Regional Overview of the Adirondacks
The
Adirondack region is a unique and vital part of the state of New York, holding
both a prominent and interesting history, and serving today as a well known and
visited state park and forest preserve that includes both private and
publically owned land within its boundaries that are defined by the famous blue
line on maps that encompasses the Adirondack State Park.
The
Adirondacks would not be explored by European settlers until the seventeenth
century. Before Europeans made their way
into the Adirondacks the Native Indian tribes and cultures primarily only used
the Adirondacks as hunting grounds and lived on the outskirts of the
mountainous region, within the river valleys and lowlands that provided more
plentiful lands and soils to suit their needs for agricultural production. To this day there is little to no evidence
that suggests that native Indians lived permanently within the Adirondacks,
which can be connected to the Indians calling the region “Couxsachrage,”
meaning dismal wilderness, or habitation of winter.[1]
Although
European and later American settlers would eventually make their way into the
mountainous Adirondacks well into the 18th century; accurate
knowledge about the Adirondacks would not improve until the 19th
Century when New York State would undertake an extensive scientific examination
and survey of the entire state in 1836.[2] With further surveying work done by such
prominent geographers and surveyors such as Verplanck Colvin in 1872; the destructive
aftermath of intensive logging practices and development upon the wilderness
and the state’s watershed were made clear, and the first proposition for the
creation of a state forest preserve and Adirondack Park was made.[3]
Due
to the growing concerns for conservation of the Adirondack’s resources New York
State created the Adirondack Forest Preserve in 1885. However it would not be until May of 1892
that the governor of New York would finally sign the legislation creating the
Adirondack State Park that would be dedicated to public use, preservation of
the future timber supply, and the protection of watershed.[4]
Today
the Adirondack Park is comprised of over 2.4 million acres of state owned
Forest Preserve along with about 3.6 million acres of privately owned land. [5] The Park includes the lands within 12 of the
state’s counties including the counties of Essex, Hamilton, Clinton, Franklin, Fulton, Herkimer, St. Lawrence, Warren, Lewis, Oneida, Saratoga, and Washington; with only the
counties of Essex and Hamilton being completely confined to the boundaries of
the Park. The population of residents living within the
Adirondack region is presently over 130,000 permanent residents.[6]
The highest peak within the Adirondack Mountains can be found at Marcy with an
elevation of 5,344 feet.
The Adirondacks are comprised mostly of
Mountainous wilderness that includes mostly small rural communities, along with
some larger towns and villages that have grown to accommodate modern
development needs and economic interests such in recreation and tourism. According to the 2010 Census and the Health of Adirondack Communities, the
Adirondacks have transitioned from historic communities whose economies once
depended on intensive forestry, timber and iron resource extraction to
“economies that now depend on tourism and government employment.”[7]
The Adirondack
median household income has been found to be less than the average New York State
median; however the Adirondacks also have a lower cost of living when compared
to the rest of New York State. When
compared to other rural communities from other regions in the United States the
Adirondacks have also been found to have household incomes that are
similar. Demographic patterns can also
be seen in the age of workers in the region in which the region is gaining older
workers aged (45-65) and is losing workers aged (25-45) along with their
children.[8] An explanation for this significant loss in
workers aged (25-45) can be connected to the kinds of jobs available in the
Adirondacks rather than the present day failing job market, along with
Adirondack communities failing to attract and keep college graduates and other
groups of the younger work source.[9]
[1]
Terrie,
Philip G. “Imperishable Freshness: Culture, Conservation, and the Adirondack
Park.” Forest and Conservation History 37,
no. 3 (July, 1993): 132-141. http://www.jstor.org/stable/3983742 (accessed Feb.
17, 2011). 133.
[2]
Terrie, Philip G.
“Imperishable Freshness: Culture, Conservation, and the Adirondack Park.” 133.
[3]
Terrie, Philip G.
“Imperishable Freshness: Culture, Conservation, and the Adirondack Park.”136.
[4]
Terrie, Philip G.
“Imperishable Freshness: Culture, Conservation, and the Adirondack Park.” 132.
[5]
Terrie,
Philip G. Contested Terrain: a new
history of nature and people in the Adirondacks. Syracuse, N.Y.: Syracuse
University Press, 1997. Xvii.
