Common Ground Alliance

Join the Adirondack Climate Conference on March 6 at The Wild Center

Tue, 25 Feb 2025 13:31:40 GMT

Join Leaders and Neighbors in Shaping the Adirondack Region’s Climate Future

Partners of the Adirondack Common Ground Alliance invite you to attend the Adirondack Climate Conference on Thursday, March 6, 2025 , at The Wild Center in Tupper Lake, NY. Hosted in partnership with Paul Smith’s College , The Wild Center , and the Adirondack Research Consortium , this conference is an essential gathering for regional leaders, community members, innovative problem-solvers, and students committed to tackling climate challenges and building a resilient future for Northern New York.

Why Attend?

This one-day event is an opportunity to engage with experts and your neighbors on community-based climate resilience efforts across sectors such as health, emergency response, infrastructure, and workforce development. Discussions will explore ways to strengthen infrastructure, protect biodiversity, and promote sustainable business and workforce development , ensuring the Adirondack region is prepared for the challenges ahead.

What to Expect

Attendees will participate in a mix of plenary sessions, interactive workshops, and networking opportunities , with the goal of fostering an inclusive climate resilience network. Highlights of the conference include:

Key Updates on Regional Initiatives – Learn about the Adirondack Climate Outreach and Resilience Network (ACORN) and the North Country Rural Resilience Roadmap —collaborative projects focused on climate adaptation and preparedness.
Presentations from Regional Leaders – Experts, policymakers, and scientists will share insights on extreme weather response, clean energy technology, climate and public health, and economic development.
Workshops on Critical Climate Topics – Engage in discussions on NYS resources for building climate resilience, emergency preparedness strategies, and more.
Networking Reception – Connect with fellow attendees from government agencies, local organizations, businesses, and academia in an end-of-day reception designed to foster meaningful collaboration.

Event Details

�� Date: Thursday, March 6, 2025
⏰ Time: 9:30 AM – 5:30 PM
�� Location: The Wild Center, 45 Museum Drive, Tupper Lake, NY
�� Tickets: $45 for adults | $15 for students (high school or college)
�� Scholarships Available: Students interested in financial assistance can contact jkretser@wildcenter.org

Register Now – Spots Are Limited!

Space is limited, so register soon to secure your spot at this crucial climate conversation.

➡ Register Here

We hope to see many Common Ground Alliance members at the Adirondack Climate Conference, working together to drive meaningful climate action in our region. Let’s build a more resilient, sustainable future for the Adirondacks—together!

Seeing Success: $325 Million in Grants for Clean Water Infrastructure Projects Now Available Statewide

Tue, 16 Jan 2024 18:13:16 GMT

New clean water funding commitments include a series of changes to maximize benefits for small, rural, and disadvantaged communities.

On January 15th, Governor Kathy Hochul announced $325 million in grants are available for clean water infrastructure projects through the next round of the State's Water Infrastructure Improvement and Intermunicipal Grant programs. This action immediately delivers on Governor Hochul’s clean water funding commitments announced in her 2024 State of the State, which include a series of changes to maximize benefits for small, rural, and disadvantaged communities. With these important changes and critical financial support for local governments across New York, Governor Hochul is laying the foundation for a healthier, more resilient future, ensuring every New Yorker has access to safe and clean water, creating jobs, and boosting the economy.

“New York is committed to funding water infrastructure upgrades because every person has a right to clean water,” Governor Hochul said. “With this additional funding for communities across the state, we are providing critical resources to local economies, creating jobs, and safeguarding the health and well-being of all New Yorkers.”

This round of WIIA/IMG boasts improvements announced as part of Governor Hochul’s 2024 State of the State to maximize benefits for rural and disadvantaged communities, including:

Additional benefits for rural communities. Even with extensive financial support from the State, some municipalities are left passing a large financial burden to their ratepayers. To alleviate this burden on small, rural, and disadvantaged communities, Governor Hochul is directing EFC to increase water infrastructure grants for small rural communities from 25 percent to 50 percent of net eligible project costs. This change will support smaller communities, like those in the Adirondacks, which often struggle with accessing clean water grants and delivering affordable projects.
Expanding community resources to ensure equitable access to funding opportunities. Small, rural, and disadvantaged communities are particularly impacted by deteriorating water infrastructure and emerging contaminants, and often do not possess the resources and capacity necessary to advance a project for infrastructure improvement. Governor Hochul is expanding EFC’s Community Assistance Teams program that launched in 2023 to provide essential support for updating New York’s critical water infrastructure . The teams are ready to engage with any community that needs help with its water infrastructure. Communities can request a meeting, register for upcoming webinars, and learn more at efc.ny.gov/cat .
Protecting drinking water. Continuing New York’s national leadership on addressing the threat of PFAS, Governor Hochul is increasing awards for emerging contaminant projects from 60% to 70% of net eligible project costs. This change will help ensure cost is not a barrier for communities working to make life-saving investments that eliminate risks to their drinking water supplies.

The Environmental Facilities Corporation (EFC) administers the WIIA and IMG programs in coordination with the Departments of Health (DOH) and Environmental Conservation (DEC). Governor Hochul’s plans will expand the success of these programs by assisting municipalities that have often struggled with accessing clean water grants and delivering affordable projects.

Applications and full eligibility criteria will become available at efc.ny.gov on Monday, Feb. 5.

EFC President and CEO Maureen A. Coleman said, “Thanks to Governor Hochul’s leadership, we’re continuing to remove barriers that have traditionally held communities back from accessing significant investments in water infrastructure. The initiatives we’re implementing will help expand the WIIA/IMG grant programs’ legacy of modernizing aging systems and protecting drinking water. Together, in partnership with local governments, we are taking yet another giant step toward a cleaner, more resilient future that will ensure safe drinking water for all New Yorkers and protect our public health and invaluable natural resources.”

Today’s announcement builds on the success of New York State’s nation-leading investment in clean water infrastructure, the $4.2 billion Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act, and the continued focus on equity and environmental justice. Governor Hochul announced $479 million in WIIA, IMG and septic replacement grant awards in December , including the first funding awarded under the Environmental Bond Act. More than two thirds of the funding was awarded to projects serving disadvantaged communities and potential environmental justice areas, underscoring the State’s commitment to awarding grant funding to communities that need it most.

EFC is working to implement additional elements of Governor Hochul’s plan to safeguard water quality and strengthen communities’ vital infrastructure systems to withstand severe weather in the face of climate change. These include initiating an engineering planning grant program for drinking water projects that treat emerging contaminants or replace lead service lines, as well as a supercharged green resiliency grant program to build green infrastructure across the state, including green roofs and permeable pavement.

Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner and Environmental Facilities Corporation Board Chair Basil Seggos said, “Governor Hochul continues to prioritize the protection of New York’s water quality and today’s announcement for the first tranche of water infrastructure funding this year demonstrates the State’s sustained commitment to investing in communities statewide. By increasing awards and enhancing technical assistance to municipalities, New York’s investments in water infrastructure are instrumental in ensuring access to clean drinking water and improving aging infrastructure in hard-pressed communities.”

State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said, “Clean drinking water should be accessible to all New Yorkers, no matter who they are or where they live, and this announcement once again demonstrates Governor Hochul’s commitment to safe drinking water for all New Yorkers. This funding will help ensure communities can finance critically important infrastructure projects that will safeguard their water and health for years to come.”

Secretary of State Robert J. Rodriguez said, “Clean water infrastructure is an essential element of Governor Hochul’s innovative and comprehensive efforts to create healthy, vibrant, equitable and sustainable communities throughout the State. The Governor’s announcement today of $325 million in funding availability for these critical infrastructure projects underscores her commitment to modernizing the State’s aging infrastructure systems and prioritizing the small, rural and disadvantaged communities that may have been neglected in the past.”

New York's Commitment to Water Quality 
New York continues to increase its investments in water infrastructure. Under the leadership of Governor Kathy Hochul, New York has invested a total of $5 billion in water infrastructure since 2017. To leverage these investments and ensure ongoing coordination with local governments, the Governor launched Community Assistance Teams this year to expand EFC's technical assistance program and help small, rural, and disadvantaged communities leverage this funding to address their clean water infrastructure needs. Any community that needs help with their water infrastructure needs is encouraged to contact EFC at http://www.efc.ny.gov/CAT . 

The voter-approved $4.2 billion Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act is advancing historic levels of funding to update aging water infrastructure and protect water quality, strengthen communities' ability to withstand severe storms and flooding, reduce air pollution and lower climate-altering emissions, restore habitats, and preserve outdoor spaces and local farms. Disadvantaged communities will receive at least 35 percent of the benefits of Bond Act funding, with a goal of 40 percent. 

North Country & Mohawk Valley REDCs Win $10 Million Challenge Competition

Thu, 28 Dec 2023 17:40:55 GMT

North Country, Mohawk Valley & Long Island REDCs Will Receive Up to $10 Million each to Enact Bold, New Strategic Plans for the Future for Round XIII of the Regional Economic Development Council Initiative.

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced Long Island, the Mohawk Valley and the North Country as the winners of the 2023 $30 million Regional Economic Development Council Challenge Competition. As the winners of this year’s competition the REDCs will receive $10 million in project awards to implement bold proposals to address the housing crisis and bolster workforce development efforts.

“New York’s REDC Challenge Competition is just one of the ways that our state is empowering local leaders to transform their communities and unlock their economic potential,” Governor Hochul said . “This year’s winners crafted proposals to create housing, grow our workforce, and strengthen the talent pipeline, and thanks to state investment, REDCs in Long Island, the Mohawk Valley, and the North Country will get the resources they need to put those plans into action.”

Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado , Chair of The Regional Economic Development Councils said, “The 2023 REDC Challenge Competition demonstrates the continued strength and ingenuity of our REDCs. When tasked to take on pressing issues for their regions, they rose to the occasion and created strategies that will deliver results. Congratulations to Long Island, the Mohawk Valley and the North Country for their winning entries focused on workforce development and housing – all New Yorkers will benefit as a result.”

