Reasonable and perhaps even achievable goals for bikepacking in the Adirondack Forest Preserve

When I saw this, I thought, wow, this is precisely what we need in the Adirondacks. And this exact concept is what I personally aim to do with my exploratory rides. Map out trails that the average bikepacker can turn into a wilderness style off-road experience.

To be fair this isn't just a cycling issue, hikers need this as well.

There is really only one long distance hiking trail in the Adirondacks, the Northville Placid Trail. We can debate mid-length trails like the Cranberry Lake 50, but if a reasonably fit hiker can do it in a 2 day weekend (or an average hiker in 3), it's hardly long distance. Beyond that there are some concept trails like the NCST which has loads of road walking just to try to make a long distance trail.

Unfortunately the unit structure prevents connected long distance trails from being built because each unit needs an amended UMP before a trail can be completed (and easements need an RMP). If you know even a little about the process you know it's complicated in many ways. As a great example, you may know Lake George Wild Forest has never had a UMP. Behind the High Peaks it's the most visited single unit in the Adirondacks.

Why doesn't it have one? Well it's actually extremely complicated.

• First off is money and resources. The DEC hasn't been funded properly since the Pataki administration and likely even then was below ideal levels, but it's never gotten better since then. At the same time the forest preserve has grown. Less money, more land to manage.
• Second is legal battles. The Lake George unit has actually been within 1 year of finalizing a UMP multiple times and each time a lawsuit pops up.

To build multi-unit trails, you need to amend every single UMP. Seeing how tough it is to even create or amend one UMP gives you insight into amending multiple at once. If I trail were to traverse the Adirondacks, it might traverse 10+ units. Imagine trying to amend 10 UMPs all at once to build a single connected trail? It's probably not going to happen.

However, if you consider a bike can make easy work of road sections and even use them to it's advantage (resupply in towns between units), you really can navigate the unit level approach. Each unit could have a bike specific trail (ideally 2, traversing NS/EW) that traverses the unit to an egress point. What the cyclist does once they get to the end is totally up to them. But they would essentially be able to hop units creating whatever long distance route they fancied.

How is this different then what already exist? On the surface it's really not any different. However, the lack of designed for bike trails leads to unnecessary user conflicts (some made up, some real). The biggest one is that hikers suspect "their" trails are being damaged by bikes. This is both true and untrue and I'll touch on that below.

The mountain biking scene in the Adirondacks is much better than it has ever been, but most of that is dense trail systems confined to local municipal land or private land. Where the failure is at is the long distance, *"wilderness style" bikepacking. The DEC has yet to implement it's general concept for multi-use MTB trails within the forest preserve. Multiple UMP/RMP have been approved to allow better MTB access to the Forest Preserve but those concepts have never been implemented.

Some examples the Township 33 RMP (Speculator Tree Farm, where Oak Mountain is located). The Moose River Plains UMP. Speculator was approved in 2024 and the Moose River UMP almost a decade ago, complete with IMBA written concept plan for the unit. No work was ever done on the MRP beyond adding some disc to largely unmaintained trails.

In a nutshell, the concepts are this:

• A hub and spoke model for MTB/bikepacking within the forest preserve
• • Hub: Dense concentration multi-use (but bike design) trail systems would be built around population centers or easily accessible areas. These aren't bike only trails, hikers, skiiers, and adaptive users would still have access. The bike design simply prevents erosion that is often seen on non biking trails.
  • Spoke: Longer distance "hiking style" travel trails would link to other trail systems and towns. This would allow for longer distance bikepacking routes off-pavement using the Forest Preserve. These trails would generally be existing trails that require some work to build to a multi-use standard but don't necessarily require outright new trails.

One thing it may be useful to educate the non cycling trail user groups on is that building a cycling trail to use specification mitigates trail damage by the very design. It's not anathema to the way new hiking trails are being built in the heavily traveled steep areas of the Forest Preserve (the High Peaks and surrounding mountainous units). Design matters more than use.

