Page 12 - Town of Newcomb Comprehensive Plan - 2010

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2.0 Newcomb Today
2.1 Overview

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Situated in the heart of the 6.1 million acre Adirondack Park, the Town of Newcomb is one of its
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signature communitties. For nearly 163 years, Newcomb’s primary industry was iron ore and
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titanium dioxide mining. In addition to mining, forestry was an integral part of Newcomb’s
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economy. However, with the closure of NL Industries in the 1980’s, and the Nature
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Conservancy’s purchase of lands once owned by Finch, Pruyn Inc., these industries have either
disappeared or are now limited within the Town. The closure of NL Industries in particular led
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to a precipitous decline in jobs and year‐round residents, which in turn prompted the closure of
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other local businesses and now threatens the existence of such essential institutions as the
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Newcomb Central School.
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Defined by its remote character and “forever wild” State forest lands,
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Newcomb has always attracted tourists and second home owners who
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come to enjoy its recreational and natural resources. In recent years,
the construction of seasonal homes has far outpaced the construction
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of year‐round residences. Of those who have chosen to live in
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Newcomb year‐rounnd, most are retirees. The Town’s natural resources
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attract large numbers of visitors. In 2008, more than 45,000 visitors
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came to enjoy the more than 70,000 acres of State owned forest lands
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and 77 miles of trails, the Adirondack Visitor Interpretive Center, the
Goodnow and Mt. Adams fire towers, and such historic locations as
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Great Camp Santanoni and the Upper Works site.
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In addition to state owned lands, various non‐profits and institutions
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of higher learning have large land holdings within the Town. For
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example, Newcomb is home to the approximately 15,000 acre
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Huntington Wildlife Forest, which is held in trust for the SUNY College
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of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) and is managed by the
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Adirondack Ecological Center. The Huntington Wildlife Forest is also
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home to the Adirondack Park Agency’s Visitor Interpretive Center
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(VIC). Together, programs administered by these intuitions help
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interpret the Town’s natural history and better understand its
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ecological resources.
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Private land use in NNewcomb is regulated by the Adirondack Park Agency, a state agency with
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land use regulating authority. The Town of Newcomb, in its effort to achieve both economic
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and environmental ssustainability, is one of the few Adirondack communities that has an APA
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Town of Newcomb Comprehensive Plan
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March 2010
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