[6] “2010 Census Population of Towns
within the Adirondack Park: With Estimates of Census Straddling the Park
Boundary”, New York State Adirondack Park
Agency, September 2011.
[7]
Strike, Ken. Protect the
Adirondacks, "The 2010 Census and the Health of Adirondack Communities: An
Update." Last modified April 2, 2011. Accessed February 17, 2012.
www.protectadks.org/2011/04/the-2010-census-and-the-health-of-adirondack-communities-an-update/,
1.
[8]
Strike, Ken. Protect the
Adirondacks, 2.
[9]
Strike, Ken. Protect the
Adirondacks, 2-3.
Environmental
Links
This website was created by the Adirondack Council. The Adirondack Council was founded in 1975,
and is the largest citizen environmental group within the state of New
York. The environmental group works full
time with in the Adirondack Park, as well as in Albany and Washington to
continue and ensure the protection of the Adirondacks for our future
generations. The Adirondack Council is also a non-profit organization, and
receives no state or federal funding to run its operations.
The Adirondack Councils website is completely devoted to
keeping up with the most recent and important environmental topics and issues
concerning the protection of the Adirondacks.
This site includes a tab to news and events
that describes recent press releases that have been published concerning the
Adirondack State Park, as well as upcoming events for the Organization. This site also has a tab to Issues, that
includes articles and written documents describing the issues of air pollution, land protection, water quality,
and other. I believe the Issues tab and its various
environmental links look very promising for researchers seeking information
about the Adirondack environment.
This Website was created by the Adirondack History
Journal and is a non-profit web site that has gathered and provides non-
commercial links to several environmentally and historically based organizations
and websites. The gathered links have
carefully organized and grouped according to their specific category of
pertinent information. These categories
include environmental organizations, Adirondack History links, other sites of
interest, maps and photos, and community history links. The majority if not all of the links gathered
by this website appear to have been scholarly reviewed and analyzed before they
were copied and attached to the website, showing that the website is in fact a
reliable source of information. Also
adding to the strength of the website is its links to highly regarded
government organizations such as the NYSDEC,
APA.
After reviewing this website it is clear that it is in fact a highly
valuable source for gathered links and other websites containing important
information about environmental topics within the Adirondack region.
This website was created by the Adirondack Research
Consortium (ARC). The ARC was founded in
1994 by a small group of Adirondack focused academic researchers and non-profit
organization leaders. The ARC was formed
to fill the need for research based knowledge to inform and guide policies and
management of public and private lands within the Adirondack Park. The website includes a tab entitled The Adirondacks that brings
you to a scholarly written article that details and describes the vibrant
history of the Adirondacks since its creation at the end of the 19th
century to the present 21st century.
The site also includes a link to the Adirondack
Journal of Environmental Studies, which provides relevant and scholarly
peer reviewed articles and other works that have published in the journal.
The Adirondack Park Agency (APA) was founded
in 1971 to oversee public and private lands within the Adirondack Park Blue Line. A complete set of
guidelines for the Park can be found in the APA State Land
Master Plan, an extensive 132 page on-line pamphlet containing land
descriptions, classifications, and guidelines for state owned lands and the Adirondack Park Agency
Act, which covers guidelines for private land use. The map section of the
APA site contains a variety of PDF and GIS maps showing school districts,
broadband
wireless availability, population
within a day’s drive from the Park, and more. Information on current APA activities, including the
recent Adirondack
Resort Club Project findings can be
found on this site. For a quick answer to common questions regarding land classification, watersheds, buying and selling land,
and much more visit the Frequently Asked Questions page. The APA website is authored and
published by the staff of the APA was created to facilitate public contact with
the Agency, to make it possible for the general public to interact with the Agency, and obtain
accurate information about the Adirondacks.
The NYS Department of Conservation
(DEC) is a large agency whose mission is to conserve and protect New York State
lands and waterways. The agency is
divided into nine regions
in New York State. Region 5
has offices in Raybrook, Warrensburg, and Northville, and covers most of the
Adirondack Park. The DEC website provides an extensive
array of topics to familiarize yourself with what New York State has to offer
in the way of outdoor activities,
as well as information on obtaining licenses and permits for everything from hunting and fishing to applications
for waste disposal. For
more information, visit the Publications page on the DEC website for magazines,
newsletters, and forms for
various permits and employment opportunities. The
site also includes information on DEC campgounds and a wide
variety of maps are available
to print or accessible via Google
Earth. The DEC website is owned and operated by the DEC and is provided for
educational purposes. The intended audience is anyone wishing to learn or teach
about the New York State environmental practices and is provided to make it
easy to access forms, permits, and information about a wide array of
aforementioned activities.