“The announcement today by Governor Kathy Hochul that the North Country Regional Economic Development Council won the statewide competition for our plan “Next Move NY” is a win for transitioning soldiers, the North Country and New York State. This program will offer tranisioning soldiers from Fort Drum a seamless connection to jobs, credentialing and degrees in the North Country. Our goal now will be to work with all of our partners and NYS and put this plan in motion to help solve the workforce issue for the North Country. Next Move NY will build the most robust transitioning soldiers and spouses workforce pipeline in the country.”

said NCREDC co-chairs Katheryn Morris and James McKenna.

As part of the REDC Round XIII initiative, each of New York’s 10 REDCs identified strategies and actionable approaches to address one of seven challenges faced across state: workforce, housing, population and talent retention, blight, tourism, equity, and sustainability and clean energy. The winning proposals included:

The Long Island Regional Economic Development Council’s plan to address a significant shortage of residential housing on Long Island. The proposed Long Island Forward program seeks to encourage local municipalities to create “shovel ready” sites through targeted incentives to address this issue in a measurable way.
The Mohawk Valley Regional Economic Development Council’s plan to meet the region’s growing demand for tourism, agribusiness, and STEM-intensive industries, while prioritizing its efforts to eliminate barriers to employment. The council identified 12 catalyst projects to scale successful programs across the region, including established programs like the Institute for Rural Vitality’s Micro-Credentialing program, Mohawk Valley Community College’s Fast Track program, and the Hillside Work Scholarship Connection. The Mohawk Valley Regional Economic Development Council’s proposal also includes several projects with a unique ability to engage students at a younger age and open doors to an increasingly diverse working-age population, as well as projects tailored to eliminating employment barriers for persons with disabilities.
The North Country Regional Economic Development Council’s plan to capitalize on the region’s unique regional workforce asset – Fort Drum, New York’s largest single-site employer. Through an initiative called Next Move NY, the North Country REDC aims to fill the region’s anticipated workforce gap over the next 10 years by retaining transitioning soldiers and their spouses.

The ten proposals were evaluated by the Strategic Implementation Assessment Team, led by the Secretary of State. Other members included Commissioners from the Department of Agriculture & Markets, New York State Energy Research & Development Authority, Department of Labor, Department of Environmental Conservation, Canal Corporation, Homes and Community Renewal as well as Senator Monica R. Martinez and Senator Sean M. Ryan.

New York State Secretary of State Robert J. Rodriguez said , “The 2023 REDC Challenge Competition seeks to catalyze economic development and growth within the State of New York. Three regions of our great and geographically diverse state have been selected to tackle the most pressing challenges within their communities. I congratulate Long Island, the Mohawk Valley, and the North Country for their award-winning submissions. With a focus on housing, workforce development, and tourism, these strategic investments will strengthen the communities’ economic vision.”

Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said , “Alleviating New York's most pressing challenges will help to grow the state’s economy and ensure a sustainable future. The Long Island, Mohawk Valley and North Country regions have created impressive strategic plans rooted in their areas, that will create crucial access to job training and to homes where New Yorkers can anchor and grow their lives and careers.”

The REDC Initiative has awarded over $7.9 billion to more than 9,900 projects since its inception in 2011. Through the ten REDCs, communities, businesses, academic leaders, and members of the public put their unique knowledge and understanding of local priorities and assets to work to deliver collaborative, community-driven economic development across New York State.

2024 Blueprint for the Blue Line

Wed, 20 Dec 2023 16:57:03 GMT

Adirondack Common Ground Alliance

2024 Blueprint for the Blue Line

For Governor’s staff, commissioners, senior agency staff, legislative leaders, and legislative staff

On Oct. 20, 2023, the Adirondack Common Ground Alliance held its annual forum at Gore Mountain, attracting nearly 200 stakeholders. The forum focused on identifying solutions for multiple issues important to the region and New York state. For the first time in the forum’s history, these conversations were preceded by a series of panel discussions organized by the Adirondack Association of Towns and Villages (AATV).

This 2024 Blueprint for the Blue Line is a summary of recommendations for state action to benefit the Adirondacks, distilled from forum discussions concerning broadband and cellular connectivity, childcare and workforce in vibrant communities, invasive species, the Environmental Bond Act, climate change, and housing.

Thank you for your consideration and subsequent action on these Adirondack priorities.

Broadband and cellular connectivity

Invest in initiatives for broadband and cellular providers deploying infrastructure in rural areas, which might not be financially viable under conventional business models – especially funds specifically earmarked for cellular development to bridge the gap in communication services across the Adirondack region.
Streamline regulatory processes by removing unnecessary survey requirements for the installation of telecommunications infrastructure on existing poles within state Department of Transportation rights-of-way.
Streamline the permitting process for installation of new utility poles and wires.
Offer tax incentives to broadband and cellular providers:
Propose a 21st century tax model that promotes equitable property tax rates for both cable and fiber infrastructure, encouraging investment in rural connectivity.
Incentivize investment in rural connectivity by creating real property tax economic zones for providers, to reduce the burden of high per capita operational costs in rural areas.
Establish a Regional Connectivity Task Force comprised of representatives from municipalities, broadband and cellular providers, and relevant state agencies.

Childcare for Vibrant Rural Communities

Invest in childcare assistance programs for families unable to afford current market rates in their communities.
Invest in initiatives for individuals and/or organizations seeking to establish state-licensed childcare operations.
Invest in initiatives for individuals and/or organizations seeking to improve transportation options to and from state-licensed childcare operations.
Consider authorizing smaller geographic units for programmatic income eligibility determinations.
Subsidize commercial driver’s license (CDL) training costs for aspiring school bus drivers.
Change state tax status for full-time caregivers from “unemployed, not seeking work” to “full-time caregiver.”
Expand the state’s childcare tax credit to families with children ages 0-4.

Workforce for Vibrant Rural Communities

Invest in training incentives for cradle-to-career pipelines in regionally critical industries, recognizing the Adirondack Park as a unique workforce ecosystem.
Invest in paid internship programs for rural entrepreneurs, in partnership with regional institutions of higher education.
Invest in mentorship and internship hubs, which could integrate with new/existing entrepreneurship and business-in-transition programming.
Increase the planning time attached to state funding opportunities.
Expand the state’s earned income tax credit to workers under the age of 25.
Establish a network that is financially and organizationally prepared to sustain and grow the Adirondack region’s population by welcoming and employing “new Americans” and domestic migrants.

Invasive Species

Invest in biological controls for invasive species, which can mitigate the effects of harmful organisms through the introduction and utilization of helpful, counteracting organisms.
Support the development of a “green workforce,” including well-trained, licensed applicators, native plant nursery operators, and specialists in invasive species monitoring and management.
Increase investment in invasive species management efforts undertaken by lake associations and municipalities, while streamlining permitting and licensing for such efforts.
Increase public awareness and education by adding a “pledge” option on boat registrations and licenses to “clean, drain, and dry.” A similar pledge option to refrain from inappropriately transporting firewood could be added to state campground registrations.

Environmental Bond Act and Climate Change

Establish criteria for Bond Act funding that considers community size and financial impact of bond repayment on a community’s tax base (i.e., scale and cost).
Provide technical assistance circuit riders to assist communities with application processes, administration of funds, and connection with partners/similar stakeholders across municipal boundaries.
Develop policies and legislative programs to support forest and wildlife health, in addition to human safety and infrastructure.
Consider medium-to-long-term (20-50 year) climate change impacts in all funding decisions, rather than simply the achievement of near-term goals.
Consider authorizing trails, trail networks, and human-powered travel corridors as bondable projects.
Incentivize the sharing of experience (mentorship) between new applicants and current or previous awardees.
Waive Smart Growth demonstration requirements for projects located within the Blue Line, since the Adirondacks are already a Smart Growth region.
Revise current forest tax law to include tax reductions for forest lands managed to increase carbon sequestration and environmental benefits, with the state compensating local tax jurisdictions for lost property tax revenues.

Housing

Consider reimbursing local taxing jurisdictions for lost revenues stemming from local PILOT agreements.
Require state funding awards to be geographically dispersed across New York’s 10 distinct economic development regions.
Reduce the number of reimbursement-based grants, as many small, rural communities cannot carry large, upfront project costs.
Include funding for cleanup and/or demolition of abandoned sites and structures in state-supported housing projects.
Reestablish the Office of Rural Affairs in the Executive Chamber.
Invest in additional technical assistance to communities for planning, zoning, creating/updating comprehensive plans, etc.

Invest an additional $7,000,000 in the state’s Small Rental Development Initiative (SRDI) in the SFY 2024-25 budget.
Incentivize involvement of market-rate developers in smaller-scale, rural projects, perhaps by bundling contract awards.
Develop pro-housing communities, with plans to materially reduce acute, localized housing shortages and increase eligibility for targeted state funds.
Consider allocating real estate transfer tax revenues generated by the sales of high-value properties ($1 million+) to fund/expand state housing initiatives.

Register now for the 2023 Annual Forum!

Sun, 24 Sep 2023 12:29:27 GMT

Register for the 2023 Common Ground Alliance Annual Forum, hosted in collaboration with AATV!

Join us for the 2023 Adirondack Common Ground Alliance Annual Forum, in collaboration with AATV! This exciting in-person event will again be held at Gore Mountain in North Creek on October 20th!

Get ready for a day filled with insightful discussions, engaging presentations, and networking opportunities. Don't miss out on this incredible opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals and contribute to the future of the Adirondacks. Mark your calendars and secure your spot today!

Your ticket includes access to both the morning panel discussions hosted by subject-matter experts and government leaders, a boxed lunch, and the ability to participate in the afternoon Breakout Groups that will inform this year's Blueprint for the Blue Line.

Agenda

8:30 a.m.: Registration, Networking, and Coffee

9:15 a.m.: Welcome and Introductions

10:00 a.m.: Panel Discussion 1

Panel 1A - Workforce Housing Funding: What are the funding tools of which you need to be aware of, or the funding opportunities of which you might not be aware?
Panel 1B - Broadband/Cellular: Ongoing challenges, what communities need to know, and advocate for adequate coverage in our communities.
Panel 1C - Climate and Community opportunities: Bond Act funding is on its way, how can we meet some of our most profound community needs?

11:00 a.m.: Panel Discussion 2

Panel 2A - Workforce Housing Tools: What does it mean to be a pro-housing community? Addressing zoning barriers, opportunities, identifying housing problems, and overcoming challenges.
Panel 2B - Invasive Species: Broad overview of the threats and opportunities Adirondack communities face, both aquatic and terrestrial. How can we can seek sustainable solutions to these persistent problems in our communities?
Panel 2C - Regional Thinking Through State Projects: How does Bond Act funding work in parallel with the Environmental Protection Fund? How do we collaborate to truly elevate the region?

