How many times do you interact with your cell phone each day? 5? 25? Over 50? Even if you used your phone just to check the time or text your mother that you lover her, telephones have become so engrained in modern American society. Technology like telephones or internet services have allowed for a quick spread of ideas, communication and connection. Even in a place deemed as wild as the Adirondacks, phone communication is a significant aspect of majority of the people that live there.
Honestly, telephones probably aren't the first thing you think of when you think about the Adirondack Park. Instead you probably think of gorgeous views, outdoorsy adventures, or the Lake Placid "Miracle on Ice". However, if you look close enough, cell towers are hidden into the landscape of the Adirondacks.
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| Cellphone towers hidden in trees |
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| Cellphone tower along I-87 disguised as a tree. |
Obviously, telephones are important for the livelihood of the people in the Adirondack Park. However, many people people have argued that placing cell towers in the Adirondack park would reduce the park's natural beauty and my impact tourism. Yet, in 1996, the Telecommunications Act prohibited the local or state governments from banning cell phone towers. To get around this, the Adirondack Park Agency created a policy to limit the cell tower's size and make them remain "substantially invisible." In 2014, there was talk about allowing cell towers to have a larger size, which would be granted by the Federal Communications Commission. While these towers would still need to blend in, the debate over this cell tower size increase caused national outrage, and highlights the irony in tourism.
Yes, tourists want to enjoy the beautiful nature of the park, but they also tend to have a very technological lifestyle, where phones and high speed internet are necessities. With tourism being one of the largest industries in the Adirondacks, where do we draw the line? This seemingly simple topic of cell phone towers shows that the coexistence between humans and nature might be more difficult than it originally appeared.
This is really interesting and shows the conflict between tourists and locals. Tourists, who are only visiting for parts of the year and usually are visiting to get away from their busy life, don't mind not having cell phone service for a week. But if they had to live year round without cell phone service, I don't think they would be as happy. It definitely puts locals at a disadvantage.
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