accomplished that way.”

By the 2003 birth of Saratoga P.L.A.N., the Land Trust had protected over 2400 acres within Saratoga County.

One of those early pieces of property acquired was an 18 acre parcel in Wilton. Deeded in 1996 by the niece of Orra Phelps, the man who had owned and protected the property from development, the Orra Phelps Preserve is a rich ecosystem of wetlands, streams and woodlands containing more than 30 of the 40 known New York species of ferns.

Bog Meadow followed in 1998 when the Anderson family donated 168 acres of open marsh, wetlands, and forested wetlands just east of Saratoga Springs to the city. P.L.A.N. worked with the city to construct two miles of trails, some that follow the path of an abandoned railway and with much of it featuring an extensive boardwalk system. The entire trail, Fyfe said, is designed to be enjoyed on foot, cross-country skis or snowshoes.

In the 150-acre Levine Preserve, which is near Hennig, hikers can experience woods much like the Adirondacks were before developers came around. It is known for its mixed hardwoods and lofty pines and has its history etched into the landscape with the footprints of former homesteads, logging roads and stone fences. Some of the pines and hemlocks in the Levine Preserve are estimated to be over 150 years old.

Fyfe said that while all of the trails and preserves overseen by Saratoga P.L.A.N. offer individual unique experiences, the biggest thrill of the Hennig Preserve is that it has been connected to 400 acres owned by the county. Those trails, he said, are expected to be completed by the spring of 2013 and will add two more miles of trails. He noted that while the majority of P.L.A.N.’s trail uses are limited by restrictions placed by the donors, Fyfe said the county trails are open to multiple uses including equine and snowmobiles.

“The county land is already open to walkers,” said Fyfe. “And they will be open to horse traffic, ATV’s and snowmobiles.”

Continuing, he said Saratoga P.L.A.N. has other projects in the wings, including one he called their most “exciting.” It is, he explained, an opportunity for the public to see previously-held private property with historic roots – the lands occupied by the American troops in the historic 1777 Battle of Saratoga. Among one of the 15 most decisive battles in world history, the Battle of Saratoga is considered the turning point of the Patriots struggle to gain independence.

“The public has only been able to see where the British were,” said Fyfe of Saratoga National Historic Park and its public lands. “Now people can see where the American troops actually beat the British.”

That trail, which is part of the Fish Creek Trail in Schuylerville, will also connect to the Park’s four mile walking trail and loops around past the Schuyler House, the Saratoga Monument and through Victory Woods.

“We like to look toward what we can do for tomorrow,” said Fyfe. “Our focus is on the future.”

For more information on any of Saratoga P.L.A.N.’s preserves or trails, or to volunteer call (518) 587-5554 or visit their website at www.saratogaplan.org

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