On March
20th, Ningyun Cai and her two sons – age 7 and 11 – set out on what
was supposed to be a day hike to the top of Mount Marcy. The hike turned into
an overnight search and rescue mission when the trio lost sight of the trail in
the snow and called 9-1-1. The New York State Department of Environmental
Conservation dispatched forest rangers and local police who found the family
and sent them to the Adirondack Medical Center for treatment (Karlin 2015). The
Cai family’s case raised questions about hiking regulations in the Adirondacks.
For example, should the Adirondack Park impose safety regulations on outdoor
recreationists to prevent a full-mounted search and rescue mission? Or should
young children be allowed to hike the high peaks in early spring without any
safety guidelines?
In recent years, more tourists than
ever visit the Adirondack Park. With an influx of tourists – in particular
outdoor recreationalists – more people than ever explore the Adirondack Park.
However, larger groups often have individuals without the experience or skills
to successfully navigate the Park. There is a greater opportunity for fatal
error when inexperienced, adolescent, handicapped or otherwise impaired people
set off into the Adirondack wilderness. The Cai trio is one example of many
where underprepared recreationalists fall prey to the park. New York State’s
Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC) tracks the Adirondack forest
ranger’s search and rescue missions, releasing monthly reports about the
incidents. Over the past year, there has been a steady rate of injuries in the
park. Search-and-rescue missions aren’t uncommon. As the number of incidents
remains high, concern for these recreationalists is mounting.
With this high rate of injury/search-and-rescue
calls, can NYS DEC’s park rangers continue to maintain the safety of the
park? Should new safety regulations be
imposed on recreationalists to adapt to the influx of tourists?
Ultimately,
New York created the Adirondack Park for the enjoyment of everyone. Tourists,
regardless of their physical health or stature, should have the opportunity to
enjoy the Adirondack Park. However, I do believe that New York’s DEC cannot continue
to maintain the safety of the park if the number of tourists continues to rise.
Therefore, I believe increasing the number of park rangers and the quality of
their equipment would help offset this influx of tourists. Modifying the
general safety regulations of the Adirondack Park to match the increasing number
of recreationalists would also ensure a more safe outdoor experience.
Ultimately, hikers will get lost in the snow like the Cai trio. Yet with increased
safety standards and more park rangers, hopefully fewer people will need a
search-and-rescue save on an Adirondack peak.
Sources
Karlin, Rick. “Mount
Marcy rescue provokes discussion on responsibility for rescue costs.” Times
Union.com. The Herst Corporation. 24 Mar. 2015. Web. 28 Apr. 2015.
< http://www.timesunion.com/news/article/Mount-Marcy-rescue-provokes-discussion-on-6156890.php#photo-7711761>
No!! (That's my answer). I think it's very important to allow people to enjoy the park without stringent restrictions. Without the unimpeded connection with nature, we cannot hope to instill a conservation ethic in visitors to the park. But those visiting the park who have little experience can get in over their heads, which is why I think the most important vehicle for park safety is EDUCATION. Park rangers will and should continue to patrol the park, but there should exist extensive literature and resources for visitors to the park to explain to them the dangers of the wilderness (when ill-prepared) and the ecological importance of staying on the trail! Strict regulations almost never work for anything. In fact, many people will be put off by the rules and follow the "rules are made to be broken" philosophy. That's why I say, education education education.
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