On Tuesday, July 5, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), Essex County, town of Keene, and Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism (ROOST) announced the Route 73 shuttle system launched in 2021 will return on Saturday, July 9. The shuttle system helps manage safe, sustainable visitation along the busy Route 73 corridor in the Adirondack High Peaks region. The free shuttle system will operate on weekends and holidays through Monday, Oct. 10, 2022. New this year, additional runs on select weekends in August and October will be piloted from Frontier Town Gateway in North Hudson.
“The Route 73 hiker shuttle provides a valuable resource to visitors of the High Peaks region, allowing safe access to preferred trails while helping to mitigate public safety and environmental concerns related to crowded roadside parking,” said DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos. “This shuttle system is another excellent example of visitor use management actions that benefit visitors, local communities, and our natural resources. I appreciate our partners in the town of Keene, Essex County, and ROOST who worked with us to develop and implement the service again this year.”
DEC is Capable of Testing Limited Entry for High Peaks in 2021
Adirondack Wild is concerned with a spate of recent comments made to North Country Public Radio that our NYS DEC is not ready to launch a limited entry or permit reservation system. Of course, DEC is not ready right now. They have not been given any direction from the Governor and the DEC Commissioner to get and be ready. Given such a direction and expectation, DEC could be ready in summer and fall of 2021. DEC is fully capable of studying, gaining public input, designing, and implementing with partners a fair and effective limited entry pilot program next year.
» Continue Reading.