Friends of the St. Regis Fire Tower Restoration Planning Meeting
Thursday, 3 March 2015
7:00 - 8:30 PM

Come to the VIC on 3 March to learn how you can get involved with the ongoing effort to restore the St. Regis Fire Tower. The Friends of the St. Regis Fire Tower have worked for many years to save the St. Regis Fire Tower. The group has been designated as the lead volunteer group to work with the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation on the restoration and long-term stewardship of the facility. If all goes well, the tower could be open to the public as early as the fall of 2015.

The St. Regis Fire Tower, located on the 2,874' summit of the St. Regis Mountain, was built in 1918 after a series of fires in the forests of the Adirondacks. The most damaging fires occurred in 1903 and 1908, consuming nearly a million acres. An observation station was established on the summit of St. Regis in April 1910. In 1918, the New York State Conservation Commission erected a 35' Aermotor LS40 steel tower that still remains there today. The tower was closed in 1990.

St. Regis Tower Cab View on 21 October 2001, looking south. In the center of this photo is Lake Clear Lake with Upper St. Regis Lake to the left. On the horizon are the High Peaks with Whiteface Mountain visible to the left. Photo courtesy of The Friends of the St. Regis Fire Tower.

The Friends of the St. Regis Fire Tower formed to preserve the tower. The group's mission is to restore the St. Regis Mountain Fire Tower for safe public access, while developing an educational and interpretive program that promotes the historic and cultural values of the St. Regis Mountain Fire Tower, the NYS Fire Tower Network, and the Adirondack Preserve.

• This effort has strong public support. Over 2,500 individuals and families added their names to a petition to save and preserve the tower as an educational asset. Several organizations and local government bodies have written resolutions of unanimous support for the retention and preservation of this tower. 
• In 2011, the State Land Master Plan was amended to designate the Saint Regis Mountain Tower Historic Area. This designation allowed the tower to remain. 
• Last November, DEC Commissioner Joe Martens issued the final Saint Regis Fire Tower Historic Area Unit Management Plan, allowing restoration to proceed. The Friends of the St. Regis Fire Tower are now working closely with DEC personnel to restore the tower and to develop educational and stewardship programs. 

The meeting on 3 March will include a presentation of the efforts made to date to restore the tower, a discussion of the project and long-term stewardship of the facility, and information on how to become involved in the project. Free.