"That's about $170 million per year on the total forest preserve, not including easements," said John Sheehan, spokesman for the council.

"Since the park was created in 1886, (state land tax) agreements have become such an orgy of legislative power; it's so broken they can't fix it. The legislature has known about this (issue) for 10 years and done nothing about it."

If the state stopped paying taxes, towns here would not survive.

"It would put an insurmountable burden on the private landowners in the park," said Noel Merrihew III, chairman of the Essex County Board of Supervisors.

Would lose $1 million

"Newcomb would lose $1 million tomorrow."

Newcomb, population 483, is 42 percent state-owned land.

In the Saranac Lake Central School District -- the largest in the state formed of seven towns over an area the size of Rhode Island -- the numbers are mind-boggling.

District business manager Mike Kilroy ran a what-if scenario.

Of the total $16 million school tax levy, $3.7 million or about 22 percent comes in the form of state tax payments.

"Here's how much the school tax rates would go up if the state didn't make any payments," Kilroy said, his calculator whirring in the background.

"Harrietstown would go from $9.07 to $11.60 (per thousand of assessed value); Brighton would go from $9.15 to $11.67; Franklin (town) would go from $12.35 to $15.80; Santa Clara would go from $7.94 to $10.12; North Elba would go from $8.13 to $10.40; St. Armand would go from $8.40 to $10.72; and Black Brook, which only has a few parcels in the district, would go from $7.94 to $10.11."

Not assessed the same

But the real question is whether the state is actually paying their fair share for nearly 3 million acres of "park."

"Some taxpayers claim state land is not assessed the same rate as everybody else and people are upset about it," Kilroy said. "If you own say 400 acres of private land in the Adirondacks, that land is assessed higher than the same 400 acres of state land right next to it."