Ask John O'Donnell
Introducing the Silver Lake Road Sand Plains; 736 acres of (wooded or forested) recreational land located near Wilmington, Jay and Lake Placid, the High Peaks region of the Adirondacks, directly abutting nearly 1,200 acres of State Forest Preserve with access to the West Branch of the Ausable River.
The West Branch of the Ausable River is a famous, world-class trout fishery. As the new steward of this land ‘treasure,’ you can walk across the fields or through the woods of your property to fly fish the cool, clear waters of the Ausable, with breathtaking views of Whiteface and surrounding mountains.
The property has several gated access points from Silver Lake Road, a paved, year ‘round county road. Interior woods roads are durable and will support heavy vehicles such as tractor trailers loaded with forest products. Secondary roads and logging trails found throughout the tract are what complete the vast network of access, and suitable for ATV’s, off-road biking and hiking. This property would be ideal for RV camping, siting a camp for seasonal use, or the perfect location for a private and secluded permanent home in the northeastern portion of the Adirondack Park! Electric utilities are available along the road frontage.
There is a 57.4-acre, irregular shaped, inholding with deeded access owned by the Ausable Forks Water District as shown on the listing maps. Water is not currently being extracted from this area and there are no known plans to do so in the future. The small stream flowing across both parcels is small, unlikely to have many fish and some years may be seasonal. The boundaries of the inholding are marked with paint (and posters?). In addition, mineral rights were reserved on the entire tract under previous ownership.
The property is enrolled in NYS Section 480a of the Forest Tax Law which allows for a significantly reduced assessment, resulting in lower taxes in return for long-term forest management. Forest management is currently handled by the listing agent, John O’Donnell.
The predominant tree species found growing in the sandy, well drained soils present are; white, red, pitch and Jack pine. Less abundant species include; red oak, sugar and red maple and aspen. Timber harvesting has contributed to an abundance of natural pine regeneration, as well as expanded the breadth of blueberries and leafy browse throughout the property, creating low cover for a variety of songbirds and enhancing the likelihood of spotting native wildlife including; ruffed grouse, turkey, whitetail deer and black bear.
A harvest is currently underway and future management activities are open-ended. The property is due a 5-year plan update in 2024, which requires a re-inventory of the portions harvested in the last 5-years. From that point the harvesting schedule will be updated for the subsequent 15 years. Other than 5-year updates, forestry plans under 480a can be amended to meet the new landowner’s objectives. There is not a known, recent survey of the entire property, however boundary lines are easily identifiable, blazed and painted (red) as required under the 480a program.
The open-space and managed forest species diversity of this property are complemented by the adjacent 1,200 acres of State Forest Preserve to the south and west, where there is direct access for numerous recreational activities including fishing on the West Branch of the Ausable River.
This property is located 2 miles from the village of Ausable Forks, where you’ll find grocery, hardware and shopping, under 10-miles to Wilmington and Jay and a thirty-minute drive brings you to the Olympic Village of Lake Placid for dining and attractions. Other destination driving times include: 5 hours to NYC, under 2 hours from Saratoga Springs, 40 minutes to Plattsburg International Airport and under 2 hours from Trudeau International Airport located in Montreal.