12:00 p.m.: Networking Lunch

1:30 p.m.: Breakout Groups

3:45 p.m.: Debrief and Closing Remarks

4:15 p.m.: Group Photo and Reception

2023 Annual Forum Sponsorship Levels

Special Underwriters - $3,000

Premier logo placement on CGA website, event program & event banner

Ten participant passes to the 2023 Forum

Headline - $1,000

Logo placement on CGA website, event program & event banner

Three participant passes to the 2023 Forum

Top Tier - $500

Logo placement on CGA website & event banner

Two participant passes to the 2023 Forum

Supporting - $250

Logo placement on CGA website & event banner

One participant pass to the 2023 Forum

To complete a sponsorship form or for any questions about sponsoring CGA please contact sponsor@commongroundadk.org or visit commongroundadk.org/sponsors

2023 Forum Planned For October

Fri, 09 Jun 2023 12:16:00 GMT

We want to thank you for your past interest and participation in the Adirondack Common Ground Alliance annual forum.

Some of you have been asking about the schedule for this year’s CGA forum. Normally, this is the time of year when we are scrambling to line up guest speakers and breakout session topics, promote event registration, and design the lunch menu.

After experimenting with a June date last year, the Core Team is trying a fall date this year. We hope this will allow for greater participation, especially from businesses that are particularly busy in the summertime.

The 2023 Forum has been set for October 20th at Gore Mountain!

More details to follow.

In the meantime, best wishes for a safe and enjoyable summer. We look forward to seeing you in the fall!

2023 Blueprint for the Blue Line

Wed, 08 Mar 2023 15:37:00 GMT

Adirondack Common Ground Alliance 2023 Forum Summary

The Adirondack Common Ground Alliance (CGA) is a diverse network of stakeholders focused on addressing issues that affect the Adirondack Park – specifically, though not exclusively, environmental protection, economic development, and community vitality. Our goal is to facilitate dialogue and identify collaborative solutions that improve the Park and its communities for generations to come. Since 2007, CGA has organized an annual forum, yielding an agreed upon set of recommendations for state action referred to as the “Blueprint for the Blue Line.”

In the summer of 2022, more than 190 citizens participated in the 15th annual CGA Forum at Gore Mountain in North Creek. Below is a set of recommendations within five priority themes: housing, vibrant communities, community policing, recreation, and climate change mitigation and adaptation.

HOUSING

– Appoint individuals from different geographical areas within the Adirondacks to the newly-formed Special Joint Legislative Commission on Affordable Housing.

– Increase opportunities for Smart Growth, including possible expansion of hamlet areas and the creation of a feasible Transfer of Development Rights program.

– Support the creation of new county land banks in Adirondack counties through project approvals, technical support, and start-up funding.

– Fund and complete a park-wide inventory of vacant/zombie properties to assess critical needs and opportunities for immediate revitalization zones.

VIBRANT COMMUNITIES

– Identify/pursue funding sources that incentivize employer loyalty programs to promote the hiring of local residents and retention of people living in our communities.

– Create waivers and incentives (such as college tuition assistance, sign-on bonuses, car maintenance assistance, etc.) for direct support services (healthcare, childcare, eldercare) that address some of the unique challenges faced by these industries within the Park.

– The New York Master Plan for the Aging must move beyond meetings, to the implementation of concrete actions that accomplish the rationale stated in the preamble to the Executive Order.

COMMUNITY POLICING

– Secure permanent funding for the Adirondack Diversity Initiative.

– Fully fund police reform training requirements outlined in the New York State Police Reform and Reinvention Collaborative.

– Enhance community engagement in the 2023 state budget process.

RECREATION

– Create, develop, and support public transportation networks connecting regional population centers, thereby fostering resilience in local transportation systems.

– Fund local and regional partnerships that promote inclusive and accessible recreation pathways for all people to visit and experience the Adirondacks.

– Invest in the planning and construction of municipal recreation assets that are easy for New York State residents to access, such as small-scale municipal parks and trail-to-town connections.

– Identify and allocate funding to enhance the dissemination of regional recreation information.

– Expand corresponding educational networks to better reach underrepresented groups and support public safety.

CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION AND ADAPTATION

– Support natural solutions to climate change by incentivizing sustainable forest management and riparian restoration and protection.

– Provide resources, including increased staffing and circuit riders, for agencies and localities to implement recommendations in the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA), such as revising agency policies and procedures.

– Foster interdepartmental alignment, collaboration, and cooperation among agencies (i.e. DOT, DEC, Army Corps of Engineers, APA, and local municipalities) to support a resilient and connected landscape for wildlife and people, in line with the goals of the CLCPA, Environmental Bond Act, and federal programs.

– Allocate funding resources for planning and design to prepare communities to apply for funding via the aforementioned programs.

CONTINUING THE CALL TO ACTION: PREVIOUS BLUEPRINT PRIORITIES

CGA lauds state efforts to realize the recommendations put forth in previous Blueprints for the Blue Line, which can be found at commongroundadk.org . There are several recommendations that warrant continued advocacy and further state action to address:

– Expeditiously implement the recommendations outlined in the recently released Upstate Cellular Coverage Task Force Report.

– Fund a demonstration project, which will serve as a vehicle to pursue federal infrastructure and/or Federal Communications Commission funding for cellular deployment.

– Dedicate federal funds to assess the availability, affordability, and reliability of high-speed broadband service in New York state, recognizing that ubiquitous, reliable broadband is necessary to enable equitable access to telehealth, remote learning, and 21st- century work opportunities.

– Revisit the Department of Transportation Right-of-Way Occupancy Fee to make it equitable for rural communities, while considering exemptions for low-population-density areas.

– Provide technical assistance to local governments applying for and administering state grants through programs such as circuit riders, so they can access the diverse array of state programs offered through NYSERDA, DOS, DEC, etc.

– Expand childcare subsidies for working families. Facilitated enrollment already receives funding in the state budget to operate in eight New York counties and New York City. Dedicate an additional $1.5 million to bring this effective program to the Adirondack region. Ensure that American Rescue Plan Act funds reach the Adirondacks to reverse troubling downward trends in childcare availability and, instead, bolster the profession.

– Complete and implement the recommendations of the Adirondack Road Salt Reduction Task Force.
We look forward to helping you advance these and other common goals, including efforts to address environmental justice and foster more diverse, equitable, inclusive, and safe communities for all. To learn more about the Common Ground Alliance, visit commongroundadk.org .

CGA contacts:

Zoë Smith (518) 327-6276, zsmith1@paulsmiths.edu
Ross Whaley (518) 359-9631, rosswhaley@roadrunner.com
Cali Brooks (518) 523-9904, cali@adkfoundation.org

The post 2023 Blueprint for the Blue Line appeared first on Common Ground Alliance .

GALLERY: 2022 Summer Forum Photos & Video

Thu, 26 May 2022 00:56:00 GMT

A photo gallery from the 2022 Summer Forum along with video remarks from New York State Governor Kathy Hochul are available on the Common Ground Alliance website. Thanks so much to all who made the trip to Gore Mountain. Work is well underway to produce both the Blueprint and Community Blueprint for the Blue Line.

VIEW GALLERY

VIDEO: ADK Futures 10-Year Update

Tue, 24 May 2022 13:18:00 GMT

Dear Involved Citizens of the Adirondacks,

Thank you for your participation in the ADK Futures 10-Year Update webinar last week.

We hope that you were as pleased with Dave Mason’s presentation as we were. His commitment to tracking changes over the past decade is amazing and allows us to check the pulse of progress on this place we call home. Equally important were his closing comments on where progress is lacking. In my view, they strongly confirmed of the importance of the Strategy and Vision document that provided metrics to evaluate progress.

Dave’s comments regarding the issue areas in which we are falling behind were likely unsurprising to those of us who have worked on them directly, or closely followed their coverage in the media. What we found particularly helpful, however, was the fact base underlining his concerns. It is this fact base, of course, that will inform the process of identifying solutions. Dave reminded us that change doesn’t happen overnight, and, therefore, we still have time to address challenges including childcare, workforce housing, and invasive species. But the clock is ticking.

People cannot, and, indeed, will not, move here unless adequate housing is available at a price point that fits the regions’ incomes. No available housing stock means no more people. Young, working families require childcare services to live here. No childcare means fewer young families in the region. It’s really that simple. The same is true of internet access, but we fixed that. Now we must fix this. Finally, the issue of pests attacking keystone tree species needs more work. Losing hemlock groves deep in the Forest Preserve, or, for example, on the accessible shores of Lake George, has the potential to devastate large areas. Standing dead timber will wreak havoc on our ecosystems and increase the risk of wildfires. What is the plan? How can we enlist citizen scientists from across the Park to help? What will happen when we identify outbreaks? We’ve done a lot of hard work to save our lakes and learned important lessons along the way; we are well-positioned to tackle this, too.

Dave’s update touched upon so many aspects of the Strategy and Vision document that you (like us) may well want to review it again and share with others. His slides are available for download , and we hope you’ll help keep the conversation going by attending the annual CGA summer forum at Gore Mountain on June 15.

For additional context on the presentation, take a moment to read this report: The Adirondack Park: The Next Twenty-Five Years

Again, thank you for your interest in the webinar. And thank you for the work you do to improve this special place – the Adirondack Park.

Sincerely,

Ross Whaley, Zoe Smith & Cali Brooks
CGA Core Team

The post VIDEO: ADK Futures 10-Year Update appeared first on Common Ground Alliance .

Annual Forum Topics Survey

Sat, 09 Apr 2022 12:55:00 GMT

We’re hard at work creating an engaging and meaningful program for the 2022 Annual Forum, which we are thrilled to host in-person on Wednesday, June 15 at Gore Mountain Ski Center in North Creek.

To enhance our efforts and ensure the most productive Forum possible, please take a moment to fill out this short online survey by April 13. Your answers will help us shape the overall program, including main topics, breakout discussions and format.

Registration for the Forum, which will mark CGA’s 15th anniversary, will open in early May and our goal is to be able to present the program when it does. To do that, we need your help.

