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2004 Annual Report

ENTERPRISE AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

Enterprise and Community Development Project:
Funding: $70,000/ NYS Department of Economic Development

ANCA Annual Meeting, December 2, 2004 at The Park Smokehouse in Tupper Lake, New York

ANCA staff worked with the Natural History Museum of the Adirondacks in site development and in securing public funding for the project. ANCA staff worked in Tupper Lake to address the potential reuse of the ski facility and planning for the Preserve at Tupper Lake Project. The Board of Directors hosted ANCA’s Annual Meeting in Tupper Lake in December 2004 with a featured presentation by the developers of the Preserve project. Staff provided assistance to the Electrical Power Commission in Tupper Lake to address community electrical power needs and assisted with contacts with the New York Power Authority, Niagara Mohawk Power, congressional and New York legislative leaders, and the Governor’s office. Staff attended Governor Pataki’s announcement that a solution had been secured to address Tupper Lake’s electric needs through an agreement that included Lake Placid in the benefits of transmission improvements and installation of a 46-kilovolt compensator at the Tupper Lake substation and a 115-kilovolt unit at Lake Colby in Saranac Lake. Staff assisted with the Red Carpet Team in Saranac Lake. ANCA partnered with ComLinks in their successful submission of a $530,000 grant for development of the Northern New York Women's Business Center.

Northern Forest Federal Funding Strategy and Northern Forest Lands Council Assessment Project:

Ribbon cutting for Northern Forest Canoe Trail opening in Old Forge, New York along the Central Adirondack Scenic Byway in September, 2004.

ANCA participated in the Northern Forest Center Steering Committee in addressing the potential for a federal policy initiative and in the development of a Draft Concept Paper for a Northern Forest Regional Funding Strategy. In April 2004 Terry Martino, ANCA Executive Director, was appointed as a New York representative to the Steering Committee to address the work of the Northern Forest Lands Council at their ten-year anniversary. In June ANCA staff attended a meeting hosted by Senator Snowe in Washington D.C. for the Northern Forest congressional delegation. The meeting was sponsored by the Northern Forest Center and the Northern Forest Alliance. The congressional staff were supportive of the need to address funding for the Northern Forest. In June the ANCA Board of Directors committed to working with the Northern Forest Center in the implementation of a public relations strategy and to work as ambassadors to discuss how a sustained commitment of federal funding will be useful to ANCA’s and the region’s ability to address economic development and quality of life needs for communities, residents and businesses. The directors identified the need to secure grass roots support from local government, organizational, and business representatives and ANCA members. In September staff participated in the NEFA Northern Forest Lands Council 10th Anniversary Forum meeting to discuss the draft report, findings and recommendations in preparation for the December 10, 2004 Tenth Anniversary Conference of the Northern Forest Lands Council. ANCA staff and directors attended the public meeting that was hosted by NEFA at the Mt. Washington Hotel in New Hampshire.

Adirondack North Country Public Relation/ Communication Project:
Funding: $88,869/ NYS Empire Development Corporation

ANCA staff developed proactive public communications about regional economic development initiatives, opportunities and issues through use of the internet, public communications and public forums. ANCA’s Board of Directors responded to the Draft Comprehensive Snowmobile Plan for the Adirondack Park with ANCA’s position posted at ANCA’s website www.adirondack.org. Graphic design changes were made to ANCA’s website to present information about North Country businesses and ANCA’s programs, and press releases about current events. The website has been used to present copies of ANCA’s newsletters—The Ledger.

Crafts Development:
Funding: $16,323/ Revenue Generated
Funding: $69,875 USDA Rural Business Enterprise Grant Program

Rustic Nature Buyer Days Invitational Postcard

Workshops: Developed the curriculum for and presented three Design a Website In a Day workshops servicing 25 small businesses in partnership with the Plattsburgh Small Business Development Center in smart room facilities in Piseco, Elizabethtown and Malone. Hosted a How to Sell Product on eBay workshop in Saranac Lake servicing 23 small businesses in partnership with the St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce.

Outreach: Performed 80 regional studio and shop on-site visits in August and September as a final step of ANCA’s recruitment process for Handmade in the Northern Forest Guidebook to be printed and distributed in 2005 in partnership with the Northern Forest Center and Businesses for the Northern Forest. Provided craft business development services to 800 small businesses in 2004.

