As I read Bill McKibben’s foreword of The Adirondack Atlas, a particular statement caught my attention; one which mentioned that the interior of the park is economically and geographically tied to the exterior of the park. This piece of information made me think about the interconnectedness of those who live inside and outside of the park. Today we can easily travel to a national or state park and treat these areas as vacation spots; places that we like to think are remote and separated from the outside world which we are trying to escape. We can easily find somewhere to buy food and stay overnight in a close vicinity, features which we never doubt will be there because we are used to quick and easy access in today’s society. However, keeping in mind Bill McKibben’s statement as I read Phillip Terrie’s Contested Terrain, I could easily see how accurate this idea was during the early days of settlement in this wilderness.
When settlers first moved into the Adirondacks, many believed that a society of agrarian farmers would eventually develop and allow them to be self-sustaining. After many determined attempts to cultivate the land, many settler’s eventually moved on to new locations, or accepted that they would have to learn new skills to survive. Even at this earlier state of the park’s development, settler’s realized that it was very hard to be self-sufficient in the Adirondacks; the interior needed to be tied to the exterior.
As the park has continued to develop, this idea of interconnectedness has become even more relevant. Tourism has slowly replaced earlier sources of income such as trapping, farming and mining. Lodges opened and recreational sports guides became more popular. Although these vacation spots seem to be removed from the rest of the world, they are entirely dependent on the outside world. Without tourists there would not be as many lodges, guides, and restaurants. As a result there would also be less interest in preserving a park that our society does not feel personally tied to. Although we may like to romanticize the Adirondacks as an isolated wilderness, we cannot ignore the dependence this park has on the outside world. As tourism increases is this dependence actually more detrimental than helpful to the park? Perhaps a balance of interests is the only solution to this debate.
This is certainly a very polarizing issue and something that has really characterized the park today. There are many groups of people interested in, and infatuated by the Adirondacks, and each group seems to have a different opinion on the most effective, practical, and sustainable method of utilizing the park. As, Paul Schneider states, for some, the Adirondacks is "a place of solace and recreation," while for others it remains "a place for opportunity." Connections between the outside and inside of the park enhance the Adirondacks' value as a "place for opportunity" as tourism boosts local economies and broadens opportunities for employment. Thus, for a large number of inhabitants, enhanced interconnectedness between the park and the rest of the country is beneficial. For those in search of a place of solace and solitude however, the crowds brought by the increased interconnectedness of the park may not be as desirable. It appears that as long as multiple groups are interested in the park, such conflicts will persist. For now, I agree that a balance needs to be struck between connecting the park to the rest of the state and country and maintaining the natural, quiet beauty of the park.
ReplyDelete