TAKE THE SURVEY

The post Annual Forum Topics Survey appeared first on Common Ground Alliance .

Paul Smith’s College Hurricane Irene Study

Mon, 07 Mar 2022 17:42:00 GMT

VIEW GALLERY

The post Paul Smith’s College Hurricane Irene Study appeared first on Common Ground Alliance .

WATCH: 2022 Winter Meeting

Fri, 25 Feb 2022 20:34:00 GMT

Held on Friday, February 25, this virtual meeting introduced the Community Blueprint for the Blue Line , which outlines suggested steps individuals, local leaders, municipalities, and nonprofits can take to generate or maintain forward progress when addressing issues related to housing, workforce development, community-based recreation, and climate change mitigation and adaptation. Nearly 150 homeowners, educators, business owners, community leaders, visitors, taxpayers and other stakeholders participated.

The post WATCH: 2022 Winter Meeting appeared first on Common Ground Alliance .

2022 Community Blueprint for the Blue Line

Fri, 21 Jan 2022 18:02:00 GMT

The local role in creating vibrant, welcoming communities

In the summer of 2021, more than 100 citizens participated in the 14th annual CGA Forum, whose theme was Creating Vibrant and Welcoming Communities. Coming out of the forum, we endeavored to distill participant insights and feedback into selected recommendations across four priority themes: housing, creating vibrant economies, community-based recreation, and climate change mitigation and adaptation. What follows are ideas for action that can be implemented by municipalities and organizations at the community level within the Park.

HOUSING IN ADIRONDACK COMMUNITIES

A range of housing options is severely lacking, yet urgently needed to ensure the health of our communities.

– Leverage existing state and county-led programs and foster partnerships with private business, non-profits, and state & local governments to develop a diverse housing stock in our communities.

– Facilitate research and studies in communities that have made progress in solving housing shortages and/or conduct housing market analyses, and make recommendations to local government leaders.

– Conduct outreach to non-profits and local government leaders to aggregate useful information about local zoning codes, water and sewer access, and opportunities to maximize density.

– When appropriate, work to define and distinguish between owner-occupied vs. commercial or non-owner-occupied short-term rentals, to aid municipalities who may be seeking to regulate short-term rentals in an equitable way.

– Review, update, or develop local land use plans and regulations to ensure housing choices and opportunities can be appropriately located within communities.

– Identify critical infrastructure (sewer and water) needs to support housing opportunities.

– Assist communities in undertaking any necessary engineering studies to qualify for federal and state infrastructure funding.

CREATING VIBRANT ECONOMIES

We need to foster career opportunities, develop high-quality jobs (including those that protect and/or depend on clean water and natural resources) and support entrepreneurs to start or grow businesses.

– Develop a community jobs board to provide residents with a common database for finding contractors and other services.

– Provide shared workspaces in downtown settings with high-speed internet. Ensure the community can provide the amenities likely to attract workers from other regions, including teleworkers.

– Provide basic business education training, covering subjects such as contract drafting, accessing insurance, bookkeeping, etc.

– Actively promote and utilize Small Business Development Center services, local development corporations, county industrial development agencies, chambers of commerce, economic development agencies, and other workforce development organizations to better support the local business community.

– Convene community and regional discussions to optimize the pursuit and expenditure of state and federal funds supporting families and childcare, broadband, infrastructure, etc.

COMMUNITY-BASED RECREATION

Diverse recreational activities on Forest Preserve and easement lands should complement community-based recreational assets to enhance community vitality, attract new residents, and increase visitation.

– Leverage increased recreation visitation by complementing outdoor amenities with cultural offerings and community infrastructure, including local food and drink.

– Expand use of conservation easements to offer a variety of recreational opportunities on public and private lands and facilitate regional recreation networks.

– Standardize information about recreational opportunities across communities, differentiate between information and marketing, and utilize a common language and real-time information, whenever possible.

– Increase local event offerings focused on recreation opportunities.

– Broaden partnerships between communities and other stakeholders to support increased and better-distributed recreational use, leave-no-trace education, visitor safety, and a better understanding of carrying capacity and management efforts to preserve the recreational experience and resource.

CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION & ADAPTATION

Build upon New York’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act to support reductions in climate-warming emissions, augment resilience to better prepare for climate change impacts, maintain ecological function, bolster carbon sequestration potential on public and private lands, and foster biodiversity in our natural systems.

– Identify opportunities to develop and participate in “communities of practice” to share lessons learned and success stories among municipal leaders, NGOs, and academic institutions.

– Example: Institute “community exchange days” to showcase local projects, on-the-ground progress toward climate objectives, and the pursuit of “climate smart” and/or “clean energy” community status.

– Leverage existing capacity and resources by preparing state and federal grant applications and undertaking projects on multi-community and/or watershed scales.

– Build support for locally led climate change mitigation strategies, including, but not limited to, electrification of municipal fleets, installation of EV charging infrastructure, forestry practices that sequester carbon (and offer biodiversity co-benefits), and open space stewardship.

– Volunteers play an integral role in local action and provide a space for newcomers to engage with their community and foster new connections – support and actively solicit volunteers for education and engagement in local planning initiatives, programs, and projects.

– There are numerous other concerns related to climate change and opportunities for the Adirondacks to be a leader in NYS – we encourage communities to have these conversations.

We look forward to helping you advance these and other common goals, including efforts to address environmental justice and foster more diverse, equitable, inclusive and safe communities for all. To learn more about the Common Ground Alliance, go to commongroundadk.org . CGA contacts: Zoë Smith (518) 327-6276, zsmith1@paulsmiths.edu ; Ross Whaley (518) 359-9631, rosswhaley@roadrunner.com ; Cali Brooks (518) 523-9904, cali@adkfoundation.org.

ABOUT
The Adirondack Common Ground Alliance (CGA) is a diverse network of stakeholders focused on addressing issues that affect the Adirondack Park. Created in 2007, CGA gives voice to shared recommendations for state and local actions that benefit the Adirondacks. CGA supports the twin goals of environmental quality and economic vitality, with the aim of making the Adirondack Park and its communities sustainable for generations to come.

The post 2022 Community Blueprint for the Blue Line appeared first on Common Ground Alliance .

2022 Blueprint for the Blue Line

Tue, 30 Nov 2021 17:43:00 GMT

Adirondack Common Ground Alliance 2022 Blueprint for the Blue Line

For Governor’s staff, Commissioners, Senior Agency Staff, Legislative leaders and their staff

The Adirondack Common Ground Alliance (CGA) is a diverse network of stakeholder focused on addressing issues that affect the Adirondack Park. Created in 2007, CGA gives voice to a shared agenda through development of an annual Blueprint for the Blue Line, a summary of recommendations for state action that benefit the Adirondacks. CGA supports the twin goals of environmental quality and economic vitality, with the aim of making the Park and its communities sustainable for generations to come.

In the summer of 2021, more than 100 citizens participated in the 14th CGA Forum, whose theme was CREATING VIBRANT AND WELCOMING COMMUNITIES. As a direct result of the forum, we put forth selected recommendations within four priority themes: housing, creating a vibrant economy, community-based recreation, and climate change mitigation and adaptation. Also included are a set of recommendations for state action around a set of continuing unfinished priorities. Thank you for the opportunity to present these recommendations and for your consideration of these requests.

HOUSING IN ADIRONDACK COMMUNITIES
A range of housing options is severely lacking yet is urgently needed to ensure the health of our communities.

Offer grants to support community housing market analyses on at least a county-by-county basis, in order to provide current, actionable data on the types of housing available and the types of housing needed.

– Incorporate the results of these market analyses into regional economic development plans.

– Authorize a pilot land bank(s) within the Park – to better align available land with available infrastructure and facilitate small-footprint, high-density

CREATING A VIBRANT ECONOMY
There is a need to foster career opportunities, develop high quality jobs and attract/support entrepreneurs to start or take over new businesses.

– Expand trades education via BOCES and community colleges and prioritize promoting the trades, starting at early education through adult learning, as a suite of viable and lucrative job and career options.

– Advance tax credits and other policy incentives to level the playing field for small businesses to offer health insurance, paid time off, paid family leave.

– Require that CFA funding through Empire State Development prioritize and explicitly call for grant applications for businesses transitioning to new ownership and worker-owned cooperatives.

COMMUNITY-BASED RECREATION
Diverse recreational activities on Forest Preserve and easement lands should complement community-based recreational assets to enhance community vitality, attract new residents and increase visitation.

– Finalize and implement the Visitor Use Management and Wildlands Monitoring guidance document, and undertake planning on a “land complex” scale rather than discrete units and that integrates recreation opportunities on public and private lands.

– Hire additional forest rangers and other state positions related to planning, management and stewardship of public lands consistent with increase in size of the Forest Preserve and heightened use of public trails.

– Increase funding for natural resource stewardship and education, trail maintenance, and environmentally sustainable recreational infrastructure.

– Invest in varied recreational opportunities on private lands when it serves a public purpose, such as developing recreation management plans on conservation easement lands, and funding capital projects to implement these plans.

CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION & ADAPTATION
Build upon New York’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act to be better prepared for and resilient to climate change impacts such that we are maintaining ecological function, bolstering carbon sequestration potential, and fostering biodiversity in our natural systems.

– Develop a framework for administration of and equitable access to environmental bond act funds. Allow for multiple eligible applicants, including municipalities, NGOs, academic institutions. Increase the bond act from $3B to $4B and ensure a fair share of funds touch down in Adirondack communities and wilderness.

– Disaster planning, self-sustaining stream restoration, and renewable energy infrastructure siting should be done with the best available science and both a local and regional level. Develop a new program to move people and infrastructure out of harm’s way, and protect floodplains and wetlands from future inappropriate land use.

– Bolster the capacity of state agencies to help communities prepare for and adapt to the impacts of climate change. Increase funding available for key programs such as Climate Smart Communities, Clean Energy Communities, the Local Waterfront Revitalization Program, countywide resilience planning.

– Support policies that recognize that a sustainable forest management strategy, particularly on private forest lands, aimed at maintaining or increasing forest carbon stocks while producing an annual sustained yield of timber, fiber, and energy from the forest, will generate the largest sustained climate mitigation benefit.