*I often use the term wilderness style. That's because in the Adirondacks the difference between wild forest (where bikes are legal on almost every trail) and wilderness (where bikes are not) is virtually indistinguishable to most users. Aside from that many wilderness areas were at some point heavily developed and trammeled by man. In fact, one could probably make a compelling argument that some of the most wild and least visited (most untrammeled by man today) are in the wild. This is not really any different than a wild forest with a PFAR/admin road.

Alexander "Pete" Grannis Died In Service of the DEC

Today the "New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is in the weakest position that it has been since it was created 40 years ago," with many "core programs hanging by a thread". Systematically dismantled with the precision of a hatchet over the last few years by America's most short sighted governor, the shell shocked DEC now has no leader.

Governor Paterson, not sufficiently happy gutting the DEC's budget, forcing layoffs and early retirements to unprecedented and dangerous levels, nor bargaining the state park system for part of the environmental protection fund, decided to go straight for the head of what he must feel is the states most greedy department, the DEC. No department of New York state has suffered larger cuts to it's budget than the DEC under Paterson's reign, and Friday it officially suffered the loss of it's commissioner, a rare man in politics who actually stood up for what was right.

Fired for insubordination, because he refused to resign, Alexander "Pete" Grannis is the most noteworthy in of victims in Governor Paterson's very aggressive goal of destroying the ability of the DEC to manage New Yorks environment, now and long into the future. Over the last 3 years about 20 percent of the DEC's scientists, engineers and enforcement officials have disappeared under Paterson's draconian budget cuts that seem to aggressively target the DEC more so than any other state agency.

Commissioner Grannis did a noble thing, he stood up to the lunatic running this state, and for it he lost his job. Grannis has been well liked by both hard core environmentalist, the groups those environmentalist support, and he's worked well enough with the other side to not be disliked. As a matter of fact, business and oil, gas, and mining lobbies were shocked that Grannis was fired. He was well liked within the DEC, starting as a lawyer with the DEC when it was founded 40 years ago, he then moved on to politics for 3 decades before being appointed by Governor Spitzer in 2007 to rebuild the DEC. You could say he was a model citizen, and a good public servant.

Paterson on the other hand has an absolutely appalling record when it comes to the environment, open space, regulation, and even appointments to the APA. He has used the DEC as his punching bag. A soft target that he can beat on without much opposition. There is not a single area this governor can be commended for when it comes to environmental protection. As I normally try to do, I'll leave Governor Paterson's string of sketchy ethical and personal character issues out of this discussion, but I will point out Pete Grannis lacks this trail of moral detritus.

Pete Grannis simply alerted Governor Paterson, via an internal memo, that the cuts that were being made once again to the DEC were unsustainable in the interest of the environmental health of New York State, and ultimately the health and well being of it's tax paying citizens. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, someone leaked that memo, and the geniuses that most likely puppeteer Governor Paterson shot first and asked questions later. Unlike most politicians, Governor Paterson was neither elected to his current office, nor will he ever serve in elected office again. He has absolutely no reason to care what anyone thinks or what the repercussions of his actions are. For all we know, after he finishes turning the entire state into a "brown field", he might be off to another state that was run with more foresight.  Furthermore, because New York has no way to recall a governor, Paterson has absolutely no reason to care.

What Pete Grannis was trying to explain in his memo is precisely what many of my blog post over the past year have been about. Quite simply, the DEC cannot do it's job as outlined under New York State environmental conservation law with the minimal resources it has left. Apparently Paterson doesn't want you to know that. He must think it better for you to assume your water isn't being polluted and your air is safe to breath. That your forest and fisheries aren't being mismanaged, and that your economic well being isn't being jeopardized. After all, being blind works for him (and that statement I assure you has very little to do with his actual disability), why shouldn't it work for you! Just close your eyes, everything will be OK!

Or will it...

