State Announces Good First Steps on Managing Hiking Crowds
KEENE VALLEY, N.Y. – Conservation advocates welcomed the New York State’s newest announcements for
better management of Adirondack overuse, to better preserve and protect the state’s most sensitive
mountain landscapes, clean water, wildlife and wilderness from damage caused by too many visitors
in one place.
“The state is taking important first steps in managing successful tourism in the Adirondacks,” said
Adirondack Council Executive Director William C. Janeway. “We are encouraged by progress that is
good for wilderness preservation, visitors and the local economy.”
The state can preserve Adirondack wildlands for current and future generations by fixing overuse in
a manner that is fair to all, he said.
He lauded the NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation for taking the first steps towards a
comprehensive plan for sustainable use, in partnership with other state agencies. They include the
Dept. of Transportation, the Adirondack Park Agency, the State Police, the Olympic Regional
Development Authority and local governments.
The state’s July 2 announcement promoted “new and expanded efforts to promote sustainable tourism
in the Adirondack Park,” starting the week of July 4, focusing on the Rt. 73 High Peaks corridor,
from Northway (I-87) Exit 30 to Lake Placid. State plans include:
• Launching a social media campaign to highlight trip planning tips, leave-no-trace principles,
and alternative outdoor destinations and activities;
• Installing electronic messaging boards along the Rt. 73 corridor directing hikers to new
information kiosks;
• Installing new information kiosks along the Rt. 73 corridor;
• Installing more portable restrooms;
• Promoting underutilized alternative hiking options at the Northbound High Peaks Rest Area
(I-87) and the Lake Placid Visitor Information Center, with new displays;
• Prohibiting roadside parking in targeted areas around designated parking lots along the
corridor, to address safety, and;
• Developing a plan for a shuttle bus for Columbus Day Weekend.
The state’s announcement also referenced additional strategies, pending approval of a
final High Peaks Wilderness Unit Management Plan Amendment. The announcement did not
include the hiring of additional Adirondack Park-dedicated staff or Forest Rangers, or detail how
new investments would be funded. It did say the state is working to expand the presence of
trailhead stewards.
Janeway said the Adirondack Council would work with all state agencies to make the park’s
recreation and tourism more sustainable and protective of the wild character of the Adirondack Park
in the months and years ahead.
Founded in 1975, the Adirondack Council is a privately funded not-for-profit organization whose
mission is to ensure the ecological integrity and wild character of the Adirondack Park. The
Council envisions a Park with clean water and clean air, comprised of core wilderness areas,
surrounded by farms and working forests, as well as vibrant communities.
The Adirondack Council carries out its mission through research, education, advocacy and legal
action to ensure the legacy of the Adirondack Park is safeguarded for future
generations. Adirondack Council members live in all 50 United States.
For more information:
John Sheehan
518-441-1340 cell
518-432-1770 office
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, July 05, 2018
