The Adirondack Park State Land Master Plan
A Plan for Responsible Stewardship: The Adirondack Park State Land Master Plan
For 50 years, the Master Plan has guided protection of the waters and wildlife of the “Forever Wild” Forest Preserve. It is critical that we all weigh in on proposed changes.
You have a say in how state lands are managed. You can help strengthen the Adirondack State Land Master Plan and ensure best practices for the management of wildlands are incorporated in proposed amendments by submitting your comments to the Adirondack Park Agency by December 2, 2024. More info can be found on APA’s website.
The proposed amendments include language on climate change, carrying capacity, and accessibility. When reviewing and commenting on proposed amendments, the Adirondack Council encourages you to consider:
-
the impact of increased motorized access, loon rafts, and beaver control structures on the ecological integrity of Wilderness
-
the opportunity to call for the creation of more transparent and state-wide accessibility policies
-
the important role the APA plays in ensuring that the DEC complies with the SLMP
-
the need for further study to better understand how best to balance recreation while maintaining the ecological health of state lands and waters; and,
-
stronger action on climate change requirements (including protecting forest carbon storage and emission level assessments).
What is the State Land Master Plan?
The Adirondack Park State Land Master Plan (SLMP), the document that 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 periodically update the plan. In other words, the SLMP was intended to be a living document. Updates to the plan impact the way the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) manage 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 purpose of the SLMP is to “guide the preservation, management and use of these lands by all interested state agencies in the future.” 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.
How does SLMP benefit the Park?
The SLMP guides how the DEC works to protect the Park. The plan undergoes major revisions every five years, but can be reviewed at any time. The plan must go through the State Environmental Quality Review process, a public comment period, multiple public hearings, and be approved by the governor. In other words, this process is designed to support a strong document which has the force of law to protect state lands in the Adirondack Park.
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
Looking for more ways to get involved with the Council?
