Newsletter, Adirondack North Country Association

Following considerable public comment, a number of focus group discussions, and many months since issuance of a draft plan, the Snowmobile Plan for the Adirondack Park/Final Generic Environmental Impact Statement was released jointly in October, 2006, by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation and the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.

In March 2004 the Adirondack North Country Association was among the many groups that commented formally on the draft plan. "Our initial comments on the draft plan addressed the need to quantify the economic and community benefits from snowmobiling while acknowledging the need to plan for an integrated system that would support recreation and community development. While we know the benefits from snowmobiling are significant, we were hopeful the final plan would provide baseline information about the overall impact and potential for an integrated system for this important industry to the region," Terry Martino, Executive Director stated.

In the subsequent Adirondack North Country Association Preliminary Review: Adirondack Park Snowmobile Plan, dated December 19, 2006 it was recognized that the final plan does provide much additional information and considers a number of issues raised previously by ANCA, but the document leaves other questions in relation to snowmobile planning and use unanswered. The final plan suggests, for example, that funds will be available through registration and the Snowmobile Fund, and that enforcement will not be a significant factor since the miles of trails will be relatively the same as present on Forest Preserve Lands. But there is no additional consideration of how enforcement should occur, or of the impact on communities of new connector trails.

The final plan also addresses possible locations for connector routes, and emphasizes that snowmobile clubs, local officials and property owners will have to be involved to successfully implement these new routes. However, the plan simultaneously leaves responsibility for coordinating snowmobile planning on private lands in the hands of snowmobiling enthusiasts and organizations. Meanwhile, additional New York State planning regarding trail configuration and maintenance on public lands will occur on a piecemeal basis as the Forest Preserve unit management planning process advances.

Since the plan does not realistically address issues of snowmobiling on private lands, the potential economic and environmental impacts of the increased snowmobiling compelled by the plan on those lands remains largely uncertain. For example, there are liability questions that will be faced by private landowners who lease their lands for snowmobiling. And private landowner willingness to allow snowmobiling could be a serious potential deterrent to snowmobile plan implementation. Yet the plan is virtually silent concerning the need for close public and private coordination of trail development efforts if trail systems are to be truly interconnected.

The emphasis in the plan on community-connector trails also underscores the need for thorough and careful consideration of economic impacts both within communities and across the entire North Country. Such a coordinated, more comprehensive approach could help shape the plan into truly successful public policy not only for snowmobiling, but also for all outdoor recreational development in the Adirondacks. ANCA acknowledges planning for snowmobiling must be an ongoing process to integrate the economic potential, community impacts and benefits, and environmental considerations of snowmobile recreation.

P.S. Following the December 2006 staff review of the plan, ANCA received word that residents of Raquette Lake are seeking to have a connector trail established into their community where private lands are not available. Their request illustrates how planning for trails on Forest Preserve lands involves the Unit Management Planning process—in this case the Moose River Plains Wild Forest unit. The request underscores, however, how the use of private lands for snowmobiling also can both affect and be affected by the unit management planning process for public lands. Additionally, the request shows how the use of private lands is left out of the unit management planning process.

Terry Martino can be reached at anca-martino@northnet.org.