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.
