TOWN OF SCHROON, N.Y. — The Adirondack Land Trust in December 2025 accepted two donated conservation easements from Phyllis and Martin Korn protecting a combined 321 acres in the town of Schroon, Essex County. The newly protected areas are close to each other and adjacent to tracts within the Vanderwhacker Mountain Wild Forest, part of the state Forest Preserve.
“We treasure the beauty of the forest and value the habitat it provides for wildlife. It means so much to us to know it is protected in perpetuity,” said Phyllis Korn.
“We are grateful to Phyllis and Martin for their generosity and foresight. It’s wonderful to see how they have transformed their reverence for nature and connection to place into lasting conservation,” said Adirondack Land Trust Executive Director Mike Carr.
“We can allow the land to be protected to grow and change as a wild landscape does. The wild forests and the views bring us great joy and enrich our lives,” said Martin Korn. “We hope our actions today inspire future generations to embrace these values and perpetuate what we have preserved,” he added.
The 177-acre Beech Hill conservation easement property features steep slopes with rocky acidic outcrop habitat near the 2,194-foot summit of its namesake—a hill that is in the foreground of a northwesterly view from Schroon Lake toward the High Peaks Wilderness. Entirely forested, the tract also includes a headwater tributary to Thurman Pond and Schroon Lake. This conservation easement prohibits development and commercial forestry to keep the forest intact, reduce soil erosion, and protect water quality.
The nearby 144-acre Townsend Road conservation easement property features forests, wetlands, tributaries, and natural shoreline. This conservation easement prohibits future development and allows sustainable timber harvest operations with an Adirondack Land Trust approved Forest Management Plan. Existing public snowmobile connector trails that pass through this property are not impacted by the conservation easement.
All 321 acres remain in private ownership, and the Adirondack Land Trust now has a perpetual responsibility to ensure that the conservation objectives are being met year after year. Private land conservation coupled with state-protected areas keep the broader Adirondack landscape connected and resilient to threats like climate change, invasive species, and habitat loss.
Aerial image of Beech Hill by Eric Adsit.