Robert Cairns: Delhi fire tower will be an asset to the region
Aug. 4—I've written in this space before about my affection for outdoor recreation. I'm happiest in a kayak, or on a mountain trail, or sitting by a campfire near a lake in the woods.
Lots of people feel the same, and that's why outdoor recreation has been a growing part of the economy in this region for years.
I was glad to see Delaware County approve a project last week that is bound to be a popular outdoor attraction.
Fire towers draw hikers and other enthusiasts. Delhi used to have one and, remarkably, the structure still exists, just waiting to be restored to its former perch on Bramley Mountain.
A brief history lesson: In an earlier technological age, tall structures were placed on mountaintops to aid rangers in spotting forest fires. Several such towers still exist in New York, both in our Catskills and up north in the Adirondacks. When a ranger spotted smoke in the remote woods, he would note the direction. Using sightings from more than one tower, rangers could triangulate the position of the fire and deploy resources to fight it.
There are better ways of detecting fires, these days, so many of the old towers are gone. Others live on, visited by hikers and tower enthusiasts each year. They offer incredible views of the surrounding areas.
Fire towers are so popular, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation runs a "Fire Tower Challenge" each year, encouraging people to visit the six remaining towers within the "blue line" of the Catskill Park. Five of the towers stand where they always did on Catskills peaks, while one has been reconstructed on the site of the Catskill Visitors Center in Mt. Tremper.
Delaware County has two fire towers that I know of, on Mt. Utsayantha in Stamford and in the town of Tompkins, near the former site of Rock Rift, a community that now lies below the waters of the Cannonsville Reservoir.
Like the proposed Bramley Mountain tower, they lie outside the blue line and won't be part of the DEC challenge.
Tourists don't care about blue lines, though, and if they travel to Ulster County to visit fire towers, they'll come a little farther to check out the ones in Delaware. Delhi will be a stepping stone for people who come up state Route 28 to visit the Bramley tower, then head north or south on Route 10 to visit the other two.
It's worth noting that the Bramley Mountain Fire Tower is not standing, yet, and that any number of things could still get in its way.
A primary issue is that the tower site is now owned by New York City, bought up as part of the city's ambitious efforts to buy the land that drains into streams that, in turn, run into the reservoirs that supply millions of people with drinking water.
The city has shown a willingness to accept low-impact recreation on the lands it owns, however, and has negotiated an agreement that would allow the tower to be built. It had previously approved the hiking trail to the site.
A group of volunteers — The Friends of Bramley Mountain Fire Tower — has been raising money to rebuild the tower for several years and has a memorandum of understanding with the city's Department of Environmental Protection to operate and maintain the tower once it's built. However, the DEP needed to issue a land use permit with a municipality to allow a structure to be built on city property.
The town of Delhi was not willing to take on the responsibilities associated with such a permit. I'm glad to see Delaware County did.
So, the Friends of Bramley Mountain Fire Tower, the New York City DEP, Delaware County and — not to be overlooked — the Peter Clark family of Delhi, which owns the actual tower structure, are coming together to create a project that is bound to become a landmark and a source of pride for the area.
Good for all involved.
I've visited fire towers in both the Catskills and Adirondacks, and I've hiked the Bramley Mountain trail to the former tower site. I'm looking forward to having a tower to visit so close to home. I hope many of you will check it out when it's ready, hopefully next summer.
Robert Cairns is the editor of The Daily Star. Contact him at rcairns@thedailystar.com.