CONTINUING THE CALL TO ACTION: PREVIOUS BLUEPRINT PRIORITIES
CGA lauds state efforts to realize the recommendations in previous Blueprints for the Blue Line. There are several key recommendations that warrant continued advocacy and additional actions to address:

– Expeditiously implement the recommendations outlined in the recently released Upstate Cellular Coverage Task Force Report

– Fund a demonstration project, which will serve as a vehicle to pursue Federal Infrastructure or Federal Communications Commission funding for cellular deployment

– Dedicate federal unrestricted funds to assess the availability, affordability and reliability of high-speed broadband services in New York State, recognizing that reliable broadband is needed to enable equitable access to telehealth, as well as remote learning and working opportunities

– Revisit the Department of Transportation Right-of-Way Occupancy Fee to make it equitable for rural communities, consider exemptions for areas with low population density

– Sign A2396A, which relates to broadband attachments to utility poles and pole replacement costs

– Sign the Aquatic Invasive Species Transport Law to protect Adirondack lakes and rivers from the risk of new species introductions from recreational boating

– Finalize appointments to the Road Salt Reduction Task Force and begin work immediately

– Assist local governments to apply for and administer state grants through programs such as circuit riders, which are a successful model to contribute technical expertise locally. Provide financial support to train and deploy additional circuit rider positions across the Park, and ensure that they are trained in a diverse array of state programs offered through NYSERDA, DOS, DEC, etc.

– Expand child care subsidies for working families. Facilitated enrollment already receives funding in the state budget to operate in eight NY counties and New York City. Dedicate an additional $1.5 million to bring this effective program to the Adirondack region. Ensure that American Rescue Plan Act funds reach the Adirondacks to reverse troubling trends of declining child care spaces and bolster the profession.

We look forward to helping you advance common goals. To see past Blueprints and to sign up for updates go to commongroundadk.org. CGA contacts: Zoë Smith (518) 327-6276 zsmith1@paulsmiths.edu , Ross Whaley (518) 359-9631 rosswhaley@roadrunner.com , Cali Brooks (518) 523-9904 cali@adkfoundation.org .

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Community Based Recreation Meeting Set for Oct. 28

Tue, 12 Oct 2021 19:17:00 GMT

The Community Based Recreation Initiative has scheduled a virtual meeting on Zoom for Thursday, October 28 to continue their discussion. If you’d like to join the conversation please RSVP by clicking HERE .

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NCPR: How to make the Adirondacks more welcoming? This alliance has a blueprint.

Thu, 09 Sep 2021 16:17:00 GMT

Sep 09, 2021 — Every year the Common Ground Alliance, a group of local leaders in the Adirondacks, comes out with a blueprint for the blue line. It’s a kind of guide for building a better park for the people who live, work, and play here.

This year, the Alliance is focusing on four key issues they say will help build a more welcoming park: housing, workforce development, climate change, and community recreation.

Read or listen to the full story from North Country Public Radio HERE .

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WATCH: 2021 Annual Forum Final Session

Wed, 08 Sep 2021 16:16:00 GMT

In this one-hour webinar held on Wednesday, September 8, the Adirondack Common Ground Alliance (CGA) reports on the findings of the group discussions held earlier in July on the following topics:

– Housing in Adirondack Communities
– Workforce Pipeline & Entrepreneur Development
– Community-Based Recreation
– Climate Change Mitigation & Adaptation

If you’d prefer to view the presentation Slide Deck separate from the video, you may download it here .

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CGA Forum Panel: What Makes a Welcoming Community

Wed, 21 Jul 2021 18:09:00 GMT

What makes your community welcoming? Hear from voices from around the region as they share their stories. Moderated by Leslie Karasin of the Northern Forest Center.

Panelists:

Nicky Hylton-Patterson, Adirondack Diversity Initiative
Ayla Thompson, Pharmacist in Ticonderoga
Frannie Newman, Saranac Lake High School 2020 Valedictorian, Middlebury College Student
Stephanie Backes, Marketing Manager at Gore Mountain
Tori Vazquez, Owner of Main Street Exchange in Saranac Lake

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WATCH: 2021 CGA Annual Forum Panel Discussion

Wed, 21 Jul 2021 16:11:00 GMT

What makes your community welcoming? Hear from voices from around the region as they share their stories. Moderated by Leslie Karasin of the Northern Forest Center.

Panelists :

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5 Topics for Annual Forum Breakout Groups

Wed, 30 Jun 2021 16:36:00 GMT

One of the most popular and productive sessions during the Adirondack Common Ground Alliance Annual Forum has traditionally been the group breakout sessions. They are a fabulous opportunity to discuss important topics with a diverse group of people, who might not otherwise be in the same space together.

We anticipate these sessions will be as lively, motivating and interesting during the Wednesday, July 21 Forum as they have been in the past. Here’s why. We’ve identified these five topics for discussion:

1. Community: How can we meet the housing demand with creative solutions being deployed locally or in other regions? How do we ensure that Black, Indigenous, People of Color communities don’t experience discrimination in securing housing as they are disproportionately affected by this issue?

2. Economy: How do we create jobs and meaningful career opportunities? (Examples might include: Increasing the number and supporting the needs of remote workers, developing workforce training opportunities, creating mechanisms to enhance upward mobility and opportunity).

3. Economy: How do we attract and encourage entrepreneurs to start new or take over existing business? (Examples might include: Access to capital for low-income and minoritized individuals, increased entrepreneurial training opportunities, identifying high growth sectors and gaps in value chain production, business ombudsman to navigate permitting).

4. Community/Environment: Improving community-based recreational assets will provide added alternatives to areas of the Forest Preserve that are stressed by heightened use. How can we support these efforts while balancing natural resource conservation and the needs/wishes of residents?

5. Environment: How can communities emerge as leaders at the local level with respect to climate change adaptation/resilience, mitigation and disaster planning?

What role can you play in determining a local and regional direction for these issues? Do you have an idea on how to mobilize others to help move an initiative forward? Do you have an example of other communities who have been successful addressing these topics?

Join the discussion by registering for the Wednesday, July 21 virtual Forum. Your voice matters.

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CGA Applauds New Invasive Species Legislation

Wed, 09 Jun 2021 20:00:00 GMT

SARANAC LAKE, N.Y. – Today, a diverse group of Adirondack Common Ground Alliance stakeholders praised state legislators for strengthening protections for Adirondack waters from unwanted invasive species.

The law would make permanent the New York State Aquatic Invasive Species Transport Law, which requires boaters to take precautions like cleaning, draining, and drying their watercraft before launching and retrieving in New York waters. Many towns and counties across New York state also have local laws in place to prevent the transport of invasive species.

“Aquatic invasive species are indeed a ‘common ground’ issue for the Common Ground Alliance, as identified through cross-sector, Adirondack-wide dialogue and collaboration,” said Cali Brooks, president and CEO of Adirondack Foundation. “Lakes are a priceless resource and we applaud everyone working to protect them from the threat of invasives.”

In the Adirondacks, the new law establishes protocols for ensuring compliance with “Clean, Drain, Dry” either through boater self-certification or a tamperproof tag issued by the NYS DEC or another authorized entity verifying that watercraft has been inspected and/or decontaminated to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species. The certification applies to motorized watercraft launching in Adirondack waters.

“This legislation reflects the commitment of our state leaders to protecting our waterways from aquatic invasive species, so residents and visitors can enjoy clean lakes and native plants and animals can thrive,” said Zoë Smith, deputy director with the Paul Smith’s College Adirondack Watershed Institute. “This bill promotes greater use of our inspection and decontamination stations across the region and encourages the public’s role in maintaining clean boats.”

The bill was sponsored by Senate Environmental Conservation Committee Chair Todd Kaminsky and Assemblyman Billy Jones and is expected to be supported by the Department of Environmental Conservation. The governor is expected to sign it into law.

“We thank Assemblymembers Billy Jones, Robert Smullen, and Matt Simpson, Steve Englebright and Senators Dan Stec and Todd Kaminsky, for working to ensure this legislation addressed their concerns and priorities,” said Craig Leggett, supervisor of the Town of Chester, in Warren county. “We have an exceptional state-supported, parkwide system of boat inspectors and decontamination stations that has stopped many invasive species in their tracks. This update to the law strengthens an already good program and expands educational resources and opportunities.”

Invasive aquatic plants and animals are among the leading causes of biodiversity loss in freshwater ecosystems. Non-native organisms also negatively impact recreational opportunities for swimming, fishing, and boating, which reduce property values, local tax rolls, and tourism dollars.

“Boat inspection and decontamination only take a few minutes,” said Joe Pete Wilson, supervisor of the Town of Keene, in Essex county. “That’s time well invested. It can save a lake or river from being infested by something nobody wants to introduce. And it’s free.”

Once an invasive species establishes itself in new waters, it is very difficult to manage and eradicate. Some communities have spent millions of dollars combatting invasive species.

“This law doesn’t impose new penalties or create burdensome requirements for boaters,” said Willie Janeway, executive director of the Adirondack Council. “It establishes a user-friendly system to verify compliance with the clean, drain, dry requirements already established in law. It supports the existing boat wash and inspection stations to which the public has grown accustomed across the region.”

Invasive species spread from one body of water to another through the overland transport of boating and fishing equipment and movement of live fish and baitfish. The Department of Environmental Conservation supports watershed stewards across the state to educate boaters about aquatic invasive species and inspect and decontaminate boats to ensure they meet the state’s “Clean, Drain, Dry” standards.

“Boat inspection stations provide local jobs while protecting boating, fishing, swimming and other recreational activities that residents and visitors enjoy,” said Bill Farber, chair of the Hamilton County Board of Supervisors. “Making this law permanent is a critical step in stopping infestations. We applaud the good work done by the DEC, Adirondack Watershed Institute, Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program, our lake associations and our communities to get us to this point. Any town battling to control milfoil, zebra mussels, Asian clams or hydrilla knows it can be very costly. Prevention is better and cheaper.”

Spread prevention and early detection through monitoring are effective invasive species control options. Many lake communities have also invested in mechanical removal of plants or application of herbicides to manage aquatic plants.

