Adirondack Hiking Safety

On March 20^th, Ningyun Cai and her two sons – age 7 and 11 – set out on what was supposed to be a day hike to the top of Mount Marcy. The hike turned into an overnight search and rescue mission when the trio lost sight of the trail in the snow and called 9-1-1. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation dispatched forest rangers and local police who found the family and sent them to the Adirondack Medical Center for treatment (Karlin 2015). The Cai family’s case raised questions about hiking regulations in the Adirondacks. For example, should the Adirondack Park impose safety regulations on outdoor recreationists to prevent a full-mounted search and rescue mission? Or should young children be allowed to hike the high peaks in early spring without any safety guidelines?

            In recent years, more tourists than ever visit the Adirondack Park. With an influx of tourists – in particular outdoor recreationalists – more people than ever explore the Adirondack Park. However, larger groups often have individuals without the experience or skills to successfully navigate the Park. There is a greater opportunity for fatal error when inexperienced, adolescent, handicapped or otherwise impaired people set off into the Adirondack wilderness. The Cai trio is one example of many where underprepared recreationalists fall prey to the park. New York State’s Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC) tracks the Adirondack forest ranger’s search and rescue missions, releasing monthly reports about the incidents. Over the past year, there has been a steady rate of injuries in the park. Search-and-rescue missions aren’t uncommon. As the number of incidents remains high, concern for these recreationalists is mounting.

            With this high rate of injury/search-and-rescue calls, can NYS DEC’s park rangers continue to maintain the safety of the park?  Should new safety regulations be imposed on recreationalists to adapt to the influx of tourists?

           

Ultimately, New York created the Adirondack Park for the enjoyment of everyone. Tourists, regardless of their physical health or stature, should have the opportunity to enjoy the Adirondack Park. However, I do believe that New York’s DEC cannot continue to maintain the safety of the park if the number of tourists continues to rise. Therefore, I believe increasing the number of park rangers and the quality of their equipment would help offset this influx of tourists. Modifying the general safety regulations of the Adirondack Park to match the increasing number of recreationalists would also ensure a more safe outdoor experience. Ultimately, hikers will get lost in the snow like the Cai trio. Yet with increased safety standards and more park rangers, hopefully fewer people will need a search-and-rescue save on an Adirondack peak.

Sources

Karlin, Rick. “Mount Marcy rescue provokes discussion on responsibility for rescue costs.” Times Union.com. The Herst Corporation. 24 Mar. 2015. Web. 28 Apr. 2015. < http://www.timesunion.com/news/article/Mount-Marcy-rescue-provokes-discussion-on-6156890.php#photo-7711761>

I Started with Wolves I am Going to end with Wolves

Is it our right to control nature? We have the means and resources these days to shift entire ecosystems if we felt like it. We could play god in the world in which we live in but our purposeful medaling in nature is often quite limited. By purposeful I mean trying to create positive impact on an ecosystem such as how wolves were replaced in Yellow Stone National Park in the early 90’s. Judging by the effect that the wolves had on the park we should continue to try to positively change the environment we destroy.

The wolves are perhaps the greatest example of a successful human intervention. But there are numerous examples of failure of human intervention that ended in failure. Whether it was the introduction of rabbits in Australia or the attempts to reintroduce moose to the Adirondacks there are failures our history with nature. But despite these failures we should still try.

Admittedly when the Rabbits were introduced to Australia, the inhabitants didn’t fully understand that the niche they were filling didn’t have natural predators. Today we understand the intricacies of ecosystems. Before this understanding of nature we treated it as a constant. The Rivers would always have fish and the forests would always be full of trees. Because of this view a lot of damage was done to the environment around the world. If you harmed someone without realizing it wouldn’t you try to help that person once you learned you did hurt him or her? Now an argument can be made that nature fills in the gaps herself. After all look at Coy Wolf and White Tail deer populations. However I feel as though that, though this new ecosystem functions, we have lost biodiversity. We should try to preserve biodiversity, if for nothing else than to keep nature walks interesting. At most we would make the ecosystem healthier than before.

Sources:

Stevens, Scott. "Wolves Are Making Their Way Back Into The Adirondacks & New England." Wolves Are Making Their Way Back Into The Adirondacks & New England. Adirondack.net. Web. 29 Apr. 2015. <http://www.adirondack.net/whatsnew/2011/10/wild-wolves-return.html>.