The Adirondack Mountain Club (ADK) is a
nonprofit organization that is dedicated to protecting the Adirondack Mountain
Forest Preserve and other lands utilized by its members. ADK has 27 chapters and potential
members can choose a variety of membership programs by visiting the Join Now page. The organization
conducts a variety of programs
and workshops, including a Volunteer Trail
Maintenance Program and a
Summit Steward Program. ADK also has a Lecture Series
featuring a wide variety of guest speakers in a variety of locations. For
example, Plattsburgh
has an active chapter and their group meets regularly with guest speakers each
month. The Adirondack Mountain Club takes an active stance on environmental issues and
publishes comments on important current issues such as hydraulic
fracturing in New York State. ADK also has a regularly published on-line newsletter, which
includes links to important topics such as the Emerald
Ash borer in the Adirondacks and lesser
known hikes in regions inside and outside the region. If you are interested
becoming involved in protecting and maintaining the Adirondacks you can
volunteer for the ‘Work
Weekends’ program throughout the year and work as little or as much as you
like. This website is published and maintained by ADK. The site was created to
provide news, information, to solicit volunteers for trail maintenance, and to
gain new membership. The intended audience is the general public that wants
information about recreation, and preservation of the Adirondacks.
The Adirondack Base Camp website was created by the TourPro, that has been an
Adirondack resident and guide in New
York State since 1994. The primary focus of
the website is mainly to provide people with up to date news and information on the topics of travel,
tourism, the outdoors, as
well as life in the North Country.
The web site includes an
ARCHIVES tab that
brings you to the site’s online data base where you
can browse and search for articles,
news reports and posts that
are relevant
to
your desired topic
about the Adirondacks. This
Achieves database contains an article entitled
Tourism Impact in the Adirondacks. This article was published in 2008 and contains a detailed description and analysis of The Economic Impact
of
Tourism in New York State report
that was released in 2008. This article also contains several
statistical charts
and
graphs that were created
by
the New York State Department of Economic Development. After thoroughly reviewing the content on this site I personally
believe that
it is in fact a good source of quality
information, especially in
regards to the article entitled “Tourism Impact in the Adirondacks” and it’s attached statistical charts/graphs. However
due to this site not being created by
a scholarly academic
for
research purposes; articles and information within the site must be thoroughly
reviewed before they can be deemed
acceptable for use.
This website was created by
the New
York State Regional Economic Development Councils to inform the public about
the
regional approaches
to economic development taken within New
York State. The Regional Economic Development Councils represent
the 10 regions
across New York State including the Capital Region, Central New York, Finger Lakes, Hudson Valley,
Long Island, Mohawk
Valley, New York City, North Country, Southern Tier, and Western
New York. The website includes an
interactive map of New
York State that allows you to click
and
choose each of the 10 regions, which than
brings you to a separate page that describes the
economic development
plans of the chosen region, such as the
North Country. The North Country Regional Economic
Development
page
includes an
attached PDF file of
the
North Country Economic
Development Council Strategic Plan, along with several other strategic
planning documents. This
page
also includes tabs on the bottom of the page that
provide more
expansive regional data on the North Country. These tabs include,
Economic Environment, Physical and Built Environment, Policy Environment, Existing Regional Strategies, and Regional Council Meetings/Forums-Agenda and Summaries. After reviewing this site I believe that it is most definitely a credible source for economic
information on the Adirondack region, due to the fact that
the site was created by
a New
York State government agency.
Economic
Links
The Adirondack Economic
Development Corporation (AEDC)
is a
non-profit organization that
strives to ease unemployment
and
provide opportunities for Adirondackers through a series of
programs and advice offered on their
website. On their home page 10 business tools are
available to get a
new business up and running.