“We applaud the Legislature in making the Aquatic Invasive Species Prevention Act permanent,” said Peg Olsen, executive director of The Nature Conservancy’s Adirondack Chapter, which hosts the Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program (APIPP). “Our studies show that 75 percent of Adirondack waterways surveyed are free of aquatic invasive species thanks to the work of more than thirty APIPP partners. Protecting the waters that flow from the Adirondacks to other regions of the state enhances the quality of life for millions of New Yorkers and benefits our economy widely.”

The Adirondack Common Ground Alliance is a diverse network of dedicated people who focus on addressing issues that affect the Adirondack Park, its communities, institutions, and individuals. The group organizes an annual July forum to discuss issues of common concern and explore solutions at the local, regional, and state levels. To learn more, visit commongroundadk.org .

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SAVE THE DATE: Annual Forum Set for Wednesday July 21

Wed, 09 Jun 2021 14:17:00 GMT

It’s been a year. One that has stretched, tested and pulled us in more directions than we thought possible. But we’re here. We’re stronger. And there is still work to be done. Important work for our Adirondack communities that can only happen with your input and support. Join us.

Please save Wednesday, July 21 for this summer’s Annual Forum.

In order to involve the most people possible and accommodate busy summer schedules, the event will once again be held virtually in a single day with breaks.

Registration will open in mid June and a follow-up session will follow in late August in order to highlight the Forum’s findings and action items.

Keep an eye on your inbox next week for registration and sponsorship information along with a link to a survey that will help us shape the final program. Also included will be additional details on the time commitment for July 21.

Thanks so much for your continued support,

Adirondack Common Ground Alliance Core Team

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Saratoga County’s four Adirondack towns seek to attract new residents

Wed, 02 Jun 2021 21:00:00 GMT

This story was reported by The Daily Gazette.

SARATOGA COUNTY – Not all of Saratoga County is as bustling as Clifton Park or Saratoga Springs.

Take the four towns in the northwest corner of the county, for example. Spread through the rugged hills and valleys surrounding Great Sacandaga Lake, the communities of Corinth, Hadley, Day and Edinburg never had more than a couple of thousand residents, even when they were self-sufficient Adirondack mill towns. In the 21st century, some of them have lost population.

But rather than accept a status quo of decline, those towns are working together to appeal for new residents from among those people adjusting to a post-COVID world, with the idea that they could live in a beautiful rural location, and still be within a reasonable drive of urban cultural amenities and high-quality jobs at companies like GlobalFoundries and General Electric.

“We live where a lot of people want to take vacations, so it’s nice,” said Hadley Town Supervisor Arthur “Mo” Wright.

You can view or listen to the full story on The Daily Gazette website .

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Live & Work in the Adirondacks

Mon, 24 May 2021 09:27:00 GMT

This story was published by the Sun Community News.

LAKE PLACID | The Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism (ROOST) has been notably successful getting people to come to the Adirondacks to play; now it’s planning a campaign to get people to come to the Adirondacks to work.

In a way, it’s a variation on the tourism theme, because, said Mary Jane Lawrence, ROOST’s

chief operating officer at a May videoconference, “we can tell them all the things there are to do while working in the Adirondacks.”

The labor shortage is not peculiar to the Adirondacks, but there are a couple of elements that make it worse across the park. There is a desperate need for service-industry jobs, but even though wages have increased, they still tend to be toward the bottom of the pay scale, and do not support the cost of Adirondack living.

Read the full story on the Sun Community News website .

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WATCH: Common Ground Alliance Winter Meeting

Thu, 25 Mar 2021 19:27:00 GMT

The Adirondack Common Ground Alliance (CGA) Winter Meeting, held on March 25, 2021 included a presentation by CGA and Northern Forest Center of the final Strategy for Attracting New Residents to the Adirondacks, a panel discussion on sharing experiences, and a look ahead to the 2021 summer forum.

As part of the winter meeting, the Northern Forest Center shared a summary of Attracting New Residents: A Strategy for the Adirondack Park and its Communities . Leslie Karasin of the Center invited anyone who wants to stay informed about the initiative to complete this short survey .

The Center also facilitated a panel discussion with several residents of Millinocket, Maine. The focus was one of shared experiences by engaging in the work of community revitalization and attracting new residents. The story of the loss of an economic engine is a familiar one, however Millinocket is charting a positive course for its future, guided in part by the Katahdhin Gazetteer strategy.

For more on Millinocket visit millinocket.org , katahdinmaine.com or follow the hashtag #AllinKatahdin on social media.

You may also reach out directly to each panelist:

Lucy Van Hook of Our Katahdhin

Matt Delaney of the Millinocket Memorial Library

Jessica Masse of DesignLab

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Survey indicates high potential to attract new residents to communities within the Park

Mon, 01 Mar 2021 17:45:00 GMT

Lake Placid, New York – New research conducted by Camoin 310 of Saratoga Springs for the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism (ROOST) in Lake Placid and the Economic Development Corporation of Warren County (EDC) shows there is a strong interest for relocation to the Adirondacks across all income brackets in the Regional Market Area. This area includes New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Vermont, New Hampshire, and New Jersey.

A total of 6,733 responses were collected and analyzed by Camoin 310 from January 19, 2021, to January 29, 2021. More than 80% of respondents now live in the Northeast, but there were responses from as far away as Florida, California, Texas, Colorado, Missouri, Minnesota, and Oregon, as well as international locations.

Key findings indicate that nearly 25% of respondents said they were either “very likely” or “somewhat likely” to relocate here in the next five years. Some indicated they have already moved here. The majority of the respondents said living in the Adirondack communities with access to high-speed internet, health care, and dining and shopping opportunities is a priority.

Nearly 23% of Regional Market Demand is between ages 25 to 45. Quality housing and outdoor recreation were the most important factors cited when selecting a community. Remote workers and retirees present the greatest opportunity and over 40% of respondents who are working have the ability to work remotely either full time or a majority of the time.

“This is positive for the Adirondacks and provides data to support the Northern Forest Center’s report and strategy for ‘Attracting New Residents’ to the Adirondacks. Remote workers are a growing industry in which the Adirondacks are positioned well to pursue,” said James McKenna ROOST’s CEO. “They bring their jobs with them and provide for a new economic base and the year-round economy less dependent on the seasonal swings of tourism. We must use this data to drive private investment in new and redeveloped housing stock within the hamlets of the Adirondacks. Planned properly, new residents can sustain our communities, bring our school enrollments back to pre-2000 levels, and provide a better quality of life and services for our current residents.”

Of the respondents who are working, many currently work in professional services, education, health care, finance and insurance sectors, information technology, and skilled trades.

“We have known professional relocation to our area was underway, but this survey validates that the combination of world-class recreation and regional assets make this truly one of the most desired relocation sites in the world,” said Jim Siplon President of EDC. “It is clear we must work with our municipal, business, and professional partners throughout the region to better understand, plan for, and meet this exciting opportunity to enhance our local economies while keenly addressing the attendant demand for housing, broadband, and infrastructure this movement is also highlighting. ”

Full results of the assessment can be found here: Adirondack-Relocation-Assessment-Survey

ROOST is the Destination Marketing & Management Organization for Essex & Hamilton counties and the communities of Saranac Lake & Tupper Lake.

EDC is the economic development engine for Warren County, New York, attracting new investment, industry and jobs to the area, and helping our existing businesses expand and thrive.

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New Strategy Focuses on Attracting New Residents to the Adirondacks

Mon, 01 Mar 2021 17:26:00 GMT

New Strategy Focuses on Attracting New Residents to the Adirondacks

Northern Forest Center to Partner With Communities

SARANAC LAKE, NY: A new strategy released today by the Northern Forest Center outlines how Adirondack communities can arrest demographic and economic decline by attracting new residents. With an aging population, many Adirondack communities are struggling to maintain strong schools, a robust workforce, and vital civic institutions.

The Center’s strategy identifies opportunities for the Adirondack region to address these challenges and attract new residents by building on regional and community strengths and capitalizing on existing assets.

“Many people love the Adirondacks, from time spent living or traveling here,” said Leslie Karasin, Adirondack program manager for the Northern Forest Center. “We have an opportunity to convert these people to residents to strengthen our communities and our economy. We already do fairly well at attracting retirees to the region, so we must focus on attracting young people to live here.”

The strategy identifies the attributes that young people are looking for in a new community and defines the steps that places can take to provide these elements for potential residents. Intended as a guide for community leaders, nonprofits, and public entities, the strategy provides valuable processes and tools to position Adirondack communities for success.

“In our work across the Northern Forest, we see that communities that are motivated, creative, and willing to approach old problems in new ways can experience tremendous success,” said Rob Riley, president of the Northern Forest Center. “This strategy includes a roadmap that communities can follow to assess their needs and build toward success. The key is to focus on visible outcomes.”

Riley said the Center is raising funds to implement the strategy and to directly assist communities with this work. “We’re quickly putting this concept into action. A year from now we expect to see lots of energy and momentum thanks to coordinated action, new ideas and partnerships, local leadership, and leveraged investment. We also hope to start seeing the tangible results of this work by then – more young people in Adirondack communities.”

Early activities will include establishing affinity groups to make progress in key sectors such as housing and recreation, and partnering with several communities to plan and execute a suite of projects that make them more attractive to a new generation.

Hundreds of people contributed ideas to the strategy through individual interviews, focus groups, and the 2020 Common Ground Alliance forum, where hundreds of participants focused on the topic of attracting new residents.

“The conversations that began at the Common Ground Alliance forum have been nothing short of long lasting and electric,” said Ross Whaley, Common Ground Alliance core team member and Northern Forest Center board member. “Seeing the alignment of organizations and efforts behind this strategy is inspiring. This is truly an exciting time in the Adirondacks.”

In addition, more than 350 alumni of area high schools and colleges completed an online survey about their interest in moving back to the region, or their satisfaction about having stayed or moved back. Of those who currently live outside the Adirondacks, 21% said that they would love to move back, and 52% said that they would consider moving back if the conditions were right.

“Broad community partnerships coupled with a cooperative, can-do mindset and solid plan are integral to capitalizing on the opportunities before us,” says Cali Brooks, Adirondack Foundation president and CEO, and a key advisor in the development of the strategy. “This strategy reflects careful thought and insight to provide a unified frame for setting the stage for a more promising future.”

Attracting New Residents: A Strategy for the Adirondack Park and its Communities is available on the Northern Forest Center’s website at http://nfcenter.org/new_residents . Communities interested in learning how to partner with the Center to implement the strategy should contact Leslie Karasin at lkarasin@northernforest.org.

