NEWS RELEASES
Social Media Posts Reveal Regulation Violations In New York’s High Peaks
Editor's Note: This news item was retrieved and first published through The Adirondack Explorer's website.
The Adirondack Explorer reports that forest rangers are investigating campers breaking regulations in the Adirondack High Peaks by camping at elevations above 4,000 feet. Camping is banned above 4,000 feet from May 1 to December 14, and those camping between 3,500 and 4,000 feet need to be in designated campsites. The regulations are designed to protect the alpine zone’s thin, easily eroded soil and delicate vegetation. The Adirondack High Peaks region includes 46 mountain peaks in New York State, most above 4,000 feet in elevation.
Forest ranger Lt. Chris Kostoss told the Explorer that a post on Instagram alerted them to a person camping in the high elevations on Gothics, a 4,734-foot-tall mountain in Keene. Often, Kostoss said, people aren’t aware of the regulations, or that those who violate them may be fined up to $250. Rangers don’t believe that violations have increased in recent years, but say social media has drawn attention to the problem.
For additional information on visiting the High Peaks, visit the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation website.