Economic Development Plans

Apparently, Hamilton isn’t the only college with an Adirondack semester program. Recently, a group of seven students from Clarkson University, who spent the semester in the Adirondacks, presented a plan for the economic development of the town of Tupper Lake.  The plan focuses on creating sustainable development that can be a model for other towns in the Adirondacks. They want the town to work to improve infrastructure and developing tourist attractions. Another party pursuing economic growth in the Adirondacks is the Center for Rural Entrepreneurship, which hopes to revitalize the towns in the park by bringing in young business talent. Ultimately, both of these programs seek to revitalize the lagging economies of the town’s in the park by working on a small more focused level suggesting that this is the path economic development should take in the Adirondacks.

The Center for Rural Entrepreneurship has an important individually focused aim. The center was founded in 2001 and has spent more than $10 million working to foster rural economic growth and development (Center for Rural Entrepreneurship). The Center seeks to build a strong economy by attracting talented business leaders to the park. With a wide array of resources from education to funding and access to large amounts of data, the center hopes to give business owners the tools and information they need to succeed in the difficult economic environment of the Adirondacks (Center). Through empowering individual business leaders, the center offers a powerful strategy that is capable of helping the towns get back on their feet.

Alternatively, the Clarkson plan focuses on some larger projects. The students focused a lot of their time on infrastructure. They suggest that improving roads and Internet access will bring more people to the town. They also stressed that improving the town’s other amenities like restaurants and hotels could make the area and local hotspot. The plan is closely tied to the continued prevalence of tourism suggesting that the students believe that the town’s economic fate is tied to the continued health and conservation of the nearby wilderness. The students also state that there is hope for the town and area as a whole. They believe that their strategy of economic development can empower the town to make a successful future possible. At the same time, the students made it clear that they were merely offering suggestions and that they were not trying to change the park as they saw fit. The economic fate of the towns of the Adirondacks lies in the hands of their inhabitants (Watertown Daily).

Combining both strategies of economic development offers the Adirondacks the best chance to revitalize a struggling economy. Now that the presence of big industry has declined so sustainably, the Adirondacks will be forced to rely more heavily on small business and tourism to provide jobs and prosperity. Both strategies work at addressing these needs. Through the investments in infrastructure the Adirondacks can ensure that the park remains a tourist destination. By investing and supporting local businesses, the Adirondacks will appear both more attractive to tourists and to the people that already live there. Through this combined strategy, the Adirondacks can guarantee prosperity for generations to come.

Works Cited

“History and Structure." Entrepreneur-focused Development. Center for Rural Entrepreneurship, n.d. Web. 18 Apr. 2016. <http://www.energizingentrepreneurs.org/about/>.

"Clarkson Students Present Recommendations for Economic Growth in Adirondack Towns." Watertown Daily Times. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Apr. 2016. <http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/news05/clarkson-students-present-recommendations-for-economic-growth-in-adirondack-towns-20160421>.

“St. Lawrence University to Host North Country Symposium on April 25." Adirondack Express Mobile News. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Apr. 2016. <http://www.adirondackexpress.com/mobile/04122016_markleynews>.