A view from the heart of a âworld-class treasureâ
(Photo provided by Zack Floss)
The Final Report from the High Peaks Advisory Group has been released for public consumption, and if you haven’t read it through already, you should. The document reflects a year-long process of distilling and diagnosing some of the most pertinent issues we face here in the Adirondacks. For those who live in the region or who pay close attention, most of the issues identified will come as no surprise. The overuse crisis, parking concerns, lack of resources for trail maintenance and education, and the presence of human waste and degradation are all familiar topics of discussion, and the authors of the report duly note that many of the suggestions they make are not new. That said, the potential that this document represents should not be understated. It provides an outline that, if taken seriously and acted upon, could usher in a new era of coordinated action across public lands that could
Report says High Peaks need more DEC resources | The Daily Gazette
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The Boreas Ponds tract in the Adirondacks, with peaks in the background, is pictured.
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ADIRONDACKS More state resources need to be devoted to the heavily used High Peaks Wilderness, with a new entity needed to guide state planning, more forest rangers and natural resource specialists, and a need for visitor management strategies like those used for busy national parks, according to a long-awaited study released late Friday by the state Department of Environmental Conservation.
The High Peaks Strategic Planning Advisory Group, which included state and local elected officials, business interests and wilderness advocates, has been meeting since 2019 to discuss how to deal with the pressures on the High Peaks and the state Route 73 corridor caused by skyrocketing visitor numbers. Then the pandemic caused the number of visitors to reach a new summit last year.
Permits, new state entity suggested to ease High Peaks crush
Gwendolyn Craig Adirondack Explorer
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Picturesque mountains are seen along New York State Route 73, passing through the heart of the Adirondack High Peaks towards Lake Placid, NY. (Photo by Eric Anderson / Times Union)Eric Anderson / Times UnionShow MoreShow Less
2of3Cars line the shoulder along Route 73 in the Adirondacks High Peaks region.Rick Karlin/Times Union Show MoreShow Less
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When it comes to an advisory group s report on managing increasing visitors in the Adirondack Park’s High Peaks what’s old is new again.
And a permit system is also still part of the discussion.