For
example, the Small Business Startup kit from the U.S. Small
Business Administration offers an array of resources to get
started on the
road to developing and
growing a business. The AEDC is also a certified Entrepreneurial Assistance Center, which offers over 60 hours of
training on 18
topics
including how
to
conduct a feasibility
study
and marketing/advertising workshops. The AEDC frequently asked questions page provides answers, contact information, and links
to
the Empire State Development Small Business Division for more information. The AEDC website was created and published by Got Clicks, an independent website publishing company. The AEDC website caters to business owners and those looking to get a business started in the Adirondacks. I
believe this non-profit corporation has created a credible source of information and that it can be trusted by those looking for information on businesses in the region.
The Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce (ARCC) is a not
for profit corporation serving Washington, Warren, and Northern
Saratoga Counties of New York
State. Their mission
is to
create jobs
and grow
and sustain
businesses in the Adirondacks. One way the ARCC
does
this is through their business counseling services, which includes a partnership with another non-
profit organization, Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE). These two organizations offer job listings, online workshops, free mentoring, and contact information for businesses and services throughout
the
region. An extensive list of ARCC events and programs, is available on
the
home page, including business expos, networking, and
advertising opportunities. For more information a list of links for important resources for Adirondack Businesses is provided. The website is owned and published by the ARCC. Their headquarters are at 136 Glen Street, Suite 3, Glens Falls,
NY 12801. The site caters to business
owners, residents, tourists,
and those looking to start a
business in the Adirondacks. Because it was created
by a
regional non-profit Chamber of
Commerce I trust this site to be a credible source of information.
The Adirondack Park Agency (APA)
This web site was created by the New York State government’s Adirondack Park Agency. The Adirondack Park Agency was created in 1971 by New York State to develop long range land use plans for both public and private lands with the Adirondack State Park. The website’s home page provides a helpful tab at the top entitled Business/Economy, which brings you to the Business/Economy section and describes the Adirondack Park economy along with the range of business opportunities within the park. This section also includes a link at the bottom of the page entitled Developing a Business in the Adirondack Park - Commonly Asked Questions. This same Business/Economy section of the site also provides links to video presentations from the Agency’s Economic Affairs Committee meetings. These video presentations include the successful entrepreneur efforts of the Keene, New York Town-Wide Broadband Internet Project, The Golden Arrow Lakeside Resort – Green Hotel Management, and the Essex Farm - Sustainable Agriculture & Community Markets. After reviewing this site I also believe that it is a strong and credible source for economic information on the Adirondacks, due to the site being created by a NYS government agency, and further strengthened by the fact that the APA focuses primarily only on the Adirondack region.
Social Links
This web site was created by the New York State government’s Adirondack Park Agency. The Adirondack Park Agency was created in 1971 by New York State to develop long range land use plans for both public and private lands with the Adirondack State Park. The website’s home page provides a helpful tab at the top entitled Business/Economy, which brings you to the Business/Economy section and describes the Adirondack Park economy along with the range of business opportunities within the park. This section also includes a link at the bottom of the page entitled Developing a Business in the Adirondack Park - Commonly Asked Questions. This same Business/Economy section of the site also provides links to video presentations from the Agency’s Economic Affairs Committee meetings. These video presentations include the successful entrepreneur efforts of the Keene, New York Town-Wide Broadband Internet Project, The Golden Arrow Lakeside Resort – Green Hotel Management, and the Essex Farm - Sustainable Agriculture & Community Markets. After reviewing this site I also believe that it is a strong and credible source for economic information on the Adirondacks, due to the site being created by a NYS government agency, and further strengthened by the fact that the APA focuses primarily only on the Adirondack region.
Social Links
The
Adirondack Lakes Center for the Arts provides support and production assistance
for a wide variety of artists including theater, music, dance, film, and visual arts in Hamilton,
Essex, Franklin, Warren, and Herkimer counties. The Center for the Arts has its
headquarters in Blue
Mountain Lake, but it also produces and supports projects throughout the
Adirondacks such as the Murder
Mystery Weekend at Great Camp
Sagamore, John
& Jon, An American Musical at Old Forge and Long Lake, the annual Battle of the
Bands every May in Indian Lake, and the 2012 Juried Photo Show.