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In The News: Rural Broadband Access

Thu, 04 Feb 2021 21:31:00 GMT

Access to broadband in rural communities was again identified as a priority in the 2021 Blueprint for the Blue Line . These two recent news stories by North Country Public Radio highlight the need.

After Pocket Veto, Cuomo Will Propose Legislation to Study Broadband Access in NY
Gov. Andrew Cuomo has vetoed legislation that would have required the state to review access to high-speed internet, or broadband, in New York, and study the affordability and reliability of those services, saying he’ll propose a similar measure in the coming weeks.

Cuomo had until the end of the month to act on the bill, which had near-unanimous support in the state Legislature, but let it die in the form of a pocket veto.

Full Story

Missed broadband connections could mean missed opportunities for North Country
One effect of the coronavirus pandemic has been more people moving from cities to more affordable, greener areas where they can work remotely.

That description fits the North Country to a “T”, and presents an opportunity for the region as it continues to fight population declines.

Full Story

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CGA Initiatives Included in State of the State

Wed, 20 Jan 2021 18:52:00 GMT

The annual State of the State address, delivered over four days last week by Governor Andrew Cuomo, included a clear acknowledgment of the need to increase rural broadband access. This initiative aligns exactly with a core need identified by the Common Ground Alliance (CGA) during this summer’s Forum and included in the 2021 Blueprint for the Blue Line .

Governor Cuomo identified two ways to make this happen.

The first was to bring internet to the last two percent of New Yorkers who currently do not have access from their home or business. Though we have heard that before, COVID-19 has emphasized how critical broadband is for education at all levels, especially for services such as telemedicine.

The second, is to explore ways to assure that broadband providers supply service at an affordable rate for all demographics, specifically in remote rural communities such as those in the North Country.

Other expenditures and investments identified in the State of the State, though not included in the CGA Blueprint, are significant to the North Country. Notably, the importance of the arts to New York, and though there was certainly a focus on NYC, Governor Cuomo specifically mentioned Saranac Lake’s Pendragon Theatre as an example of an organization suffering from the impacts of COVID-19. His promise was that the New York Arts Revival Initiative will not overlook the vital arts community in the Adirondack Park.

In addition, there are two other items that we will be watching in order to better understand their impact on the Adirondacks:

– The Governor proposed three North/South high speed electric transmission lines as part of the green energy initiative. Two of them will be in the eastern part of the state. The North Country will also see an increase in solar farms as part of this initiative.

– Another impact of the pandemic has been people displaced from their homes. The Governor is proposing the conversion of unused commercial space to affordable housing. Little detail was given as to where and how this would be accomplished.

– To make child care more affordable and equitable for our most vulnerable children and their parents, Governor Cuomo will invest $40 million to reduce the burden of parent subsidy copays to help approximately 32,000 working families.

Throughout the four days of presentations the Governor continually applauded New Yorkers for both their love and grit. It made one feel proud, at least for a moment. But also reminded us that there is still a lot of work to do.

For 13 years the Common Ground Alliance (CGA) has held a summer Forum with the underlying focus on enhancing the quality of our communities while growing the economy and protecting our natural environment.

Later this winter, the CGA will reconvene to assess how best to move the 2021 Blueprint initiatives forward, specifically now knowing that the broadband issue aligns with the highest level of support from New York State.

– Ross Whaley, Common Ground Alliance Core Team

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Stand Up for Child Care Adirondacks

Wed, 13 Jan 2021 15:32:00 GMT

Child care is as essential for working parents as it is for employers and economic development.

Plattsburgh, NY – Without Child Care, there are no working parents.

Stand Up for Child Care Adirondacks is a North Country child care advocacy coalition who today is launching a media campaign with videos bringing attention to challenges faced by the child care industry and exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The videos feature child care providers, parents and community leaders who share their issues and propose solutions to stabilize the industry that is crucial to the success of our local economy.

“Child care is economic development,” said North Country Workforce Development Board Executive Director Sylvie Nelson.

Encouraged by Governor Cuomo’s commitment of $40 million in the 2021 NYS budget toward child care, Stand Up for Child Care Adirondacks is asking state elected officials to commit to a legislative add of $1.5 million for facilitated enrollment in the 2021 NYS budget. The funds would offset the high cost of child care faced by median income working families in Clinton, Essex and Franklin counties.

Additionally, the group is advocating for CARES money to go directly to child care providers to infuse cash into programs and long term investment as well as support the child care profession by streamlining and solidifying a pipeline for the development of child care businesses, beginning with recruitment of new providers.

The challenges are real.

According to the Center of American Progress, without financial help, 50% of child care centers will go out of business. And just as important, the cost of child care has surpassed housing as the most expensive category of basic living, creating as significant barrier for 6

families. Additionally, a staggering 70% of U.S. child care providers report working a second job to be able to make ends meet.

“In Clinton, Essex and Franklin counties, there are 20,000 children under the age of 12 in need of child care; 30% of which live in poverty and whose parents must disburse, on average, $15,000 per year for two children in child care,” said Sara Allen Taylor, Project Director of the Child Care Coordinating Council of the North Country (CCCCNC). “Those numbers are unsustainable.”

Meanwhile, COVID-19 is putting a financial strain on child care providers. Decreased enrollment and increased operational costs have left most providers, both for-profit and nonprofit, in an unsustainable financial situation. Child care providers are working hard to balance their ability to operate with efforts to keep children healthy. The top priority for providers is safety as they care for young children during this time of heightened risk.

Since 2003, the Workforce Development Institute (WDI) has consistently secured funds for the Child Care Subsidy Facilitated Enrollment Program (CCSFEP) in New York City, and Albany, Erie, Monroe, Oneida, Onondaga, Rensselaer, Saratoga and Schenectady counties. The WDI CCSFEP is responsive to the needs of working families who would otherwise be ineligible for assistance while providing a multi-generational benefit with a strong return on investment.

“Without child care, parents can’t work.,” stated Brittany Buffum, WDI’s CCSFEP Program Manager. “The child care industry is an integral part of the state’s economic recovery, and is vital to keeping the North Country working.”

Creating a facilitated enrollment fund needs the involvement of New York State.

“We need our elected officials to include a $1.5 million fund in the NYS budget for Clinton, Essex and Franklin counties which could be used for facilitated enrollment,” said Jamie Basiliere, CCCCNC Executive Director. “We also need to advocate for CARES money to go directly to child care professionals and alleviate the paperwork and delays.”

“In meetings with Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, Assemblyman Billy Jones and Assemblyman-elect Matt Simpson,” said Basiliere, “we are encouraged by the fact they understand the crucial role child care plays in the economy.”

GET MORE INFO

Download this report on child care deserts.

Click here to access a media kit from our partners

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The Future of Rural

Thu, 07 Jan 2021 15:30:00 GMT

Over the past year, I’ve heard two very different narratives about rural America. The first is that rural people face enormous economic and social challenges and the federal government does little to help them. The second is that the coronavirus pandemic has turned rural places into refuges where the urban elite — with the ability to work high-paying jobs from anywhere — can use their wealth to bypass failings in rural infrastructure. In either scenario, today’s rural public policy is coming up short.

As COVID-19 upended urban places and economies, people found space and safety in rural communities. For many towns, this is the first influx of new (potential) residents in years; for some it has been a generation since their populations increased. This movement and the current attention to rural America presents an opportunity to rethink and restructure how we invest in healthy rural places. President-elect Biden, who pledged to serve all Americans, can respond boldly to address the needs of large swaths of rural America where people feel left behind. In the first 100 days of his administration, he can prove that he wants to see real change and will act to secure broader prosperity.

Drawing on more than 20 years of working in communities across four rural states, we see actionable, specific opportunities for Biden to make federal policy work for rural places. Here’s what we recommend: Engage in genuine conversations in rural places about the role of the federal government. The pandemic aside, fundamental economic changes, limited career pathways, and crumbling (or non-existent) infrastructure plague many rural places. These challenges require public-private partnerships, directed by local needs and leadership. Many of the federal programs designed to address the underlying issues in rural places fail because they were designed for the rural reality of 1960, not of today. Let’s get current, understand why programs aren’t working, and make them better.

Elevate rural to the level it deserves in the President’s cabinet. Rural places are currently served through a web of programs spread across numerous federal agencies. One might think this approach would help address policy deficiencies, but in fact, when everyone is in charge, no one is. The Biden Administration can send a strong message that it means business by putting someone clearly in charge of its rural agenda and creating a new Department of Rural Development dedicated to improving, centralizing, and deploying the support and services necessary for rural people and places to thrive.

Invest in doing economic development differently in rural places. Federal employees work diligently on their mission, providing grants and other services to constituents as directed by statute. And yet, the available tools for solving complicated, systemic, and immediate issues are limited. To do economic development differently — and better — we need to eliminate programs that have limited utility, expand others that focus on building capacity in rural places, increase the flexible application of federal dollars, and move the measurement of economic development outcomes beyond one-dimensional (and fleeting) metrics like job creation. Focus on and communicate about rural-urban connections rather than the divide. Rural places don’t benefit from being talked about as a monolith, a backwater, or fly-over country. Rather, we as a nation need to raise up narratives and policies that recognize differences in rural places across the country, and that celebrate and support the natural, community, and economic assets that define those communities and their relationship to nearby urban areas. The stereotype of the American dream is changing. We now have a tapestry of rural, suburban, and urban, and an opportunity to focus on collective prosperity rather than competition, exclusion, and negative trade-offs. The first hundred days will show how the Biden presidency will serve all Americans. Yes, there is a pandemic raging, but the widening gulf between rural and urban, rich and poor, red and blue requires a new tone, a new path, and new solutions. Let’s get to it.

Rob Riley is president of the Northern Forest Center, a regional innovation and investment partner that creates rural vibrancy across New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine (with staff in Saranac Lake). The Center co-founded the national Rural Development Innovation Group with the Aspen Institute and the U.S. Endowment for Forestry & Communities.

