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New York Voters Approve Adirondack Amendment Allowing Mount Van Hoevenberg Expansion

State officials now must identify roughly 2,500 acres for addition to the Forest Preserve.

Overview

  • Unofficial results from the state Board of Elections show the measure passed by about four points with more than 99% of districts reporting.
  • The amendment retroactively brings prior construction at Mount Van Hoevenberg into constitutional compliance and authorizes development on up to roughly 323 acres.
  • Permitted uses are limited to Nordic skiing, biathlon trails and related facilities, with explicit bans on zip lines, hotels and swimming pools.
  • The state must add about 2,500 acres elsewhere in the Adirondacks, with specific parcels and funding still to be determined by the Department of Environmental Conservation.
  • Voting revealed a regional split as New York City rejected the proposal by about nine points, with Manhattan narrowly in favor.