Marketing: Worked in partnership with the St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce in October to discuss regional marketing and branding initiatives with other small business support organizations. Sponsored the 2004 Buyer Days at the City Center in Saratoga Springs on March 31 and April 1 with 73 exhibitors and 257 buyers from 156 shops. Buyer Days, the region's only gift tradeshow, generated $176,000 in show sales and $400,000+ in follow-up wholesale sales. Organized 2005 Nature and Rustic Buyer Days for March 30–31, 2005. Marketed merchandise at the Western NY Gift Show in Rochester from February 15 -18 for 17 producers resulting in $9,200 in sales. Also marketed merchandise at Local Government Day on March 25 at Hotel Saranac in Saranac Lake. Designed and distributed 30,000 copies of ANCA’s Adirondack North Country Arts, Crafts and Foods publications to 970 lodgings in the region. Publication included 10 self-guided driving tours to 42 companies. Successful applicant for $69,875 in funding for a Small Business Market Development Project through the USDA Rural Business Development Grant program. Conducted Small Business Market Development interviews with shops and studios of the region to identify their best practices in retail marketing and sales.

Communications: Provided content for and layout of 5 email newsletters with distribution to 577 (an increase of 300 from 2003) regional small businesses and support organizations. Merged databases of 2700 retailers and 1400 producers. Continued development and maintenance of regional crafts portal website (50 pages) at www.adknccrafts.com including online applications and descriptions to ANCA’s crafts marketing programs and links to regional and national resources and to 189 regional retail and studio businesses with their own websites (an increase of 100 from 2003). Received and responded to some 1600 emails from and regarding regional small businesses.

Community Partnerships: Discussed possible partnership projects with Hilary Oak, President of St. Lawrence County Arts Council; Pat Joyce, Executive Director, Lower Adirondack Regional Arts Council, and Todd Shimkus, Adirondack Regional Chambers of Commerce; Dee Sarno, Executive Director of Saratoga County Arts Council; Jeff Fraser, owner Adirondack Living Show; Katy Curyn, Director of Retail & Market Access, WREN, NH. Attended Vermont Crafts Council annual conference in April. Organized two advisory committee meetings (January 21, March 30) to review current status of programs. Provided craft business development services to 800 small businesses in 2004. Partnered with the St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce in the Northern Trading Cooperative Project and provided business information which enabled them to regionalize the program. Staff attended and spoke about ANCA’s commitment to small business development at Senator Clinton’s announcement of the program expansion at Clarkson University on September 25.

TOURISM, RECREATIONAL PLANNING AND MARKETING

Adirondack and Olympic Corridor Management Planning Projects:
Funding: $46,718/ NYS Department of Transportation

Routes 30 and 28 part of the North Country's Scenic Byway system of touring routes

ANCA provided community planning services in communities along Routes 3, 86 and 9N in Jefferson, Lewis, St. Lawrence, Franklin, Essex and Clinton counties. The corridor project work for the Adirondack Trail Byway took place in communities along Routes 30 and 30A in Franklin, Hamilton, Fulton and Montgomery counties. During project implementation, ANCA maintained contracts with the Friends of the North Country, Wildlife Conservation Society, Tug Hill Commission and North Woods Engineering. A wide range of community partners were involved in the project, including representatives from industrial development agencies, the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, chambers, planning departments, municipalities and colleges. Comments were received from some communities, such as along the southern end of the Adirondack Trail, that they had not had any previous opportunities to participate in regional planning discussions. During the Adirondack planning work ANCA met with communities to name and record 223 significant resources along the 188-mile Adirondack Trail. During the Olympic planning work, ANCA met with communities to name and record 173 significant resources along the 170 mile Olympic Trail. As part of the two planning projects, ANCA worked with the Tug Hill Commission in the development of two 3’ x 4’ color maps of the byway corridors and connecting byways with an accompanying color coded resource key for the historical, cultural, recreational and natural resources plus visitor services along the two corridors. The plans were finalized in 2004 and ANCA received approval from the NYSDOT on the plans. In response to the availability of 2005 Federal Highway Administration funding and the NYS Department of Transportation’s request for proposals for projects along Byways that have completed corridor management plans, ANCA distributed information to contacts along the Olympic and Adirondack Byways and assisted in the submission of project applications to NYSDOT. Staff established corridor-wide electronic communications for the Adirondack and Olympic Byways, including all communities.

