Peter Bauer and the Painful Truth

Attending Peter Bauer’s lecture altered my perspective on the Adirondacks and on our class. Prior to taking this course, I believed that most of the Adirondacks were protected from development, motorized vehicles, and anything else that could conceivably have negative environmental effects. After learning so much about the region and its history, it has become clear that many parts of the park are not completely protected from harmful human activity.  However, before Peter Bauer’s talk, I was blissfully unaware of the extent of the environmental issues caused by humans throughout the park, specifically in regions protected by law. I was previously under the impression that environmentally focused legislation effectively did its job in the Adirondacks. It troubled me to find that that assumption was incorrect. Peter Bauer seemed to argue that this is largely because of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo

            Peter Bauer focused more on the influence of Governor Cuomo than I thought he would, which I believe he did to show the dangers of a governor unconcerned with the natural resources of the Adirondacks, and to show that legislation is not always effective, especially when the politicians who theoretically back it do not enforce it. According to Bauer, one unfortunate reason for environmental issues within the park is that many people simply do not pay heed to the laws. This would ordinarily be inconsequential, as these lawbreakers would be punished, but Bauer explained that often officials do not care enough to carry out these punishments. Due to this lack of oversight, laws are bent and broken within the Adirondacks relatively consistently, and there is very little that can be done about it. Additionally, destructive changes are being legally made in the park, such as the lengthening of the hunting season for various different animals, the expansion of hunting land, and the creation of snowmobile paths to link towns. Peter Bauer seemed to relate this all back to Governor Cuomo, as he cited various projects supported by Cuomo that were and are detrimental to the Adirondack’s natural resources.

            It was incredibly disconcerting to hear about the environmental issues currently being faced in the Adirondacks, especially since our course seemed to be building towards an overwhelmingly positive future in the region. Nonetheless, Peter Bauer’s presentation gave proof that environmental protection in the Adirondacks continues to be an uphill battle. Just as the park has been preserved for many years however, I believe it will continue to be wild, thanks to the efforts of conservationists and advocacy groups. I hope, just as Peter Bauer predicted, I will one day be able to show my children the park just as it is today.