Hospitality's Climate Change

Dramatic changes are taking place in the way we travel. Community marketplaces like AirBnB have undermined the control of hotels and motels over visitors by connecting people directly to each other. The price is often much cheaper, and the residence is more beautiful (or at least more unique) all while experiencing the comfort of home for a short stay. It is for these reasons that I believe the Adirondacks and websites like AirBnB are suited well for each other and can only result in a further democratization of the tourist economy.

 AirBnB opens the world to families who otherwise could not afford it. In my experience of using the sigh, I have only met interesting people who are willing to share their stories and homes. Since we have spent so much time talking about the limits of land and development in the park, it makes sense that families ought to monetize their extra space, especially since so many are seasonal owners.

As in so many places, traditional hotel and B&B owners in the Adirondacks are pressuring their local governments to make these options less attractive to travelers. In the case of the park, there is a “bungalow exemption” which designates these entrepreneurial units as untaxable with normal hotel taxes so long as they do not provide housekeeping, food or other traditional services(DeMola). This loophole is the only thing which allows private individuals to afford being listed on sites like AirBnB. The demand clearly exists for these alternative lodgings as AirBnB bookings went up in the region last summer by 316%(PRNewswire). Visitors obviously see some merit in staying in a country cabin as opposed to a Marriott, and dissatisfaction with the current hospitality market seems to be a big contributor.

I can only assume that, so long as the loophole remains open, either old-school hospitality will change its act and stop charging $6 for a mini-fridge soda or AirBnB will continue to thrive in the region. The latter I prefer, as it would work to spread out the profits of lodging while bringing tourists previously unable to afford the area.

Thanks to Evan for the peer edits. 

Works Cited

"Airbnb Unveils Top 10 Trending U.S. Travel Destinations For Summer 2014." PRNewswire. N.p., 1 May 2014. Web. 28 Apr. 2015.

DeMola, Pete. "Essex County Drawn into Battle between Growing Rifts in Hospitality Biz." Denpubs.com. Denton Publications, 17 Mar. 2015. Web. 28 Apr. 2015.

A Final Note

Over the course of this last semester, I have learned a lot about the Adirondack Park’s history, its current status, and its possible future. Now that I understand the park on this level, I feel as if I have a greater connection to it. It puzzles me how, before this semester, I never considered the human, animal, and plant communities in the region or how I affected them each time I visited. Because of this course, I have a greater understanding of issues facing the Adirondack Park, and I have also considered what my classroom experiences mean on a global scale.

It is difficult to become aware of regional issues that exist outside of where you live. I did not even know of the Adirondack Park before coming to Hamilton, so going on a few hiking trips was not going to drastically change my knowledge of the area. However, because of my course on the Culture and Natural History of the Adirondack Park, I now have a much deeper understanding of the history, ecology, and politics of the Adirondacks. While I knew we could not learn everything about the park, I still find it interesting how much more I could discover on my own. And then I think about how much history every single village, town, city, etc. has, which makes the world feel like such a big place. There is absolutely no way to sufficiently study the history of the entire world, and that realization astounds and unsettles me. Now I have a much greater appreciation for the park, and I will definitely recommend this course to others because it has been such a valuable learning experience for me.


I would like to thank Anne for peer reviewing this blog post!

The Adirondack Model Neighborhood Wood Initiative

Centuries ago wood was the most common source for heating homes. But through increased technology and demand for energy alternatives, the use of wood as the main fuel for home heating has dropped to 2% (Berry). In recent years there has been a push to increase the use of wood pellet stoves. The Adirondack Model Neighborhood Wood Initiative is a newly developed program that provides incentives for homeowners to install wood pellet boilers. Programs like this one have already worked successfully with neighborhoods in Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire. The Wood Initiative will grant financial incentives to 35 home and business owners around Saranac and Tupper Lake, increasing energy efficiency, reducing carbon emission and supporting the local economy (Adirondack Almanack Editorial Staff).

            Wild heating with wood may seem old fashioned, it is one of the most cost effective and efficient methods of heating. Wood pellet stoves have an average efficiency rate of over 80% and produce 50% less pollution (Ricardo).  While natural gas and wood pellets are competitively priced, natural gas prices have been slowly rising over the past few years while the price of wood pellets has remained constant.  The initial installation of a wood pellet stove is expensive but since wood pellets are a cost effective investment, switching heating methods provides homeowners with long-term savings. Not only is heating with wood pellets cost effective and efficient, but it is also a renewable heating source that is better for the environment.

