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A no-trespassing sign posted at Shingle Shanty Brook. Photo: Brian Mann
Paddler, journalist wins river rights case in Adirondacks
Long Lake, NY, Feb 27, 2013 — A state Supreme Court judge has ruled that a journalist and paddler wasn't trespassing when he traveled a remote river in the Adirondack Park.
Phil Brown, managing editor of the Adirondack Explorer magazine, made the controversial trip in 2010. The court fight became the latest front in a simmering battle over paddling access rights in New York.
Phil Brown, managing editor of the Adirondack Explorer magazine, made the controversial trip in 2010. The court fight became the latest front in a simmering battle over paddling access rights in New York.
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In a decision made public late Tuesday, Supreme Court Justice Richard Aulisi ruled that the route that includes Mud Pond and Shingle Shanty Brook is "navigable in fact" despite a 500-foot portage that crosses private property.
Judge Aulisi noted that the overland crossing "does give this Court pause" but he noted that past legal precedents in New York have allowed for short carries around rapids, bridges, and other obstructions.
Learn more about the issue of paddler and landowner rights in the Adirondacks.
