New York Officers Discover Two Illegal Camps On State Land, Man Evicted

Camping for a few nights is one thing, settling on New York State land and calling it home is another and it's illegal. Take a look at the compound one individual set up recently in Franklin County before New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) officers found it.

This illegal camp was positioned on waterfront with a makeshift tent covered by tarps. It also appears as if this individual had hunting gear, a kayak, canoe and other provisions.

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On Sunday July 30th, DEC Officers discovered not one, but 2 illegal encampments on State land. One camp was located at Underwood Bridge and the other at Big Tupper Lake.

Once DEC Forest Rangers Corey and Russell discovered the camps, they knew the individual wasn't just camping overnight and that he needed to be evicted.

Forest Rangers issued 10 tickets including;

• Camping for four or more nights without a permit - $250
• Storing personal property on State land - $250
• Cutting down trees - $250
• Leaving rubbish - $250
• Leaving a fire unattended.

Way back in the late 1800's, the United States Congress created an act that allowed citizens to claim up to 160 acres of land. As long as you hadn't fought against America in a war, you could live on this land while improving it over the next 5 years. The Homestead Act provided structure to owning land in America.

In 2023 "Boondocking" is a legal activity where an individual may camp on public land that is maintained for camping but you don't have bathrooms, running water, etc.