In a $50 million deal, New York State has acquired 69,000 acres in the Adirondack Mountains from the Nature Conservancy that will open the area to the public for the first time in 150 years, The New York Times reported. The acreage will be added to the Adirondack State Forest Preserve.

The first area to go public will be the Essex Chain parcel, an 18,000-acre parcel that the state bought for $13 million. The Essex chain purchase will be completed this fall, with the rest of the purchase taking place over the next five years.

The other areas in the deal include the Boreas Ponds, McIntyre Tract, and the four Southern Tracts. These areas allow for greater accessibility to popular hiking destinations. The State will develop recreational plans to ensure the protection of natural resources.

The Nature Conservancy bought the 161,000-acre region from Finch Pruyn, a paper company, in 2007.