I find it interesting that non-motorists say it is acceptable to climb to the top of high peaks and travel on delicate alpine zones. For them, containing and consolidating their usage to a narrow trail makes their being there perfectly acceptable. I would argue that this is not much different than containing snow mobiles to small designated areas specifically for the purpose. If hikers are going to argue that snow mobiles are detrimental to the health of the park, they need to think about where they are walking. The alpine zone trails, though small, didn't get there by not walking on them.
Sunday, November 30, 2014
Land Use
The first paragraph on pg. 206 of the ADK Atlas talks about the land use disputes between motorist (ATV, powerboat, etc) and nonmotorist users of the park. It's funny to think that both parties assumed the other would respect their uses without true legislation in place. As we have seen throughout the course, different people come to the Adirondack Park for different reasons. While it seems that neither type of recreation will be completely removed from the park, I think that the practices in place to control their usage is appropriate.
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ReplyDeleteIce, I totally agree.
ReplyDelete"different people come to the Adirondack Park for different reasons"
I think this statement really says it all. This is the source of all of the conflict in the Adirondacks -- people want the park to be and do different things. I think one of the best ways to approach controversy in the park is to really try to understand why other people want what they want (whether they be vacationers, full-time inhabitants, or people who partake in motorized or non-motorized recreation).
Too often, people come into an argument with a "my or the highway" attitude, like the park only caters to them and everyone else is abusing it.
I think this tension will always play a role in the Adirondacks, but it's still important to try to mitigate this tension and try our best to get a better sense of how others might value the space.