Regional Blueway Planning:

• On February 23 ANCA staff participated in a discussion with NYSDOS staff and the Town of Webb regarding the potential involvement of the Town in the Blueway planning project. Prior to the discussion ANCA and NYSDOS received correspondence from the Town of Inlet indicating that Inlet would not manage the Blueway contract in a proposal initially submitted by the Adirondack Economic Development Corporation and subsequently revised by NYSDOS to address Blueway planning needs on the 90-Miler Canoe Route between Old Forge and Saranac Lake. There continues to be the potential for ANCA to contract to the Town of Webb in the management of the project while coordinating the work of other organizations such as CAP-21, Sustainable Communities, and Wildlife Conservation in their efforts in Blueway/ community planning. On July 5 ANCA staff participated in a conference call with the Town of Webb and NYSDOS staff. On July 9 staff attended a special board session in the town with DOS staff to discuss the town’s involvement in the project. The town council voted to enter into an agreement with the NYSDOS to develop the blueway plan.
• ANCA staff attended an exploratory meeting on March 14, 2007 with representatives from the Raquette River Corridor Initiative and the Town of Colton. The water corridor involves three counties and 170 miles of waterway. The meeting included a potential future partnership with ANCA in future project development. In September ANCA discussed the Raquette River project with NYSDOS staff. The overall scope of the project and potential involvement with ANCA is still being discussed by the town.
• ANCA staff reviewed the Tug Hill Commission’s Black River Blueway Draft which is being prepared as a companion project to the Black River Corridor Management Plan.
• On August 2 staff attended a meeting with NYSDOS staff and the Town of Wilmington to discuss the town’s blueway planning project and ANCA’s involvement. ANCA prepared a draft Memorandum of Agreement between ANCA and the town that will enable ANCA to provide project management services to the project. Staff will attend NYSDOS training sessions on October 2 and 3 that are a requirement for the project.

Motorized Trail Development and Use:

• ANCA staff prepared a review of the Snowmobile Plan for the Adirondack Park/Final Generic Environmental Impact Statement that was released jointly by the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and the NYSDEC. ANCA’s review is posted at www.adirondack.org.
• ANCA staff communicated with a resident of Raquette Lake and with ANCA’s Central Region Vice President regarding snowmobile trail relocation needs in Raquette Lake.
• Staff communicated with the Supervisor of the Town of Thurman regarding ATV use of trails.

Adirondack and Olympic Regional Marketing Project:

• ANCA implemented a regional marketing program to include print and web-based communications with communities and stakeholders along the Adirondack and Olympic Scenic Byways. ANCA initiated work with Susan Fuller in the coordination of community outreach and hosted a series of marketing meetings on the following dates:
  January 24/ Adirondack Trail: Exploration of what visitors want; discussion of target markets and how to improve the visitor experience.
  February 22/ Olympic Trail: Launch of the marketing campaign for the byway which spans six counties.
  March 8/ Adirondack Trail Brochure Development: Discussion of the planning needs for the brochure, including format, content, user-base, maps and distribution. Discussion of the need for web posting of the brochure.
  March 13/ Olympic Byway Branding Meeting: Discussion of the byway brand based on the theme of "Olympic Spirit " and its importance as a tool for communities. The facilitated meeting included identification of a branding tool that will allow the communities to promote themselves and compete with other similar tourism destinations.
  April 17/ Stakeholder Meeting of the Adirondack Trail and Olympic Scenic Byways: Discussion of website planning including 1) to inform participants of the details for development of the internet presence; 2) explanation of why the site is necessary and how it will be distinctive from and coordinated with other sites related to the Adirondack North Country Region; 3) the opportunity for stakeholder input on community needs, objectives and functionality of the website.
  April 25/ Art, Crafts and Foods Along the Scenic Byways: Staff and contractor’s discussion about ANCA’s goal of merging the Art, Crafts and Foods touring publication with the Scenic Byways Program.
  The meetings enable ANCA to have a first-hand presence in communities to find out what is going on while simultaneously showing communities what is available. Projects being planned across the region and important networks are being forged. Meetings have been attended by representatives from lodgings, chambers of commerce, county tourism offices, The Wild Center, Adirondack Museum, the Visitor Interpretive Center, event coordinators, realtors, shop owners, county planners, NYS Snowmobile Association and promotional businesses. ANCA’s contractor, Susan Fuller, participated in the North/ South Chamber Mixer on March 13 for the Malone and Saranac Lake Area Chamber of Commerces. A follow-up cover story was developed by the Malone Telegram on ANCA’s Byway outreach and marketing.
• ANCA contacted the various county tourism offices to ensure that ANCA is accurately reflecting any current tourism plans in ANCA’s initiative.
• Beyond achieving the marketing goals put forth in the CMP’s, the work sessions are enabling the communities to understand the benefits of the byways program.
• Staff completed the branding and consensus building for the Adirondack Trail and Olympic Byways.
• Staff distributed RFP’s for the web and brochure projects, reviewed applicant responses, scheduled interviews and prepared board recommendations. On September 19 staff met with the bidders for the brochure and website to discuss project details and have prepared a recommendation for candidate selection for the ANCA board. Selected Holmes and Associates as the technician to develop the web project for three byways and serve as ANCA’s model. ANCA selected In the Woods Design to develop the Adirondack Trail brochure.

