As New York leaders work to conserve 30% of the state’s land by 2030, conservationists are eyeing what could be a large piece of the puzzle, namely the 36,000-acre Whitney Park that's located in Adirondack Park.

Home to 46 high peaks, 2,800 lakes and ponds and more than 30,000 miles of rivers and streams, the Adirondack Park is one of a kind.

“People look to this area from all over the world to study what we have done here, to have the mixture of public and private lands,” said Claudia Braymer of Protect the Adirondacks!

What You Need To Know

  • Whitney Park's 36,000 acres feature more than 20 lakes and ponds and 100 miles of undeveloped shoreline

  • Marylou Whitney's husband, John Hendrickson, was trying to sell the property for $180 million prior to his death in August

  • Whitney Park is considered a high-priority land conservation parcel as identified in the state's Open Space Plan

More than half of the 6 million acres is privately owned, including a large piece of land in Long Lake, known as Whitney Park.

(Courtesy of Protect the Adirondacks!)

“It’s a 36,000-acre parcel. That’s more land than most people can imagine,” said Braymer. “It has 22 ponds and lakes and 100 miles of undeveloped shoreline.”

The late Marylou Whitney owned the property since the early 1990s after the death of her second husband, whose family was tied to the land since the late 1800s. Whitney’s husband at the time of her death, John Hendrickson, was trying sell it for $180 million before his death in August.

“It would be such a gem to have that go into public ownership, and have the state add it to the forest preserve,” Braymer said.

Despite the hefty price tag, conservationists are encouraging Gov. Kathy Hochul to pounce on the opportunity.

“It’s really a rare opportunity,” Braymer said.

In a letter sent to the governor last month, they argued it would go a long way in achieving the state’s 30X30 goal.

“We actually did a report last year that estimated that we have about 3 million acres to go,” Braymer explained.

Since 2019, the state has acquired nearly 43,700 acres for almost $100 million, so a move on Whitney Park would be an outlier in terms of acres and cost.

“We think the state investment is worth it, and that we have the money to do it,” Braymer said.

Whitney Industries LLC, Hendrickson’s company that was selling Whitney Park, could not provide any information about the future for the property. The state’s Department of Conservation told Spectrum News 1 it cannot discuss potential land negotiations. The governor’s office did not respond to a request for comment.

“At the very least, we’re really hoping that the state can get a conservation easement to protect the land from further development,” Braymer said.