Monday, May 17, 2021

ADK applauds visitor use management proposal led by DEC, APA

Crowds of hikers in the high peaks of the Adirondacks

The Adirondack Park Agency (APA) and NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) presented a draft of their joint Visitor Use Management (VUM) and Wildlands Monitoring tool during the State Land Committee Report at the APA Meeting in Ray Brook.

ADK applauds the formation and release of this document, which is seen as a big step towards establishing a visitor use management framework consistent with standards set by the Federal Interagency Visitor Use Management Council (IVUMC), something ADK has routinely advocated for over the years.

“The IVUMC guidance outlines a planning process that collaboratively identifies desired conditions for resources and visitor experiences and then uses adaptive management and monitoring of visitor use to meet the desired conditions,” said Cathy Pedler, ADK Director of Advocacy.

The new DEC and APA VUM will help provide sustainable access to the Adirondack Forest Preserve using management objectives, impact thresholds, and triggers for specific actions. This includes establishing carrying capacities and data collection strategies to monitor resource impacts and determine if changes in management actions are needed.

“This tool will help land managers make data-based decisions that protect the Forest Preserve while maintaining a quality visitor experience,” said Michael Barrett, ADK Executive Director. “We look forward to the opportunity to provide comments and suggestions for improvement.”

Photo by Nancie Battaglia/Almanack file photo

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Community news stories come from press releases and other notices from organizations, businesses, state agencies and other groups. Submit your contributions to Almanack Editor Melissa Hart at editor@adirondackalmanack.com.




One Response

  1. Zephyr says:

    “The new DEC and APA VUM will help provide sustainable access to the Adirondack Forest Preserve using management objectives, impact thresholds, and triggers for specific actions. This includes establishing carrying capacities and data collection strategies to monitor resource impacts and determine if changes in management actions are needed.”

    Meanwhile, the DEC just does whatever it wants to as witnessed in the AMR parking permit debacle: no carrying capacity established, no data collection beyond what AMR tells them, therefore no impact thresholds, and no triggers for specific actions.

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