Central Adirondack Byway:

• ANCA will provide follow-up to the Warren County Planning Office in their efforts to implement the resolution from the Central Adirondack Byway Town supervisors that requested a route extension of the Byway from Route 28 to Route 8 through the Towns of Johnsburg, Chester, Horicon and Hague.
• ANCA maintained dialogue with CAP-21 to discuss future partnerships along the Central Adirondack Byway while ANCA worked to secure additional funding for the corridor.
• NYSDOT funding will enable ANCA to develop a Central Adirondack Branding Project, thus enabling ANCA to revisit the Central Adirondack communities and ensure that they are fully represented on the website work that will be underway.

Black River Corridor Management Planning Project:

• ANCA continued to manage a contract with the Tug Hill Commission in the development of the Black River Byway Corridor Management Plan.
• The Commission continued to maintain public outreach and communications on the project through press releases, flyers and direct invitations to two hundred stakeholders.
• Through the development of a corresponding Blueway Plan for the corridor, the Commission is developing two corresponding plans for the waterway and byway that will interrelate and benefit Black River communities.
• Tug Hill Commission staff are working with community members in the identification of the intrinsic qualities, existing conditions, and resources of the corridor. Future plans include development of the Transportation and Community Design, Recreational Issues and Needs, the Implementation Strategy and Action Plan. Additionally, the Commission is working to refine the vision and corresponding goals of the plan while reviewing complementary studies and reports.
• GIS maps that were prepared for the project in 2006 are being used in the community work sessions to identify needs and significant resources.
• The Commission completed the NYSDOS Blueway Plan and is integrating the plan into the byway work.
• The Commission has continued to explore and discuss the alternate plans for the byway that would follow the Black River’s pathway west to Lake Ontario. A northern community group along the existing byway is exploring a theme that could be used to name the northern remaining portion of the corridor if the western extension is implemented.
• The Tug Hill Commission has started the St. Lawrence County segment of the planning work, including discussion of a loop into Canton and the potential for an appropriate name.
• Four planning meetings were hosted by the Commission on August 14, Ogdensburg; August 21, Croghan; August 21, Governeur; August 21, Canton. Three hundred and forty-one businesses received meeting announcements to the different sessions.

Olympic Byway:

• Town resolutions are being updated and business support letters are being collected by the Tug Hill Commission regarding a western route extension to Henderson Harbor of the Olympic Byway.
• ANCA has worked with the Essex County planning office and their staff who are meeting with several of the eastern Olympic towns that submitted resolutions to not participate in the Olympic Corridor planning that concluded in 2005. Communities have recognized the benefits of the program and the accompanying funding. Discussions include plans on how to reengage the communities which chose not to participate. CMP copies have been distributed to town council members.
• In May ANCA staff provided input to the Tug Hill Commission on the finalization of the Olympic corridor extension into Henderson Harbor.
• ANCA provided communications to Sackets Harbor to discuss their role as a contributing byway community and the potential for confusion with the Seaway Trail if they were identified as a "terminus" of the Olympic Byway.

