State wins lawsuit over Adirondack snowmobile trail-building

ALBANY, N.Y. – New York state’s construction of wider snowmobile trails in the Adirondack Mountains has been upheld by a state Supreme Court judge.

The environmental group Protect the Adirondacks sued the state in 2015. It says cutting thousands of trees for the Community Connector trails violates the Forever Wild clause of the state’s Constitution.

The Department of Environmental Conservation contends the number of trees being cut is far less than what the group claims. Among issues raised in court was the definition of a tree.

Acting Supreme Court Justice Gerald Connolly in Albany ruled in the state’s favour in a decision dated Dec. 1.

The Adirondacks region is popular for outdoor activities including snowmobile riding, ice fishing and dogsledding. A network of trails linking Newcomb, Minerva and North Hudson is slated for completion in 2020.