Applications
for this year’s Photo Show are available now. A wide variety of learning
experiences are available through the Adirondack Lakes Center for the Arts in
the form of workshops for children, teens, and adults. Filmmaking classes, theatre experience, and
a wide variety of studio
arts classes are available. Volunteers and donations are always
welcome and a variety of supporting businesses
are linked to the website for your convenience. The Adirondack Lakes Center for
the Arts website is self produced and maintained with headquarters in Blue
Mountain Lake. It is a credible and reliable resource offering cultural and
learning opportunities to artists and the general public.
The Adirondack Rural Health Network (ARHN) is a
seven county agency founded in 1992 to provide community health activities and
information for medically underserviced areas in Essex, Franklin, Fulton,
Hamilton, Saratoga, Warren, and Washington Counties. The ARHN receives funding
through the New York State Department of
Health and links community health centers, hospitals, and other public and
private non-profit organizations that provide primary care, behavioral health, oral
health, and other services to the uninsured and underinsured. An extensive resource directory provides over
1,100 health related businesses with contact information. Emergency Medical Services (EMS) training
and course work is available through the ARHN. Regional Community
Health Assessment Reports are regularly released and made available to the
general public to demonstrate progress in local communities that are adopting
healthy agendas such as community gardens and physical fitness programs. Another
major focus of the ARHN is their Health Literacy initiative,
which provides tools
for organizations to improve local health services and to promote a better
understanding of health service benefits and practices. This website is a
reliable resource because it is operated by a non-profit organization and their
main focus is connecting resources with those in need.
Adirondack Region
is one page on the New York Summer
Camps website that lists summer camps for children, 6 – 16 years of age in
the Adirondacks. Programs in summer camps range from performing arts
at Long Lake Camp to equestrian
based programs at Willow
Hill Farm in Keeseville N.Y. Most camps offer a wide variety of activities,
including swimming,
water sports, range skills, and rock climbing. Camps listed on this
site all tout their strong commitment to instilling confidence, friendship, and
providing life lessons to their campers. New York Summer Camps has a job listing service,
and individual camp websites link to enrollment and pricing information. While
it is a commercial web site owned and operated by “Mike,” whose only contact
information is his e-mail address, Mike@NewYorkSummerCamps.com,
the site is a valuable resource listing several camps with links describing and
advertising the programs each camp offers. All of the summer camp websites
accessed through this site are official websites and the information offered
there may be trusted because the sites are owned and operated by their
respective camps.
The
Adirondack Architectural Heritage
(AARCH) is a nonprofit group, founded in 1990, that promotes an understanding
and stewardship for a wide variety of buildings and structures in the
Adirondacks, which includes Great Camps, bridges,
farms, churches, lighthouses, fire
towers, and other structures. There are currently several structures in the
Adirondack Park that are threatened
and in danger of being lost forever. However, the AARCH has a fine track of
record of supporting endeavors to save endangered properties
such as Willsboro Central School, Jay Covered Bridge, and
the Will
Rogers Institute in Saranac Lake, and many others. The AARCH holds regular workshops, walking tours, and other special events. Some of the
places the AARCH has visited for their walking tours and special events can be
viewed in a short slide
show on their website. The AARCH welcomes support in a variety
of ways and can be contacted at 1745 Main Street, Keeseville. This website is a
valuable and reliable source of information and among its assets is a resource page with bibliography
and an interactive
map with links to many historical sites throughout the Adirondacks.
Adirondack Journal is a potpourri of
commercial and non-profit website links ranging from historical sites such as John Brown’s Farm in North Elba to recreational sites featuring
white
water rafting. The Adirondack Forty-Sixers
website with details of how to
join, bylaws, and a
searchable roster of 46ers
and when they climbed their final peak is also included here. A link to the geological history
of the Adirondacks gives a concise description of how the Adirondacks were
formed along with how this area connects to other geological formations in the
Northeastern United States. The Wild
Center in Tupper Lake and Adirondack
Museum in Blue Mountain Lake, the regions two biggest museums, both have
links here, as does the State
University of New York at Stony Brook with an interesting array of maps
from 1556 - 1895. While some links are out of date, this site, owned and
operated by Masterpiece Productions
of the Adirondacks is a good source of information in that it draws together a
wide variety of sources on one page and provides a great starting point for exploring the Adirondacks.
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