From Commissioner Grannis memo:

"The public would be shocked to learn how thin we are in many areas. In many instances we have offices or sections responsible for important permitting and monitoring functions staffed by only one or two people. Some regional offices have no capacity in certain areas because key items are unoccupied and can’t be filled. As a result, we are unable to meet the expectations of both the regulated community and the public with respect to countless activities...All of the meat has been stripped off the bones, and in some cases the bones have disappeared." -Pete Grannis

"Unlike many other agencies, DEC by design has a multi-faceted mission and our core activities accordingly encompass a wide variety of areas. For example, we are  responsible for ensuring environmental quality through the implementation of regulatory programs aimed at protecting air quality, water quality, managing hazardous and non-hazardous waste and cleaning up dangerously contaminated sites. We have statutory responsibility for the state’s invaluable natural resources, including all state lands, fish and wildlife populations, water-bodies such as the Hudson River, the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain, and our vast coastline. As a core element of our mission, we also provide recreational opportunities for the public, many of which are paid for directly by user fees and include heavily relied upon programs for sportsmen and sportswomen, as well as camping and hiking in New York’s constitutionally protected forest preserve. Each of our programs has a daily impact on people's lives and the health and economic well-being of the state. While each program has a vocal, politically active constituency, for purposes of this exercise we cannot treat all of them equally and still be able to operate."  -Pete Grannis

• The DEC comprises 2.5% of the NYS workforce subject to executive control, yet it is required to layoff 10% of the 2,000 total positions planned to be cut
• State agencies with 100% Federal or SRO funding are NOT required by Paterson to layoff workers. However, the DEC is disproportionately required to layoff
• Although the DEC has an operations budget of $500M 75% of that budget is either federally funded OR from SRO (special revenue, other)
• The Clean Air and Water Act for example is federally funded
• SROs via game licenses fund fish hatcheries, pheasant farm, game law enforcement, wildlife and fishery biologist
•  SROs finance discrete activities which means they cannot be used for the general fund

• Prior to Governor Spitzer's administration the DEC was about 800 staff members short, while the regulatory responsibilities of the DEC actually grew over that decade! 
• The 2007-2008 budget added 108 positions, which was a first step to returning to necessary staffing levels to "core" programs
•  Since April 2008 the DEC has lost 595 employees or 16% of it's workforce

• When the additional cuts called to be eliminated in 2010-2011 the DEC will have lost 21% of it's workforce since 2008

• Since fiscal year 2009-2010 the DEC has absorbed a 40% NPS budget decrease and a general fund budget decrease of 13%
• Commissioner Grannis does not feel the "extreme reductions" enable the DEC to fulfill it's state and federal mandates for regulation and enforcement
• Each quarter the DEC reduces essential services to the public including
• waste water enforcement, air emissions enforcement,hazardous waste, wetlands development, dam inspections, mining and drilling safety, shellfish safety, increase in time for issuance of impact studies, delays in permit approval, well plugging, reduction in game enforcement, reduction in backcountry patrols, transfer of responsibilities from sections of staff to singular individuals
• Commissioner Grannis found it ironic that while the states wildlands have seen increased use, and in many areas of the state the DEC administered Forest Preserve is the chief source of economic sustainability, the DEC is taking the brunt of the cuts
• DEC administered lands account for billions of dollars in tourism and business revenue
• Economic development projects CANNOT start with DEC review and approval which now is severely backlogged, these include:
• mining
• shellfishing
• oil and gas drilling
• all water dependent activities
• brown field site development
• most manufacturing
• commercial fishing
• energy generation
• general construction of bridges, tunnels, and power generating facilities
• Commissioner Grannis points out that the Governors staff reduction requirements, which reduce DEC staffing by an additional 6% do not take into account the fact that many DEC staff are not paid for by the state
• He further points out that the Governors goals actually inhibit the ability of the DEC to fill positions using federal or SRO only funding, essentially losing jobs that they aren't even paying for

All things considered, Governor Paterson's decisions are troubling because they do not look at the states health 5, 10, 15 years into the future. True, the governor can claim he hasn't mortgaged the financial future of the state with irresponsible budgets, but it's hard to not wonder if this isn't mortgaging the health -economic, environmental and human- of this state far into the future. Rebuilding the DEC will not be an overnight task, and the cuts the DEC has absorbed; the loss of skilled staff, scientist, engineers, and others will perhaps take a decade to undue. Paterson might not be carrying a deficit, but I have to argue that he has foolishly mortgaged the future of New York State!