Village of Tupper Lake Recreational Path:

• ANCA staff spoke with community leaders and redefined the scope of work from the original 1999 plan to create a brochure that will accompany the Crossroads of the Byways Community Recreation Map that was prepared with the original NYSDOT funding.
• The original plans for the construction of the bicycle/recreational path have been absorbed by the village’s recent award of $700K+ in funding in an enhancement project from NYSDOT.
• ANCA has secured a revised contract from the NYSDOT and has started initial planning work with the Tupper Lake Chamber of Commerce.

Saranac Lake/ Lake Placid Pathway Project:

• ANCA continued to manage private funding from a variety of sources toward the Town of North Elba’s goal to develop a rails-with-trails project as a connective pathway between the Lake Placid and Saranac Lake communities. ANCA provided information to IronMan to support private fundraising for the project by a local athlete who will compete in IronMan 2007 in Lake Placid. ANCA managed all IronMan contributions to the project and provided follow-up thank you correspondence and a record of all contributions to the athlete, Rick Preston, who competed on behalf of the Pathway project.
• ANCA provided follow-up to Cedar Eden’s development of a wetland mitigation plan for the snow dump area in the Village of Lake Placid and assisted with communications with the APA and Village regarding the impact of the plan on the snow dump area in Lake Placid. Following the determination of an incomplete Park Agency application, ANCA contacted Cedar Eden for additional information that was used in response to the Agency’s request.
• ANCA assisted with follow-up with the Village of Lake Placid regarding the resolution in support of the wetland mitigation work at the village location. ANCA provided a follow-up assessment from the APA that the mitigation plan will not affect the ability of the town to continue to use the site as a snow dump. ANCA worked with the village in trying to secure copy of the deed for the snow dump property.
• ANCA responded to the Adirondack Park Agency’s determination of an incomplete application and submitted all follow-up documents that were requested. On September 28 the Town and NYSDOT and the Village of Lake Placid received notice of a complete application. The project is scheduled for approval decision by the Adirondack Park Agency on December 13.
• ANCA, in partnership with Holmes and Associates and the Town of North Elba met with NYSDOT staff on March 14 to discuss plans for the $1.7M SAFETEA-LU that was awarded toward the total project cost of $1.4M toward Phase II planning and construction of the pathway from Ray Brook to Saranac Lake. Holmes continued to provide follow-up with NYSDOT, the Town and URS in securing the final paperwork in preparation for the submission of the Adirondack Park Agency permit application.
• On November 29 ANCA staff attended a meeting at the Park Agency that was hosted by NYSDOT with snowmobile, Town, DOT and Agency representatives. The meeting addressed snowmobile use in the corridor and potential impediments.

Adirondack Park Mountain Bicycling Initiative (APMBI):

• ANCA has continued to maintain an On-Line Atlas at www.bikeadirondacks.org. The website has been sponsored by ANCA and developed and managed by Holmes and Associates for the bicycling community.
• ANCA secured $63,200 in funding toward a $79,000 total project cost for the Bicycling in the Adirondack North Country Byways project. The project will enable ANCA to expand the On-Line Atlas to include bicycle road touring routes and services throughout the region.
• ANCA staff prepared a work plan and budget for submission to NYSDOT for the On-Line Atlas project.

-Dude Ranch Corridor Management Planning Project:

• ANCA secured $112,000 in byways funding toward a $140,000 project for the development of the Dude Ranch Corridor Management Plan in Warren and Saratoga counties.
• ANCA staff prepared a work plan and budget for submission to NYSDOT for the project.
• ANCA staff prepared a contractor list for the Dude Ranch Trail for distribution of the RFP’s in the new year. The project planning will involve the counties of Warren and Saratoga.