Byway Community Outreach Project:

ANCA staff assisted in the preparation of 2005 Scenic Byway Program applications totaling over $800K in grant funding requests to the NYS Department of Transportation. ANCA projects included the following: Community Byway Signing and Interpreting Byway Resources Project; Web-Marketing for the Adirondack Trail, Central Adirondack Trail and Olympic Scenic Byways Project; and the Corridor Management Plan Development Project for the Roosevelt/Marcy Trail and the Blue Ridge Trail Project (covering Hamilton, Warren, Essex, and Saratoga Counties). In addition, ANCA worked in partnership with the Adirondack Nature Conservancy in the submission of the Adirondack North Country Invasive Plants Project. ANCA also worked in partnership with the Adirondack Regional Tourism Council in the submission of the GPS Marketing Project. In addition staff provided assistance in the development of the Malone Revitalization Foundation’s Adirondack Trail Route 30 Interpretive Project and the St. Lawrence Housing Council’s Olympic Scenic Byway Star Lake Adirondack Community Information Center Project. ANCA also provided input to the Hamilton County Tourism application for the Adirondack Trail Scenic Byway Visitor Interpretive Center Project.

Central Adirondack Byway Corridor Management Planning Project:
Funding: $110,800/ NYS Department of Transportation

TOBIE Trail, covered bridge in Old Forge, NY

ANCA developed and distributed a request for proposals, reviewed applicant proposals and selected Ann Ruzow Holland as project facilitator for the Byway planning project. ANCA contracted with the Warren County Planning and Community Development Department, the Herkimer County Area Development Corporation, and CAP-21 to provide local planning input to the project. The Tug Hill Commission signed a Memorandum of Agreement with ANCA to prepare the working and final corridor maps and corresponding resource keys for the project. The East and West Local Action Committees consisting of stakeholders from Oneida, Herkimer, Hamilton, and Warren Counties have discussed issues, needs and opportunities regarding tourism, marketing and promotion, community economic development, transportation and community design, and recreation. Over 300 contributing resources have been suggested by local communities. A Steering Committee comprised of representatives from county tourism, economic development and planning departments, an Adirondack historian, NYSDOT, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, and Empire State Development has been organized. ANCA hosted the first meeting of the Steering Committee in Blue Mountain Lake on September 28, 2004.

Saranac Lake/ Lake Placid Pathway Project:
Funding: $797,000/ NYS Department of Transportation Town of North Elba
$31,059 ANCA Funding Restricted to Saranac Lake/ Lake Placid Pathway

A combination of funding support from Bikes Belong, a consortium of bicycle industry leaders, has enabled ANCA to work with the Town of North Elba in planning for the connective pathway between the Lake Placid and Saranac Lake communities. ANCA’s application for TEA –21 funding for the Town enabled the Town to have $797,000 for the planning of the Pathway. Through a Memorandum of Agreement ANCA is securing and managing private funding from a variety of sources for the Town. ANCA participated in reviewing a competitive bid process with the Town in the selection of URS as the designer/ planner for the Pathway project. Design plans have been developed during 2004 with reviews by the Adirondack Park Agency, NYS Department of Transportation and NYS Office of Parks and Recreation. Setback requirements are being reviewed in preparation for the finalization of the design plan.

Adirondack Park Mountain Bicycling Initiative (APMBI):
Funding: $16,482/ NYS Division of Housing and Community Renewal

As a member of the Adirondack Park Mountain Bicycling Initiative (APMBI), ANCA worked to secure $25,000 in funding through the Adirondack North Country Community Enhancement Program (ANCCEP) toward an Online Bicycle Atlas. The atlas will be on-line at www.bikeadirondacks.org in 2005. The website has been sponsored by ANCA and developed and managed by Holmes and Associates for the bicycling community. ANCA assisted APMBI with their initial transition meeting following the move of Lee and Judi Borland to a new residence in Georgia.

