While flipping through the Adirondack Almanack, I ran into an article that was quite disillusioning. A Lake George official who is in charge of boating regulations was almost ousted from his post due to a minor snafu. It was revealed that governor Cuomo and the DEC have a grudge against this official because he favors stringent rules for boat washing in Lake George. This helps prevent invasive species from taking over the ecosystem of the lake. Cuomo and the DEC are against this because it would provide an inconvenience for tourists, and cost money to set up boat-washing stations.
This is yet another example of a battle between economics and the environment. If it is too troublesome for tourists to go boating on Lake George, they will surely take their boats (and money) elsewhere, probably a region with less stringent regulations. However, without strict regulations, the lake will become overrun by invasive species. Which is more desirable: A less-accessible Adirondacks in its natural wilderness state, or a convenient quasi-wilderness that provides easy access for tourists? I understand that it is important to think about the economic situation of local Adirondack towns, however I do not think that we should knowingly hurt the environment for economic gains. The problem is, it seems that economics almost always win out. In this case, the official will keep his job, so we will not have to deal with a puppet of Cuomo in his place. Nevertheless, these battles will surely continue to pop up, one after another.
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