Annual Report, Adirondack North Country Association

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2003 Annual Report

A Message From ANCA's Executive Director

Terry Martino, Executive Director, Adirondack North Country Association

2003 was a unique year where we adjusted to ANCA not being included in the Governor's budget. The change followed a ten-year history of being a not-for-profit that had the privilege of benefiting from a secure placement in the budget with a long-standing relationship with the NYS Division of Budget.

Successful programs that are revenue producing, such as ANCA's Crafts Development Program, were not directly impacted and our award of USDA Rural Business Enterprise Grant funding makes the future appear brighter. Programs such as our Wood Products Development Program were affected and by mid-year we had to reduce our staffing with Carl Golas to part-time. Even with this change we were still at the forefront of working to help saw-millers and a biomass company benefit from significant market changes in a year that closed with a positive turnaround for low-grade wood in our region.

Throughout the year, other funding sources from state, federal and private programs enabled us to invest more than $1.4M in program activities. The USDA support of the Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative permitted us to continue our work with agriculture producers while identifying avenues for making consumers aware of how to purchase grass-fed beef and poultry. The TEA-21 support through the NYS Department of Transportation enabled us to work in communities along two major byways-the Olympic and the Adirondack-to address recreational planning, tourism and economic development needs.

Other partnerships with the Northern Forest Canoe Trail resulted in planning for a major waterway that connects our region with Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. The east-west connection was further developed through our year-two sponsorship of the Leadership Exchange with the Northern Forest Center where we discussed the potential for increased federal funding support for programs across the Northern Forest.

With the increased recognition of the need to address the delivery of economic services in the North Country, the potential for increased funding is an important strategy for our future. Throughout the year, it is the inspiration that we receive from our partners and members that permits us to build these important North Country initiatives. During a year of change your support enabled us to stay on course with the larger goal to improve our communities and economies for the people who live, work and recreate in our region. We thank you for your steadfast commitment to the Association.

Terry deFranco Martino
Executive Director