             Wood pellet are a clean energy source that produce low amounts of greenhouse gases from organic materials like sawdust, bark and waste paper (Ricardo). They are a much more environmentally friendly method of heating compared to oil, propane and natural gas. Switching to wood pellet stoves will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions because “when compared with oil, one ton of wood pellets eliminates 1,500 pounds of carbon emissions" (Ricardo). If this program is successfully implemented in the Adirondacks it is estimated to “reduce fossil fuel use by the equivalent of 1.4 million gallons of oil" (Adirondack Almanack Editorial Staff). While this is only a small fraction of the oil consumed in the US, it supports efforts for systematic change and a reduction in fossil fuel reliance.  Furthermore this initiative will support the local economy and create jobs in forest-based business. Wood pellet heating will encourage sustainable harvest in the Adirondacks. This will be beneficial for both the forests and those employed in forestry. Switching to wood pellet stoves is beneficial for both homeowners and the environment.

Special thanks to Hannah from the Writing Center for her helpful comments. 

Works Cited

Berry, Chip. "Increase in Wood as Main Source of Household Heating Most Notable in the Northeast." Today In Energy. U.S. Energy Information Administration, 17 Mar. 2014. Web. 28 Apr. 2015. <http://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.cfm?id=15431>.

Adirondack Almanack Editorial Staff. "Wood Pellet Boiler Project Expanded To Region -." The Adirondack Almanack. The Adirondack Almanack, 06 Apr. 2015. Web. 26 Apr. 2015. <http://www.adirondackalmanack.com/2015/04/wood-pellet-boiler-projects-expanded-to-region.html>.

Ricardo, Mike. "Using Wood Stove Pellets as a Cost-Effective Source of Clean Energy." Ricardo Corporation. Ricardo Corporation, 20 Dec. 2011. Web. 27 Apr. 2015. <http://www.ricardocorp.com/2011/12/wood-stove-pellets-cost-effective/>.

Ricardo, Mike. "Wood Stove Pellets vs. Traditional Fuels: A Money-Saving Alternative to Everyday Heat." Ricardo Corporation. Ricardo Corporation, 15 Jan. 2012. Web. 26 Apr. 2015. <http://www.ricardocorp.com/2012/01/wood-stove-pellets-vs-traditional-fuels/>.

Public Fishing Rights

It’s an issue that has plagued the Adirondacks for well over a hundred years. The dispute over public versus private lands within the Blue Line of the Adirondack Park has divided towns, counties, and even the state. In class we have seen countless battles between public and private interests, highlighted by the Rockefeller versus Lamora case. The case debated whether the public should have access to formerly public land and the game which was publicly stocked and allowed to propagate (Jacoby 1965). Even today hunters and fishers debate the same issue; however, there have been some easements granted known as Public Fishing Rights which allow anglers to fish on stretches of private riverbank. Currently many of these areas are impossible to access without trespassing on private land, and I believe that creating better access to these areas would be a large benefit to the tourism of the Adirondacks.

Image: DEC

As a fisherman with little experience navigating the labyrinth of public and private land of the Adirondack Park I feel intimidated when trying to figure out where I can and can’t fish. I would imagine that there are many others who feel the same way, and the maps designating the Public Fishing Rights areas serve to confuse the matter. Looking at the West Branch of the Ausable River there are many places where the Public Fishing Rights appear to have no access point (Department of Environmental Conservation). Even once an angler gains access to these areas their passage along the shoreline may be halted by a lone stretch of private land dividing the public areas.

In recent years the debate over public use of park lands has picked up with the lawsuit against Adirondack Explorer editor Phil Brown. The debate centers around the common-law public right of navigation where any body of water which passes between two sections of public land and which is “navigable-in-fact” is open to public use (Adirondack Explorer).  A similar principle should be applied to riverbanks on rivers which connect pieces of public land. Making areas which comply with these regulations public would make the Adirondack fishing picture simpler and would encourage more anglers to come to the park.

Like Lamora in his case against Rockefeller, I believe the public should have the right to access fish which were stocked through the publicly funded Department of Environmental Conservation. It is these fish which occupy the lands under private control (with the exception of clubs that stock their own), and denying licensed anglers access to the fish they funded is wrong. The first step is expanding the Public Fishing Rights. The park has nothing to lose but the tourists who remain too intimidated to venture out into the wild lands of the Adirondack Mountains.

Edited with help from Liam McAuliff.

Sources:

Jacoby, Karl. Crimes against Nature Squatters, Poachers, Thieves, and the Hidden History of American Conservation. Berkeley: U of California, 2001. Print.

"Paddling Case Advances- Adirondack Explorer." Adirondack Explorer. 15 July 2014. Web. 28 Apr. 2015.

"West Branch Ausable River." Department of Environmental Conservation. Web. 28 Apr. 2015.