Data cited from the full memo of Pete Grannis to Governor Paterson's Division of Budget:

http://www.pressconnects.com/assets/pdf/CB1657851021.PDF

Official NY State Fauna Resign In Protest To EPF Cuts

As Governor David Paterson continues to gut New York State environmental funding, the official state animals have handed in letters of resignation in protest to the reduction of the states environmental protection fund (EPF).

This is a move of obvious futility as these animals were out of jobs, homes, and food sources regardless, but the symbolism of the move should not be taken lightly.

The following are some Tweets from our faithful state fauna:




















On a more serious note, why should you care if the EPF is slashed to horrendously low levels on top of the DEC cuts? Like the DEC the EPF isn't just about wild lands, and just like my previous post about the DEC and it's role, the EPF winds up benefiting every family in New York whether they care or not. Some things are kinda like the light switch, you don't really care how it works or why it works, and you take for granted it does work right up till it doesn't work. That is the EPF!

The EPF is designed to protect wild land by buying it before it's developed. It also protects farmland and cleans up waste sites. You know that battery factory in your town that is seeping waste into your water supply? The EPF takes care of that problem so your children are born with somewhere around 10 fingers and 10 toes.

Now as far as farmland, I realize most urban New Yorker's really never thought about where their food comes from unless they are label readers, but most of your food actually comes from the state you live in. New York is a top 10 agricultural state in many areas, and in quite a few it's a top 5.

Imagine if all your food was trucked in from California or Florida how much it would cost? Luckily it doesn't have to be because you live in a state with fertile farmland. Even your "local" Walmart started to realize it could save more money buying local than it could buying solely in bulk when gas prices hit $4-5 a gallon. There is no guarantee that gas won't again hit that, and remember how much your food went up over that stretch!

So part of the EPF is protecting your food sources and cost, I bet you didn't realize that.

Interestingly, if the EPF suffers long term cuts it is speculated that this could put New York's not so long term ability to be an agricultural leader in jeopardy. So what you might ask? Well, I did note that New York was a top 10 agri state in almost every area of food production, imagine we knock our food production down across the board not only in New York but in all states, and allow our farmland to be turned into malls, housing developments, car dealerships, more unfilled retail space, etc. That all sounds good, but where do you think our food will come from?

Putting it another way, what is the United States biggest asset? Our ability to not only feed ourselves, but at times other parts of the world with excess for capacity. What would happen if the United States was no longer the most powerful agricultural nation in the world? What would happen if we could no longer feed our own nation?

Let me analogize this, one day, within 20 years in fact, it might be possible that we are as enslaved for our food as we are for our oil based energy grid and transportation systems. How do you feel about that?

Chenango County Agriculture and Farmland Protection Board Chairman Don Franklin said if things don’t improve for the ag industry soon, the entire country could lack enough food in about 20 years.

“If we don’t keep ag viable ... if we don’t, I’m afraid to say that in 20 years down the road we are going to be facing a problem that we’ve never faced before. It’s going to be hunger,” he said.

Franklin is a former farmer and once served as a county supervisor. He was on hand at a meeting of the Agriculture, Buildings and Grounds Committee on Monday to ramp up support for two resolutions that would urge state lawmakers to support New York’s dairy farmers.

...

The EPF faces a $69 million cut under Gov. David A. Paterson's 2010-2011 Executive Budget. A “No Farms No Food” rally was held on Wednesday in the state’s capitol to convince the Legislature to restore funding to previous levels.

-- Melissa deCordova, The Evening Sun (Chenango County)

In the age of consumerism people might have lost sight of the fact that water and food are still important things. The EPF assures that you have clean water and abundant food, which are still essential for human life and prosperity.

Once again, we need to contact people that count on our votes to do the right thing. Our farmland is a non renewable natural resource, once we use it up it is gone. New York is blessed to be not only a financial and cultural leader of the world, we are also an environmental and agricultural leader as well. So let your representatives know that we aren't going to stand for reductions in the long term safety and security of our state.


