Photo via National Geographic
The Adirondack Park, situated a mere forty minutes off-campus, is a 6-million acre haven located in the northernmost recesses of New York State. Known for its wild, unkempt nature, the park holds 3,000 lakes and ponds, as well as forty-six of the tallest peaks within the NY borders.
In addition to its relentless rivers and tall pines, nearly 130,000 people call the park home as well. And while many of these residents are passionate about protecting their beloved park, their actions can have monumental effects, whether in-tentional or unintentional.
The Adirondack Council, the largest citizen-run environmental group in the state, works tirelessly in an effort to both preserve the park as well as ensure that it will remain a sanctuary of ever-changing wilderness. According to its website, the organization has a vision is of, “an Adirondack Park with clean air and water and large wilderness areas, surrounded by working farms and forests and vibrant communities.”
Although the park is saluted as a haven for wilderness, only a minute portion of the 6-million acres remains undiluted by human touch. In designated wilderness areas, people are able to observe and enjoy, but are not allowed to use off-road vehicles, create extensive paths, or effectively disturb the wilderness in such a way that would be irreparable over a short period of time. Outside of these small pockets of land, life functions much as it would anywhere else, with ample recreational vehicle use through-out. The council, in partnership with multiple organizations and individuals throughout the state, is currently in the midst of attempt-ing to persuade the state to expand the acreage in the park labeled as wilderness— alluding to its pristine condition.
The state is scheduled to have purchased 20,500 acres from the Nature Conservancy on March 31st of this year, known as the Boreas Ponds Tract. Although this may seem to be an issue removed from our small campus and big hearts, it would do us all well to reflect on how much of a role the Adirondack Park plays in our time here at St. Lawrence. From weekend sojourns to Lake Placid to those last-ditch efforts to bag a couple of peaks in the final weeks of the school year, the Adirondack Park is as much a part of the soul of SLU as a warm pub cookie.
This may be one of the last times such an expanse of wilderness can be added to the park, and to let this moment slip by would be one of our generations greatest mistakes. There is only so much earth left to love and maintain, why waste our opportunity to cherish it?
So, get out there and spread the word! Stop by town meetings or head on over to the Adirondack Council’s website and sign the petition—just get your voice out there