Essex County, NY
Preserved, March 2005. Hiking though through the Floodplain Forest in the winter you are likely to see sign of mink, otter, bobcat and deer. Beavers have been active on the property, and their work is seen with felled and hourglass shaped trees. The main trail takes you through the heart of the property looking down at the floodplain forest to the east and to the west into a mature hemlock forest. The trail ends at a rich swamp--a peaceful place to place to sit, listen and watch.

In March 2005, the Northeast Wilderness Trust purchased a forever-wild conservation easement on the Floodplain Forest property--90 acres in Essex, New York containing an unusual floodplain forest. This property is ideal for research, recreation and reflection.

"Intact floodplain forests area rare. Most of the Northeast's floodplain forests were logged or converted for agricultural use in the 1700s and 1800s," said Kathleen Fitzgerald, Executive Director. "These lands were coveted for use because of their rich soils, and lack of rock and stones. We have a lot to learn about these forests."

Current threat to floodplain forests include invasion by exotic species and lack of periodic flooding because of water control by dams on many of our region's rivers.

The floodplain forest recently preserved by the Northeast Wilderness Trust contains approximately 20 acres of clayplain forest--a rare community type in the Northeast region. Ecologist Marc Lapin who conducted an ecological assessment on the property found several species, such as wild rye, wild millet, and yellow oak. Marc also noted an unusual abundance of black maples, which are typically not found this far north or on clayplains.

Ramble over to the east side of the property and you'll find the Boquet River. "The fact that the entire eastern portion of the property abuts the Boquet River makes this land even more important," said Tim Burke, Board member and resident of Essex, NY. "The Boquet River flows from the high peaks of the Adirondacks, into the Champlain Valley and empties into Lake Champlain. The Boquet River is a New York State designated Wild, Scenic and Recreational River. The protection of its shoreline by the Northeast Wilderness Trust will help preserve water quality and a significant buffer."

The Floodplain Forest Property is located in the Split Rock Wildway, a proposed habitat linkage extending from Lake Champlain and the Champlain Valley of the Adirondacks to the Jay Range Wilderness. The preservation of the Floodplain Forest Property is another key piece preserved by the Northeast Wilderness Trust in the Wildway.