Tupper Lake Bicycle/ Pedestrian Project:
Funding: $20,000/ NYS Department of Transportation

ANCA worked in partnership with the Tupper Lake Chamber of Commerce in the development of a Bicycle/Pedestrian network in the Village that connects with the two Crossroad Byways of the Olympic and Adirondack Byways. ANCA partnered with Chamber in the development of the Tupper Lake “Crossroads of the Adirondacks” map and $28,000 in funding was secured by ANCA through the NYS Department of Transportation for the project.

Adirondack Byway Interpretive Boardwalk Project:
Funding: $84,000/ NYS Department of Transportation

ANCA developed a Memorandum of Agreement with the Natural History Museum of the Adirondacks in the development of an Adirondack Trail Byway Interpretive Boardwalk Project. The project will benefit from $84,000 in funding secured by ANCA through the NYS Department of Transportation Scenic Byways program toward the $109,955 total project cost. The museum has made significant progress in the building of the boardwalk which will provide an interesting overlook for byway travelers interested in learning about the natural habitat of the museum setting and the marshland that connects the museum with the Adirondack Byway.

Northern Forest Canoe Trail Project:
Funding: $4,800/ Northern Forest Canoe Trail, Inc.

ANCA sponsored the Long Lake to Saranac Lake committee that assisted with the design and planning for the northern section of the historic waterway route. The New York section of the route extends from Old Forge to Plattsburgh and then on to Vermont, and New Hampshire with the terminus of the 740-mile waterway in Port Kent, Maine. ANCA staff assisted in the review and editing of the Long Lake to Saranac Lake map. In September ANCA and the Canoe Trail hosted a public celebration of the completion of the

Lakes to Locks Passage, The Great Northeast Journey:
Funding: $74,838/ NYS Department of Transportation

Early in 2003 Lakes to Locks established itself as a not-for-profit corporation, which enabled the staff and program activities to separate from the organizational umbrella that ANCA had provided since 2000. The successful transition enabled ANCA to establish a Memorandum of Agreement with Lakes to Locks Passage, Inc. Through the agreement, ANCA provided ongoing fiscal administration to a number of contracts with funding balances that were committed to the program activities of Lakes to Locks. Project funding that was administered by ANCA included the Champlain Strategic Marketing Plan and Marketing Project, the Washington County Planning Project, the Vermont Audio Project and the Champlain Canal Marketing Project. By the close of the 2004 calendar year, ANCA completed its fiscal and contractual management of the Lakes to Locks projects, thus enabling Lakes to Locks to independently secure and administer private and government grant funding for a wide range of projects that will benefit communities, businesses and residents along New York State’s only All America Byway.

Adirondack North Country Byways Marketing Project:
Funding: $17,585/ NYS Department of Transportation

Marketing of the region’s byways through ANCA’s digitized regional auto touring map and Byways guidebook through an Adirondack North Country Scenic Byways Marketing Campaign that combined print, television and web-based marketing with an 800 fulfillment call-in number was completed in 2003. The campaign was presented in partnership with the Adirondack Regional Tourism Council. The production of the map was supported by International Paper which provided the paper from the Ticonderoga mill. The conversion analysis on the campaign was completed by the ARTC in 2004 and documented that $30,072,000 was spent by overnight visitors, $672,000 was spent by day visitors for a total spending of $30,744,000 with $2,229,000 being collected in state/ county sales taxes. Based on a combined marketing investment of $675,000 which included the grant and match contribution, the campaign netted a return on investment of 44 to 1.

Byways Signing Project:
Funding: $173,669/ NYS Department of Transportation

A partnership project with the NYS Department of Transportation enabled ANCA to contract with The Saratoga Associates to provide project management services and Wilbur Smith Associates to design guidelines for a portfolio to address byway signage in communities and along the route. A community manual and prototype signage is being developed and has undergone extensive review by ANCA’s Steering Committee and the Real Estate and Traffic Safety units in the Department of Transportation. Plans are to have the manual completed in 2005.

