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Beebe Hill Fire Tower

Austerlitz, NY -- The forest fire observatory on Beebe Hill operated continuously
from April of 1964 until the end of the 1987 fire season. Prior to 1964 the fire tower
was located on the summit of Alander Mountain from 1928 through 1930 and on
Washburn Mountain from 1933 until November 1963.

Ten years after the closing of the facility, individuals came together to restore the fire tower and observer’s
cabin so that the public could safely continue to enjoy Beebe Hill for years to come. This group was made up
of local residents, NYS-DEC Foresters, NYS-DEC Forest Rangers and members of the Forest Fire Lookout
Association.

During this period the exterior of the cabin was fully restored with a new roof and rustic siding. The fire tower
steps and flooring were replaced and the old broken window frames were removed. This group also created
the hiking trail system throughout the Beebe Hill State Forest that so many people enjoy today.

By 2002 the majority of the restoration work was completed although the loosely formed group had disbanded.
With 80 percent of the work complete three years passed with no forward progress to complete the restoration,
so the Forest Fire Lookout Association stepped in and formed the Beebe Hill Chapter of the FFLA.

In 2005 The Beebe Hill Chapter entered into an “Adopt-A-Natural Resource” agreement with the New York State
Department of Environmental Conservation to complete the restoration of the Beebe Hill facility.

In the spring of 2008 volunteers from Local #12 of the Iron Workers Union from Albany, N.Y. will perform work
so that the fire tower will be in compliance with the state engineer’s safety requirements. Once this has been
completed the fire tower will get a fresh coat of paint and new windows placed in the tower cab.

The Chapter will also restore the cabin interior and open it to the public as a living museum with exhibits illustrating
the history on the fire tower system and forest fire control in New York State. Members of the Chapter will also have
the opportunity to staff the facility to greet visitors and answer questions. The Chapter is currently developing an
environmental education program for children.

Membership to the Beebe Hill Chapter of the FFLA is open to any person regardless of residency by filling out a
membership enrollment form. The public is welcomed to visit Beebe Hill during these final stages of restoration.

Map To
Beebe Hill
Fire Tower (.pdf):

Download The Beebe Hill 2007 Annual Report(.pdf)

Download
the History
of the Beebe
Hill Fire
Tower
(.pdf):