(March 29, 2011)
Dear Club President,
The Nature Conservancy purchased 161,000 acres of former Finch, Pruyn lands in June of 2007, and sold 92,000 of those acres to ATP Timberland Invest in March of 2009. A majority of the hunting leases — more than 135 — that were in place when the Conservancy bought the land are still in places, both on Conservancy-owned land and ATP-owned land.
Leasing Nature Conservancy Lands
As you know, some clubs continue to lease land that The Nature Conservancy plans to transfer in the coming years to New York State. Though we do not know the schedule for the transfers, we continue to anticipate that they will take place over multiple years.
That puts us in a position to offer hunt clubs, beginning in the fall of 2011, an opportunity to renew their exclusive leases on a year-to-year basis while The Nature Conservancy continues to own the land. The 10-year transition period would still be in effect (with terms slightly altered from the way they were envisioned in 2008). Here is a summary:
- From Oct. 2011 through Sept. 2012, clubs that renew their leases will maintain exclusive rights fro the entire year rather than transition to exclusive seasonal use (April 1 through June 30, and big game rifle season) with shared public access the rest of the year as was originally anticipated and outlined in Addendum D to our 2008-11 lease agreements.
- Once tracts are acquired by New York State, exclusive right terms will remain for the balance of the lease period and then, going forward, the terms will transition to reflect the transfer schedule outlined in Addendum D. So, for example, if a lease is on land transferred to New York State at the calendar year-end of 2011, the club will have exclusive year-round rights until Sept. 2012, and then have the option to retain its lease with a limited camp envelope (and reduced price to reflect the loss of exclusivity) between Oct. 2012 and Sept. 2018.
- In addition, the Conservancy will freeze lease rates beginning in Oct. 2011 for those leases that will retain exclusive rights through the upcoming one-year lease period (i.e. lease acreages and rates will remain unchanged from the 2008-11 leases).
- We will strive to provide clubs with at lease five months’ notice prior to renewing their annual lease whether we anticipate their leased property being sold to the State in the upcoming lease year.
The Conservancy is also offering a handful of new leasing opportunities on previously un-leased parcels on a year-to-year basis, so feel free to put interested parties in touch with us.
Additional information
Questions about recreational leasing can be directed to Len Cronin of the Finch Woodlands Division, at (518) 793-2541 ext. 5526, or Cassie Trybendis at extension 5693.
Sincerely,
Leonard J. Cronin
Adirondack Forest Manager
