The only independent, nonprofit news organization solely dedicated to reporting on the Adirondack Park.
Strengthening the APA Ideas for a better Adirondack Park A special publication of the Adirondack Explorer January 2014 The Adirondack Explorer would like to thank the following underwriters of our “Strengthening the APA” project, including the magazine series and the conference: Prospect Hill Foundation Jane Bickford Adam Hochschild Butler Conservation Fund master family fund…
The future of open space Environmentalists and local leaders agree that the privately owned backcountry should be protected—but how? By Phil BROWN Forty years have passed since Governor Nelson Rockefeller, while signing a law regulating development in the Adirondack Park, declared to the reporters and conservationists in the room, “The Adirondacks are preserved forever.” He…
Weak law hurts shorelines Critics say political compromises in the 1970s have led to a degradation of waterfront and water quality in the Adirondacks. By Brian Mann On a gray, rain-swept morning, environmental activist Peter Bauer points to the Lake George shoreline just outside the hamlet of Bolton Landing. From his boat we can see…
Highlands at risk Critics say existing regulations are inadequate to stop upland development from marring the natural beauty of the Adirondack Park. By Kim Martineau In a field bordered by forested hills and rocky ridges, Dan Plumley unfurled a zoning map of the Adirondack Park. The color-coded map was a reminder of how much private…
What makes this a park? Environmentalists want the state to do more to protect and enhance the region’s identity as a special place. By Kim Martineau The Adirondack Park is more than double the size of Yosemite and Yellowstone National Parks combined, but its greatness is not always apparent. Silver lakes and dark woods beckon…
Designing the Park Environmentalists say the APA needs to update its regulations to incorporate “smart growth” principles. By Kim Martineau As the proposed Adirondack Club & Resort in Tupper Lake wound its way through the approval process, two planning consultants separately recommended in 2008 that the Adirondack Park Agency require clustering of homes in the…
Ideas for a better Park At Adirondack Explorer conference, speakers call for strengthening the APA in order to protect water quality and the region’s wild character. By MAL PROVOST The Adirondack Park Agency is facing a critical time of public evaluation. Has it fulfilled its original mandate to protect millions of woodland acres and thousands…
Make your voice heard Let your representatives know how you feel about strengthening the Adirondack Park Agency. Here is some contact information: The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo Governor of New York State State Capitol Building Albany, NY 12224 (518) 474-8390 governor.ny.gov/contact/GovernorContactForm.php Chairwoman Leilani Ulrich NYS Adirondack Park Agency P.O. Box 99 Ray Brook, NY 12977…