For more information:



http://www.keepprotectingny.org/



To contact your legislator:

http://assembly.state.ny.us/

http://www.nysenate.gov/

Too Big, Too Much...Is Big Tupper Unstoppable?

When you look at a state like Vermont, one of the things that makes it Vermont is the size of things. Its not necessarily easy to explain but you know Vermont when you are in Vermont.

The Adirondacks are similar. One of the few places in this part of the country that doesn't look the same as everywhere else. To a large degree this alone is something that makes the Adirondacks have some appeal. The fact that in many ways the Adirondacks are more wild today than they were 120 years ago is also somewhat special. Many biologist have noted that the Adirondacks are one of the largest intact biomes in the US.



Tupper Lake is one of the more developed and densely populated areas in the Adirondacks, but it's surrounded by some of the more wild wilderness areas.

As we've been taught through experience, nothing done at the hand of man is inconsequential on the natural world. We certainly have come a long way to understanding ways to lessen the impact but this is still largely a game of chance. Nature is resilient, and if left alone it almost always makes a comeback. Occasionally nature slaps us right back for tampering with it, but all too often it seems we refuse to heed the warnings, and push it to the breaking point.

Would this be good for the local economy? Maybe. Why only maybe? Because the Catskills have long had these grand plans of a big boom, and short term success has always been followed by a period of bust. Unlike, the Catskills the Adirondacks have been much better planned thanks to the APA. And while I've noted time and again that the the APA is either loved or hated with a passion by the people who care about the Adirondacks, there is no doubt APA oversight has been a model for master planning, and the sole reason the Adirondacks don't look like the Catskills.

Short term the economy will benefit through construction jobs and service jobs, but what will be the long term guarantee that this development will be good for the Adirondack Park in general 20,30,40 years down the road.

Recently we've all been forced to come to realize that big business and it's investors are greedy. Think about the mortgage industry, everyone was making money, and no one cared that this giant smoke and mirrors scheme could not go on forever. Certainly the government didn't either; rising home prices were good for taxes, increased home ownership was good for taxes, everyone was a winner!

If we've learned nothing else it's that business needs to regulated because business has one priority, making money! There is nothing wrong with that priority, after all if you wanted me to invest in your business I'd expect a return. The issue is when profit comes at the expense of common sense, decency and ethics. All too often the quest to turn a profit comes with the sacrifice of basic principles which unfortunately have resultant collateral damage.

So, I sincerely hope that whatever compromise is eventually reached is done with some forward thought to what this will do to one of the last remaining great wilderness areas in this part of the country, not just short term but a generation or two down the road.

Controversial project in Adirondacks still alive Parks agency says firm wants to push ahead with Big Tupper plan

By LEIGH HORNBECK, Staff writer Last updated: 6:42 p.m., Thursday, February 5, 2009

RAY BROOK — Talks have stalled, but the biggest housing proposal ever made in the Adirondack Park is still on the table, a spokesman for the Adirondack Park Agency said today. Closed-door efforts to resolve objections to the 700-unit project planned for 4,600 acres around the Big Tupper Ski Area have been on hold since last fall. The proposal by Pennsylvania-based Preserve Associates surfaced in 2006. Plans called for hotels, estate homes, hundreds of condos, a golf course, marina and a shooting range. The centerpiece would be reopening Big Tupper, which closed in 1999. Reaction was mixed. Some thought it would revitalize Tupper Lake, a community of 3,600 people in Franklin County. Others said it would destroy the rural beauty of the area. The APA began holding hearings in front of an administrative law judge in the spring of 2007, but they were delayed twice at the request of Preserve Associates, which then asked to move into private mediation with 32 groups that had a say in the proceedings. Mediation was "suspended indefinitely" in October at the request of Preserve Associates, according to APA spokesman Keith McKeever. Despite the delay, McKeever said the company has not withdrawn its application. "It is the agency's understanding that the project sponsor wants to continue in mediation and continues to prepare revised drawings and analyses to address the 10 issues raised in the (hearings)," McKeever said. Preserve Associates spokesman Michael Foxman could not be reached for comment.

Source: Albany Times Union

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