This notice provides information about Proposal 1 on the 2025 statewide ballot related to land use at the Mt Van Hoevenberg Olympic Sports Complex.
Mt Van Hoevenberg (Olympic Sports Complex) in North Elba, NY, (near Lake Placid) operates on 1039 acres of State Forest Preserve Intensive Use Land as well as a smaller 319-acre parcel of Town Easement Land.
This proposal would authorize the Olympic Regional Development Authority to continue to use, and when necessary, improve 323 acres of the 1039 Forest Preserve acres. That land has already been in use for 45 years for recreational and competitive activities, such as cross-country skiing, biathlon, and hiking. In exchange for the continued use of this Forest Preserve land, the State will add at least 2,500 acres to the Forest Preserve.
Specific Changes Associated with Proposal 1
- Proposal 1 authorizes a maximum of 323 acres of the 1039 acres to continue to be used, maintained, and, when necessary, improved, as cross country trails, parking lots, and associated current infrastructure.
- The continued use and maintenance of Mt Van Hoevenberg trails and associated infrastructure will be governed through the Unit Management Plan process overseen by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation and the Adirondack Park Agency.
- The NY State legislature has passed a bill identifying the scope of allowable and prohibited use of the land addressed by Proposal 1.
- Examples of allowed use include trail development and maintenance, buildings and infrastructure needed for ski purposes, snowmaking systems, parking lots, paved loops, and the biathlon stadium.
- Examples of prohibited use include: the addition of any hotels, resorts, or commercial development, zip lines, tennis courts, public off-road vehicles, and commercial uses above 2,200 feet in elevation.
- Proposal 1 also requires the State to purchase at least 2,500 acres of new land elsewhere in the Adirondack Park, to be added to the Forest Preserve once the land is identified by the State and approved by the NY State Legislature.
Terminology on the Ballot
- Official Ballot Title: “Amendment to Allow Olympic Sports Complex in Essex County on State Forest Preserve Land”
- Also referred to as: Proposal 1 – Use of Mount Van Hoevenberg Sports Complex Land and Acquisition of 2,500 Acres for Adirondack Park Amendment (2025)
Timeline for Background and Historical Context: Mt Van Hoevenberg Olympic Sports Complex & Proposal 1
1930 – Town of North Elba provides a Land Easement on Mt Van Hoevenberg to build the Bobsled track for the 1932 Winter Olympics.
1932 – The first Bobsled events were held at Mt Van Hoevenberg as part of the Lake Placid Winter Olympic Games.
1960s – The State Forest Preserve Intensive Use land adjacent to the town Land Easement is developed for Nordic and biathlon use in preparation for future international competitions, creating early versions of today’s trail network.
1970 & 1972 – Mt Van Hoevenberg hosts the Kennedy Games and World University (FISU) Games, confirming its reputation as a premier competition site.
1980 – The Lake Placid Winter Olympics return. New trails, biathlon courses, and sliding facilities are built, expanding the site’s footprint on both Town of North Elba easement land and State Forest Preserve land.
Early 1980s – After the Games, plans to convert the area into a campground—an allowable use for Forest Preserve land under the State Land Master Plan—are set aside. The complex is instead placed under the newly created Olympic Regional Development Authority (Olympic Authority), charged with operating and maintaining New York’s Olympic venues.
1980s – 2010s – The site continues to host public recreation, training, and international events. The 1240-acre Intensive Use area is managed through Unit Management Plans (UMPs) overseen by the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and the Adirondack Park Agency (APA). These plans long recognize that a constitutional amendment would be needed to formally authorize certain trail and facility uses on Forest Preserve land.
2018 – The Mt Van Hoevenberg Unit Management Plan Amendment (UMPA) is finalized, authorizing upgrades at the Olympic Sports Complex — including the construction of the biathlon stadium and other trail improvements — on portions of State Forest Preserve land as well as Town of North Elba easement land. These actions made clear that an amendment was required to align the site’s long-standing uses with constitutional protections.
March 7, 2023 – The proposed amendment is introduced in the State Senate, seeking to amend Article XIV of the New York State Constitution to authorize continued recreational and Olympic use at Mount Van Hoevenberg.
2024 – 2025 – The proposal passes in two consecutive legislative sessions of the New York State Senate and Assembly, as required for all constitutional amendments under Article XIX.
August 6, 2025 – The New York State Board of Elections certifies the measure for the statewide ballot as Proposal 1, titled “Amendment to Allow Olympic Sports Complex in Essex County on State Forest Preserve Land.”
November 4, 2025 – Voters statewide will decide Proposal 1.