The Adirondack Park State Land Master Plan
Adirondack Council calls for proposed State Land Master Plan amendments to exclude motor vehicles, not people, from Wilderness
The Adirondack Council urges the Adirondack Park Agency to reconsider a proposed change to the Adirondack Park State Land Master Plan that could open the door for new and increased motorized vehicle access in Wilderness. The Council calls for:
- The APA to withdraw its proposal to amend the State Land Master Plan by adding a definition for other power-driven mobility devices, or OPDMDs, and creating an exemption for them in motor-free Wilderness.
- The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to lead the development of a statewide policy for OPDMD use on state lands. The development of this policy should include robust stakeholder engagement.
- The DEC should set parameters for OPDMDs, including where they can and cannot go (e.g., Wilderness Areas), size and weight limits, trail or route type, and who is qualified to use them.
Click HERE for a summary of the APA’s proposal to amend the SLMP to permit OPDMDs in motor-free land classifications.
What is the State Land Master Plan?
The Adirondack Park State Land Master Plan (SLMP), which has guided the management of the Adirondack Forest Preserve (constitutionally protected state lands) for 50 years, states that “the protection and preservation of the natural resources of the state lands within the Park must be paramount.”
The Adirondack Park Agency, tasked with land-use planning and regulation within the Adirondack Park, is required to update the plan periodically. Such updates impact the way the DEC manages state lands to protect the Park. Some changes can be minor, while others might have long-term impacts on the overall health of the Adirondack Forest Preserve.
What is included in the SLMP?
The plan outlines that natural resource protection is paramount, and, therefore, human use should not degrade the biological, physical, and social characteristics of land and water resources. With this guiding mandate, the plan calls for agencies to carefully consider the types of recreation and related infrastructure that are in balance with the carrying capacity of different types of land use classifications. For example, past amendments have addressed motorized use on Wild Forest and Primitive Area classifications and added an electric bicycle definition. Taken together with additional layers of required management planning, like Unit Management Plans, the seemingly small changes to the SLMP can have a big impact on how state lands are managed on the ground.
Resources:
Adirondack Park Agency - About the SLMP
Adirondack Park Agency PDF of SLMP
Adirondack Park Agency Map of SLMP (Fruit Salad Map)
The State Land Master Plan - what it is, what it does, and why we're lucky to have it
Adirondack Council Forest Preserve and Private Land
Adirondack Council Leadership and Government
Adirondack Council Overuse in the Adirondack Park
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