AGRICULTURE

Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative Project:
Funding: $44,200/ USDA Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative

Pasture Walk, Henderson NY

Windhaven Farm, Sauquoit, NY

ANCA staff developed twenty grazing plans on beef, alpaca, dairy and poultry farms across the ANCA region. ANCA hosted six pasturewalks and conducted 30 farm visits at locations in Jefferson, Saratoga, Franklin, St. Lawrence and Oswego counties. ANCA hosted eight grazing seminars in St. Lawrence, Jefferson, Essex and Franklin counties covering topics such as improving farming operations with pastured poultry and proper nutrition for grazing dairy cows. Over 70 producers attended the 8 meetings hosted by ANCA and 35 producers attended the six pasturewalks. Staff attended the Wisconsin Grazing Conference in Stevens Point, WI, Grasstravaganza in Binghamton, NY and Heifer International Project Partner Meetings in Fonda, NY and Rutland, MA. Staff also successfully completed a two-week Permaculture Design Certification course held in Warren, VT. ANCA continued support to two new programs that were developed in 2003/2004 including facilitation of a twenty-five member Farming Alternatives group that is in the process of applying for partnership status with Heifer International. The second project included ongoing mentoring of Paul Smith College culinary students who were completing their senior capstone project on the health benefits of buying locally. The students will be rewriting the educational portion of ANCA’s North Country Meat Directory.

Dairy Products Manufacturing Viability Study:
Funding: $73,500/ NYS Empire State Development Corporation

ANCA administered funding for a Dairy Products Manufacturing Viability Study as a partnership with CITEC. CITEC coordinated the project work activity and outreach that included operational assessments of ten manufacturing plants, an analysis of production levels and characteristics at dairy farms, identification of market trends by product trends, and recommendations for programs and services that will support the stabilization and expansion of the region’s dairy manufacturing plants. The study will be completed in 2005.

NATURAL RESOURCES

ANCA Wood Products Industry Development Project:
Funding: $125,000/ NYS Department of Labor/ Accelerate NY
$25,000/ USDA Forest Service

Representatives from Fey Manufacturing Company showing samples of Tug Hill Table's Dome Stools marketed with Syracuse University Orange logo.

During 2004 ANCA developed a partnership with the NYS Department of Labor and regional workforce investment boards in the implementation of Accelerate New York funding. The funding was made available to grow New York’s small and medium-sized businesses. Business development assistance was provided to twenty-six wood products companies. Business plans were developed for each company addressing company history, future plans, internet marketing opportunities, training needs, and production analysis. The goal of each plan has been to provide information that the companies can use to secure additional financing as needed and to continue business growth, job retention and creation.

Staff assisted Fey Manufacturing Company in receiving collegiate licensing for a custom-made red oak stool that is being marketed with the Syracuse University orange logo. Staff worked with the Lewis County Industrial Development Agency in the organization of a November press conference to announce the success with the dome stool marketing. ANCA assisted the IDA in marketing North Country products at the COME FARM WITH US expo in Yonkers, NY. Carl Golas, ANCA Wood Products Industry Specialist, participated as a member of the National Community Forestry Center which addressed community forestry and research needs across the Northern Forest. Staff assisted Lewis County IDA in securing a new buyer for the Lyonsdale Biomass Plant and provided linkages to the logging community for a smooth transition with wood supply. Worked with 3-B Timber in Boonville to address their needs for rail services to assist them in the transport of hemlock and poplar pulp. Participated in a fall press conference announcing a $500,000 New York State grant for improvement of the rail infrastructure and permitting 3-B Timber to have a twenty-car rail siding on their property. Also assisted with the development of new markets for low quality pulp wood for 3-B Timber that resulted in increased employment for loggers. ANCA continued support to Cedar Knoll Log Homes in Plattsburgh in their efforts to recycle and reuse rejected cedar lumber while expanding their markets and adding new jobs. In addition, ANCA helped to secure a raw material cedar supply for Old Adirondack, a company in Willsboro.

ANCA worked with Holmes and Associates in the development of the Marketing and Sale of Special Forest Products Project with funding support provided by the USDA Forest Service. The project will expand data base information for wood producers on the internet site www.AdirondackWood.com and make it possible for companies to have access to an online company and services directory. The project also supports the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation’s efforts to prepare an updated inventory of wood-based companies.

SERVICES AND CULTURE

Siberian Exchange Project:
Funding: $5,260/ Anonymous

ANCA worked with Naj Wykoff in securing foundation support toward an international exchange project that addressed how the arts are an important component of the Siberian economy while exploring linkages to the Adirondack region.