Conservation Area

LPLC works throughout the Ausable and Saranac River watersheds within the “blue line” that delineates the Adirondack Park. These large watershed basins (outlined in red) support an array of economically diverse communities, scenic landscapes, wildlife habitats, farmlands, working forests, and wilderness. All are connected by the flow of water through the watershed basins’ streams, rivers, ponds, and lakes, which ultimately flow into Lake Champlain.

Within this large conservation area, LPLC concentrates its efforts within four focus areas:

1. Lake Placid—around Lake Placid and the upper West Branch of the Ausable River

2. East Branch of the Ausable River—the East Branch River Valley including the Route 9N travel corridor between Keene, Jay, and Ausable Forks, and also the Route 73 travel corridor from Keene Valley to Keene

3. Saranac Lakes and Saranac River watershed—Saranac Lake north to Gabriels and Bloomingdale, including the Saranac River valley and the Route 86 and Route 3 travel corridors

4. Wilmington West to Franklin Falls/Vermontville—along the Route 18A corridor and the Saranac River Valley to Franklin Falls

Continued protection of critical open space and wildlife habitats on private lands (in white) is still needed, especially along lakes and river valley bottoms where development could have particularly severe impacts on scenery and wildlife, and also contribute to flooding, and pollution in lakes, rivers and streams.

LPLC was created because of a strong and steady demand for continued land conservation in the Adirondacks. We see continued conservation of local landscapes as a fundamental component of broader efforts to maintain the region’s distinctive character.