New York Governor Kathy Hochul has expressed interest in acquiring most of Whitney Park, a large private estate in the Adirondacks, for public preservation. In a letter dated October 10, Hochul reached out to the trustees of John Hendrickson’s estate and Texas-based developer Todd Interests to communicate the state’s intent to purchase about 32,000 acres of the property. The total area of Whitney Park is approximately 36,600 acres and includes lakes and forests located in Long Lake.
Todd Interests, led by Shawn Todd, had previously signed an agreement to buy Whitney Park when it was listed for $125 million. The company has considered several development options for around 4,600 acres, such as building a resort or a residential subdivision. However, they have also discussed possible conservation easements with New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation.
The process is complicated by statements from the late John Hendrickson, who was opposed to selling the land to the state. Before his death last year, Hendrickson publicly criticized previous state management of part of the property and said it contributed to the decline of native trout populations. Todd said there is no evidence of any binding deed restriction against such a sale but noted that trustees have not discussed specific terms.
Environmental groups are calling for full state ownership rather than limited easements. Claudia Braymer from Protect the Adirondacks said that “anything short of full state ownership would fall far short of the public’s long-standing expectation” for permanent protection.
Whitney Park has been considered for state conservation since 1992. It contains 22 lakes and over 100 miles of untouched shoreline. Funding for a potential purchase could come from New York’s Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act or the Environmental Protection Fund.
