From the babbling brooks of the Adirondacks to the streets of Gouverneur - the towns in Ken Blankenbush's Assembly district have a lot in common.

"It's agriculture, it's tourism, we all have the same problems in this area. It truly is a north country district," said Blankenbush (R. - 122nd District).

But maybe not much longer.

A redistricting panel wants to take almost all of St. Lawrence County away from Blankenbush and put it in the district of an assemblyman in Herkimer. 

Blankenbush's new district would extend south into Oneida County.

He'd have all of Lewis County and bits and pieces of four others.  

"For one reason or another, they really want to chop it up," said Blankenbush.

See the proposed map of what would be called the 117th District.

The group New York Common Cause says Blankenbush's proposed new district is in the running for the "top gerrymandering award".

Gerrymandering is when political boundaries are drawn to help a political party and Jefferson County's Republican chairman agrees.

"It's a just a blatant, divisive map. It's really unbelievable. So when you hear out of Albany that Republicans are gerrymandering, well I gotta tell you, this is one of the worst examples of it I've ever heard of," said county GOP Chair Don Coon.

"I'm disappointed in losing what I've lost, not necessarily in what I've gained, but in what I've lost," said Blankenbush.

It's not just Blankenbush.

All of the north country is getting sliced up under the new plan.

If the plan is approved, the tri-county region would also see more lawmakers representing the area.

Right now, there are two senators and two assembly members representing Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties.

Under the plan, five members of the assembly and three senators would have territory in the region.

See all proposed district maps

Our earlier report:

The redistricting of New York state's Assembly districts could radically change the face of north country politics.

The plan has not been released officially, but each lawmaker has seen the new shape of his or her own district.

Republican Ken Blankenbush says his 122nd District would change considerably under the new plan.

Currently with 22 townships in St. Lawrence County, Blankenbush stands to lose all but one: Pitcairn.

He's picking up 12 towns in Oneida County, which encircle, but do not include, the city of Rome.

He's also gaining three townships, for a total of six, in Oswego County.

Blankenbush is also losing four towns in Jefferson County.

Ellisburg, Adams and Henderson will become part of Republican Will Barclay's 124th District and Hounsfield becomes part of Democrat Addie Russell's 118th.

Picking up at least some of Blankenbush's St. Lawrence County towns is Marc Butler, a Republican whose 117th district now covers Herkimer and Fulton counties and parts of Otsego County.

Blankenbush's district includes all of Lewis County, which apparently is not changing under the plan.

Meanwhile the group in charge of redistricting has scheduled public hearings on the plan.

The New York Legislative Task Force on Demographic Research and Reapportionment plans hearings from January 30 through February 16.

The only upstate hearings will be in Albany on January 30, Syracuse on February 14, Rochester on February 15 and Buffalo on February 16.