Adirondack North Country Tourism Information Project:

• ANCA was contacted by NYSDOT regarding the availability of funding for regional marketing and interpretation. ANCA suggested a Central Adirondack Trail Marketing/ Branding and Consensus Building Project and a Byway Marketing Tourism Assessment Project which were approved. ANCA will receive a $54,000 award toward a $67,500 total project cost.
• ANCA staff prepared a work plan and budget for submission to NYSDOT for the project.
• The Central Adirondack component will build on corridor plan that was completed in June of 2006 and will enable ANCA to return to the communities to assist with marketing.
• The Tourism Assessment will enable ANCA to explore the preferences and trends in byway users through focus groups will be implemented in all future byway marketing projects, including ANCA’s website work.

Northern Forest Canoe Trail Project:

• ANCA staff maintained dialogue with staff at the Northern Forest Canoe Trail in relation to byway and blueway planning.
• ANCA staff met with Rob Center on August 29 to discuss plans for the business development and marketing of the canoe trail and the potential for overlap with the NYSDOS 90-Miler Blueway Project.

-Adirondack North Country Byways Marketing Project:

• The Adirondack Regional Tourism Council completed the conversion survey results of the 2006 Adirondack North Country Spring/Summer Scenic Byways Advertising Campaign that the Council implemented in partnership with ANCA. The Byways marketing campaign combined a reprint of ANCA’s regional auto touring map, Byway guidebook, and television and web-based marketing with an 800 fulfillment call-in number and an email address. The Council reported a total of 42,493 people responded to the campaign in 2006. The conversion analysis revealed that 63% of the respondents visited the region during the period of the campaign, April 1 through November 1, 2006. The visits represented direct spending of more than $27 million, a 45 to 12 return on the investment of $607,700.
• The campaign targeted close-in markets as a result of high gas prices which also impacted the length of stay, resulting in the shorter stays documented in the conversion work.
• The spring/summer campaign included print advertising targeted to heritage and birding travelers in the northeastern United States.
• The conversion analysis was developed from a sample pool 1,581 respondents to a survey sent to nearly 10,000 of 43,493 people who requested the travel information.
• The majority of the respondents—76%--chose to visit the region because "they liked the idea of visiting a scenic area. "
• 42% of the respondents had heard about the Adirondack North Country Scenic Byways before receiving travel information, representing more than double the awareness of the byways (20%) expressed by travelers in response to the 2003 campaign jointly developed by ANCA and the Council.
• ANCA has received a special allocation of follow-up funding from NYSDOT and is reviewing costs for the reprint of the Adirondack North Country Regional Map. ANCA developed a letter of agreement with the Adirondack Regional Tourism Council on the reprint. ARTC will assist with project coordination with the printer and map distribution for the 2008 tourism season.

Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Project:

• ANCA finalized year-three management of a contract agreement with the Adirondack Chapter of the Nature Conservancy for the Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program. $99,925 in funding was made available to ANCA and the Conservancy through the NYSDOT’s Scenic Byways Program through the Federal Highway Administration and TEA-21 Program.
• ANCA reviewed and received copy of the brochure—the Adirondack Park Invasive Plan Program that was developed with project funding.
• ANCA and the Nature Conservancy worked in partnership with the successful submission of the Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program Byway Community Outreach Project. $85,138 in funding has been awarded to the project which has a total project cost of $106,466.
• ANCA staff submitted a work plan that was developed with the Nature Conservancy and budget for phase II of the Invasive Plant Project.

Byways Signing Project:

• Staff provided follow-up correspondence to the Sullivan County Office of Public Works regarding planning for the interpretive signage for the Upper Delaware Scenic Byway. The Sullivan County office will manage the development and placement of the signage. A work plan has been developed that will become part of a contract between ANCA and Sullivan County. The Upper Delaware Scenic Byway was selected by NYSDOT as the location for model interpretive signage that builds on the New York State Scenic Byways Sign Program goal to enhance the travel experience of visitors and residents and to improve the tourism and economic benefits of the Byway corridors. Updated plans from Sullivan County include a target date of the spring of 2008 for the completion of the model signage.
• ANCA staff met with NYSDOT staff and the Tupper Lake Chamber of Commerce to review the design and narrative content for interpretive signage planned for the causeway location in Tupper Lake. The signage utilizes guidelines established in the New York State Scenic Byways Sign Manual.