For Better or Worse

From Kushaqua Club to Kushaqua Tract

Story and photos by Brandon Marshall

Kushaqua Hunting Club was founded in 1950s, with just a few “logging cabins" where loggers could bunk during long work weeks. These were the first cabins to be leased on the land, and soon more were built. 

Up until April 22, 2009, Kushaqua's 17,500 acres were previously private only to members and loggers. On that date and for now, the property is known as the Kushaqua Tract which has involved the allowance of public access.

During the time of the change, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation met with the landowners--Upland Forestry and Lyme Adirondack Timberlands--to discuss a plan to promote after the terms of the old lease agreement expired.  According to Recreational Lease Manager for Lyme Timber, Mike Gersten, the DEC is going to have what's called a “soft opening" of the property to the public, for at least this year. 

“Here's how that is going to work," he said, “All the gates that are currently up will remain closed and locked. The public will have designated parking areas outside the main gates, and they will be able to park and walk in or ride their mountain bikes into the tracts to hunt, fish, and so on."  Gersten reinforces, however, “The public will not be able to ride ATVs on the tract at this time."

"There just isn't as many deer as there used to be, and it was no longer worth the price"

Motorized vehicle access remains, for now, with only the camp owners and loggers. At last count, there were 210 paying members left on the property, leasing 31 cabins. With each site comes one surrounding acre which can be posted and is only accessible to members of that camp. Unfortunately for members such as Jim Andre, who had been a part of Kushaqua since it began, the change from club to tract directly affected his decision to leave the club. “Couldn't figure paying that much," said Andre, the oldest member of the camp, “There just isn't as many deer as there used to be, and it was no longer worth the price."
 

One year prior to the change in April, lessees paid an annual fee of $650 per member. Through what is labeled as the Recreational Cabin and Site License Agreement, each camp is now required to pay $1800 for this year's lease. That fee will be raised $50 for each of the next two years, and after that, the term of the lease will be over. 

The Office of Natural Resources in the DEC explains, “Perhaps the most significant change that will occur will be the increased presence of Department Forest Rangers and Environmental Conservation Officers conducting enforcement operations on the conservation easement properties.  Lessee encounters with these personnel will likely become more commonplace and routine patrols of these properties will be issuing citations, at their discretion, when they encounter violations of New York State law." 

At the moment, DEC staff is advising members of the public to access these properties only on foot, via mountain bike, on horseback, or by canoe or kayak where applicable.

"Perhaps the most significant change that will occur will be the increased presence of Department Forest Rangers and Environmental Conservation Officers"

The lush landscape is composed of wetlands and mountains, and wildlife varies from snowshoe hare to white-tailed deer. The land itself is an extensive sanctuary of wilderness, given the fact that much of the land is still untouched by humans. Over the years, harsh winters and climate changes have led to what members describe as a decrease in the deer population.

DEC Wildlife Biologist Ed Reed explained, "In the late 1960's and early 1970's there were several very hard consecutive winters that caused heavy deer mortality.  It took the deer herd several years to recover from those winters, and subsequent harsh winters in the 70's and 80's also set the population back." 

However, he also said that "milder winter weather since the late 1980's, and improved winter habitat has allowed the Adirondack deer herd to increase to near record levels."  So for this portion of the region, either deer are just too far into the thick lands to find, or they have simply moved to a more suitable feeding or breeding location.

This year the DEC simply did not have the funds and resources to allow the public to drive onto the Kushaqua Tract. The state may open up the roads to the public, but if they do, the state must share in the cost to maintain those roads and at this time that cannot be the case. 

"I'm sure you have heard the news on the financial condition of New York State's budget," said Gersten, "It's all red numbers. If things don't improve, I would expect the same "soft opening" to continue. Maybe a main snowmobile trail in the winter going from Route 99 across the Kushaqua Tract out to Debar Mountain could be allowed. We'll know more next spring. It's a wait and see game right now."

"It's all red numbers. If things don't improve, I would expect the same "soft opening" to continue"

This situation may continue indefinitely, depending on how fast the economic recovery is in New York State. For the cabin site guys, this is a positive, but sooner or later it will be open for the public in the summer. At that time, ATV riding by the cabin site lessees will be confined (by the easement), only to use their access road to camp and park within their acre's boundaries.

"Probably in January of 2012, Lyme will send out another three year agreement for the camp owners, and there will probably be a nominal increase over this license's fee schedule in the new license," explained Gersten, "I don't know what that will be at this time." For now, Kushaqua can never be developed, and it will forever be a sort-of reserve for nature and wildlife.

If you were a member, would you stay or go?