Deal Reached on Preserving Adirondack Land and Economy

"In the largest land protection deal in New York State history, more than a quarter million acres of privately owned spruce forest, untamed river and true back country wilderness scattered across the heart of the Adirondack Mountains will be forever protected from development and opened for camping, hiking and other public uses, Gov. George E. Pataki will announce today," according to the New York Times.

The 257,425 acres -- physically larger than all of New York City, the Times notes -- will become available for public recreation. And, owner International Paper "will retain the right to harvest wood using sustainable methods." The Times calls this compromise "an important change from past land acquisitions, a shift that some environmental groups say could be a model for the rest of the country."