Adirondack Park Regional Assessment Report Released

A long-awaited report that profiles all the 103 municipalities that comprise the Adirondack Park was released today by the Adirondack Association of Towns and Villages (AATV), one of the leading sponsors of the study.

The report-the result of a two-year research effort by and for the communities of the park-is intended to provide a data-rich, factual baseline for discussion and planning of park issues at both the local and regional levels.    The assessment employs a modular format detailing community life, government operations, land use, infrastructure, emergency services, education and park-wide demographics.  A computer disc containing individual community profiles is included.  Soon, an “Access” formatted CD will be available offering substantial information on both a community and park-wide basis.

The project began in 2007 when the AATV partnered with the Adirondack North Country Association (ANCA) and the Towns of Arietta and Chester to secure funding through the NYS Department of State Quality Communities Grant Program.  Individual municipal contributions in addition to donations from Stewart’s Shops and the Arrow Financial Corporation made it possible to extend the research in certain critical areas.

Brian Towers, President of AATV, called the study “the foundation for sustainable planning of the region’s diverse communities.  This report represents an extraordinary collection of important, factual information about every Adirondack town and village that hopefully will be used in developing a vision to address the long range needs of our residents.”

Terry Martino, Executive Director of ANCA, remarked that the report will greatly benefit the park’s communities, both individually and collectively.  She said, “ANCA welcomed the opportunity to participate in regional research which profiles our Adirondack Park communities.  The study results provide a solid foundation for the future community and economic development planning that ANCA believes will be an important next step.”

Many in-park trends differ from the rest of New York State, even in other rural areas, according to the study.  It also documents that while two-thirds of all state-owned lands in New York are in the Adirondack Park, nearly all are concentrated in fewer than half of the park’s municipalities.  Additionally, about forty percent of the residential properties within the ‘Blue Line’ are owned by individuals who live outside the park, constituting half of the total residential property value of the park, the project researchers found.

Brad Dake, Chairman of the Project Steering Committee, praised the eighty-five communities that participated in the survey portion of the study.  He had similar praise for the research team, led by the LA Group of Saratoga Springs.  Dake said “The reward of any research is not to confirm the expected, but to reveal the unconsidered.”

The Siena Research Institute, the Center for Government Research, the Technical Assistance Center of SUNY-Plattsburgh aided in the study, along with numerous county, state and federal agencies.

Printed copies of the complete report and computer disc of all individual municipal profiles will be distributed to Adirondack town, village and legislative leaders within the next few days.  The report’s Executive Summary is accessible on-line at the AATV website at www.aatvny.org,   where additional report copies and related CD materials also can be requested.  The Executive Summary also can be seen on-line at ANCA by visiting www.adirondack.org.