Smarth Growth

 “Governor Cuomo announces $400,000 in smart growth grants for Adirondack Park communities and organizations,” was sprawled across the ny.gov webpage on April 13.  This money adds to the $2 million already granted to fund the smart growth project, which promises important and urgent work in many Adirondack towns and hamlets. The smart growth grants are aimed at improving both the environments and the economies of Adirondack towns by encouraging growth in already developed areas, rather than developing virgin lands. While Cuomo’s governance in Adirondack affairs has been an unequal mixture of appreciation for the value of the Adirondack Park and emphasis on generating as much profit as possible from the Park, this smart growth effort effectively combines the two with equal consideration and worth.

            In the past, Governor Cuomo has been focused largely on turning the Adirondacks into a money maker for the state of New York. He encouraged tourism and the construction of additional snowmobile trails through the Park. The more people in the Park, and the more motorized vehicles being used, the more damage is done to the environment. More people means more hotels and stores need to be built, and more natural resources extracted for construction purposes. More snowmobile trails means more motorized vehicles in the Park, which contribute to noise pollution and scare away animals (“Governor Cuomo Announces Success”). Although it is important to increase the number of jobs available to Adirondackers and encourage people to enjoy all that the Park has to offer, these efforts shouldn’t be at the expense of the land that so many people fought hard to preserve.

The new smart growth programs, unlike past legislative policies, aims to fund community based projects for economic growth while keeping the traditional Adirondack feel and the environment and unharmed. The recent $400,000 grant will fund a new water source for the town of Crown Point and the Essex County fish hatchery, expansion of the Adirondack Public Observatory, and road work in Lake Placid and Lake George. This money will allow for the renovation of failing infrastructure, but will ensure that the new infrastructure will help protect the environment with new additions to prevent pollution. For example, the road work in Lake Placid will include storm water collection systems which will filter sediment and road salt out of the water to prevent water pollution (“Governor Cuomo Announces $400,000”).   The grant comes from the Environmental Protection Fund who enlists the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to administer the programs (“Smart Growth In”). Governor Cuomo hopes the smart growth grants can “build upon [the Park’s] success, helping to strengthen the local economy and ensuring the park remains a vibrant destination for decades to come” (“Governor Cuomo Announces $400,000”). Governor Cuomo is not the only legislator excited by the potential impacts of smart growth; assemblymen, senators and the secretary of state were all quoted praising the smart growth program and how wonderful it will be for the residents and visitors of the Adirondack Park.

            It is essential to have a state full of legislators dedicated to preserving the natural beauty of the state, especially in New York, home to over six million acres of pristine wilderness. These legislators, led by Governor Cuomo, have implemented yet another program to enhance both the environment and the human communities within the Park, with smart growth. Smart growth uses the land in the most environmentally and economically friendly ways to help everyone and everything living in the Adirondacks.  Governor Cuomo has frequently been seen enjoying all that the Adirondacks have to offer, and the additional $400,000 smart growth grant is a great way to show how important the Park really is. Cuomo has succeeded in combining his two main focuses, the preservation of the Adirondacks and the economic benefits of the Park, with a smart growth program which can do both at once.

Works Cited

"Governor Cuomo Announces $400,000 in Smart Growth Grants for Adirondack Park Communities and Organizations." Governor Andrew M. Cuomo. N.p., 13 Apr. 2016. Web. 14 Apr. 2016.

"Governor Cuomo Announces Success of Third Adirondack Winter Challenge, Investments to Boost Tourism in Upstate New York." Governor Andrew M. Cuomo. New York State, 28 Feb. 2016. Web. 18 Apr. 2016.

"Smart Growth." Department of Environmental Conservation. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Apr. 2016.

"Smart Growth in the Adirondack Park and Catskill Park." Department of Environmental Conservation, n.d. Web. 18 Apr. 2016.