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Adirondack Diversity Initiative Begins Year Two

Thu, 17 Dec 2020 17:33:00 GMT

In its first year, the Adirondack Diversity Initiative’s work has gained urgency for addressing structural racism in the Adirondacks. Demand for ADI services has surged as subsequent incidents within Adirondack communities revealed the depth of intolerance here. As we address becoming welcoming communities, we mean welcoming to all and identified this important program as a priority project for the 2021 Common Ground Alliance legislative agenda.

Read more about its first year accomplishments and plans for year two in this recent Lake Placid News story.

LEARN MORE

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Road Salt Reduction Act Finds Common Ground

Thu, 17 Dec 2020 17:21:00 GMT

By now, most Adirondackers have read about Governor Cuomo signing the Randy Preston Road Salt Reduction Act . This important piece of legislation establishes a 15-member task force, three-year pilot plan and a test study in the Adirondacks. The results of the study will lead to recommendations for winter maintenance on state roads no later than 2024. This is good news for us who both enjoy healthy lakes, potable drinking water and safe highways.

But there is another story embedded in the passage of this act, and that is a story of government, at all levels, working at its best; i.e. the ability to find common ground.

An abbreviated history of this bill starts when Paul Smith’s College Adirondack Watershed Institute discovered excessive amounts of salt in Adirondack lakes. Concerned citizens raised money for further exploration of the cause as well as a study of whether well water might also be contaminated. The results of these studies indicated a serious problem and pointed to road salt as the culprit.

One might think the solution is easy—use less road salt as in the good old days prior to the 1980 Olympic Winter Games. But, of course, the solution wasn’t easy. The earliest meetings to discuss solutions immediately turned into strongly expressed opinions on what is more important, clean water or safe highways. The environmental non-governmental organizations, local government officials, highway superintendents, and the State Department of Transportation were each strong of opinion.

But here in the north country this didn’t become a partisan issue. Through the tactful guidance of the Adirondack Watershed Institute, facts were distinguished from opinion, and many discussions were held. Most importantly, legislators participated, and ultimately a bill was ushered through the legislative process sponsored by members of both political parties.

In fact, this topic was included in the 2019 Common Ground Alliance Forum. From that discussion, our local leaders, scientists, advocates, students, homeowners and other stakeholders suggested solutions. This gave impetus for the need of what ultimately became the Randy Preston Act Road Salt Reduction Act.

None of the above would be worth writing about if it were not for the fact that the evening news over and again tells us of the fractious discussions in Washington and the inability to solve problems because it might mean having to compromise. At the risk of patting ourselves on the back, perhaps here in the Adirondacks our citizens have shown that democracy is alive and well.

– Ross Whaley, Common Ground Alliance Core Team

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Adirondack Wild Presents Award to Executive Director of the Adirondack Diversity Initiative

Wed, 02 Dec 2020 15:42:00 GMT

Saranac Lake, NY – Adirondack Wild: Friends of the Forest Preserve has honored the work of Nicole “Nicky”’ Hylton-Patterson , the executive director of the Adirondack Diversity Initiative , a project of the Adirondack North Country Association (ANCA). The group presented her with Adirondack Wild’s 2020 Wild Stewardship Award in recognition of her initiating and elevating difficult conversations about race, shared power, and influence in the Adirondack region over the past year. Such conversations are integral to improved and shared stewardship of the Adirondack Park.

Nicky Hylton-Patterson, joined by the ADI’s core team of volunteers, leads this necessary educational work in all its complexity. Adirondack Wild’s award recognizes Ms. Hylton-Patterson’s intelligence, personality, and courage, in addition to her collaborative and educational talents, which have all been brought to bear on anti-racism progression in the Adirondack Park.

“Nicky’s ‘Anti-Racism 101’ and other seminars are breaking down barriers and opening eyes, minds, and hearts. In just one year, cooperators have learned from her how to become accomplices through the consequential work of learning to become an antiracist,” reads Adirondack Wild’s award letter.

“We, too, wish to grow as an accomplice because we want the Adirondack region to be a welcoming place for people of all colors and backgrounds, and because for we have a vital, vested interest in the Park’s care, protection, and stewardship,” said Adirondack Wild’s managing partner David Gibson.

“If people of all colors and backgrounds don’t feel welcome in the Park, why would they feel ownership, obligation and responsibility to support the Adirondack Park’s protection, its communities, finances and forever wild constitution,” Gibson asks.

“Nicky carries out her work with patience, grace, and courage even under threatening and trying conditions,” said Adirondack Wild’s advisor in Saranac Lake, Sunita Halasz.

“The Park’s mountains, streams, lakes, workplaces, homes, and neighborhoods should and do belong to people of color as much as to white people,” she added. “While these are difficult conversations, Nicky’s life experiences, professionalism and personal warmth and energy are breaking down barriers and bringing folks together to make them happen. We want to recognize and to thank her.”

The award presentation took place on Friday, November 27, 2020 outside the Adirondack Diversity Initiative’s offices at the Adirondack North Country Association (ANCA) in Saranac Lake.

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2021 Blueprint for the Blue Line

Tue, 17 Nov 2020 18:14:00 GMT

In July the Adirondack Common Ground Alliance (CGA) held its 13th annual forum, with the theme Attracting a New Generation to the Adirondack Park . As a result of the discussions at the forum, CGA has released this Blueprint for the Blue Line (BPBL), a summary of recommendations for state actions to benefit the Adirondacks. In addition to the BPBL, our partner in this year’s forum, the Northern Forest Center, is drafting a separate report, Attracting New Residents: A Strategy for the Adirondack Park and its Communities, which will serve as a guide for community leaders, nonprofits, and public entities interested in creating the conditions that help attract a new generation of residents to the Adirondacks.

This BPBL recognizes the State is impacted by an unprecedented world-wide coronavirus and the enormous personal, community, and State economic consequences from that disease. While the Forum identified many opportunities for the State to assist the region in attracting new residents, we are focusing our request on those actions which have the greatest near-term need in mitigating the disastrous consequences of the virus and at the same time have long-term positive impacts on attracting new residents to the Park. Look for subsequent reports that address concerns such as: environmental stewardship, housing, employment, schools, water and sewer, recreation, health care, smart growth, and welcoming communities.

The CGA also recognizes that the Adirondacks is not immune from the problems of racism facing the nation. It is not debatable that Adirondack communities should examine issues of diversity and promote inclusion and equality. We see this as ripe for the common ground approach and welcome opportunity to explore how best to address these issues. Thank you for the opportunity and your consideration of these Adirondack priorities.

HOW CAN THE STATE HELP?

Cellular and Broadband Deployment
This request is not new, but the past several months have made it clear that cellular and broadband coverage in all municipalities and along highways is not just a matter of convenience. It is essential for education (preschool through higher education), telemedicine, tracing Covid 19, attracting newcomers to the Adirondacks, and perhaps convincing those who bought homes in rural areas to escape the Corona Virus to stay. Therefore, we request:

The state should evaluate and map the gaps in both cell service and broadband coverage in the Adirondack Park.

The Governor’s Task Force report on Upstate Rural Cellular must be released as a vehicle for putting NYS at the head of the Federal line for Infrastructure Funding. This could position NYS to lead the nation in technology buildout, but the time is now and the Adirondacks simply can’t wait. It is time for a state commitment and deadline for implementation.

Childcare
Childcare is essential for working parents who must work but have children who may not be able to attend school or have access to professional care as well as for attracting a new generation to the Adirondacks when both parents have to work. Therefore, we request:

Support Families – Facilitated Enrollment to expand child care subsidy for working families. Commit to creating a legislative add in NYS budget of $1.5 million for the Facilitated Enrollment for the Adirondacks.

Support Programs – Advocate for CARES money to go directly to childcare providers. Immediate cash infusion into programs and long-term investment.

Support the Profession – Streamline and solidify a pipeline for the development of childcare businesses, beginning with recruitment of new providers.

Extend funding for the Adirondack Diversity Initiative
In its first year, the Adirondack Diversity Initiative’s work has gained urgency for addressing structural racism in the Adirondacks. Demand for ADI services has surged as subsequent incidents within Adirondack communities revealed the depth of intolerance here. As we address becoming welcoming communities, we mean welcoming to all. Therefore, we request:

Expand funding of the Adirondack Diversity Initiative to include support and outreach staff that will allow ADI to serve increasing demand.

Build on this momentum by requiring cultural consciousness programs throughout New York State agencies based on the groundbreaking work of ADI.

Expand funding to deal with the increased use of the High Peaks in the Forest Preserve
Concerns over the health impacts of Covid 19 have resulted in an unexpected substantial increase in the use of the land and waters of the Adirondack Park, which were already showing problems associated with use that exceeded the carrying capacity. Therefore, we request:

The Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics published a report calling on the state to invest more in managing the trails and crowds in the Adirondacks. We request the state to heed this report and increase EPF dollars going to protection of the Forest Preserve

The High Peaks Strategic Planning Advisory Group has also submitted preliminary recommendations for managing visitor use and increasing investment in stewardship. Therefore, in addition to EPF funds we request passage of the Renew Mother Nature Bond Act and direction of a portion of these funds to ameliorating problems of increased use of the Forest reserve.

Stay informed about CGA’s efforts to move these important initiatives forward through our website and regular e-newsletters .

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Take the Adirondack Schools Alumni Survey

Fri, 21 Aug 2020 16:05:00 GMT

One of the ways in which the CGA and its partner in this year’s Forum, the Northern Forest Center , are gathering additional input on attracting a new generation of residents to the Adirondacks is via a survey for alumni of Adirondack schools (elementary, high school and/or college). The goal is to find out how many respondents currently live in the area, and what factors are most important for others in thinking about moving back to the area.

The survey is at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2TW9JRX

We would be very grateful if you can share this with alumni of area schools and especially any alumni networks that you are aware of to help us get a widespread and representative response.

The survey takes about five minutes to complete. Folks who complete the survey will be entered into a raffle for one of three prizes: each one will be for $150 in gift certificate(s) to Adirondack businesses, including Cloudsplitter Outfitters, Origin Coffee and Raquette River Brewery.

Thank you so much for helping with this important piece of our work together!

Leslie Karasin
Adirondack Program Manager
Northern Forest Center

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2020 Common Ground Alliance Forum Findings

Mon, 27 Jul 2020 14:40:00 GMT

Adirondack Common Ground Alliance Supports a Younger, More Diverse Park
2020 Blueprint for the Blueline to Focus on Attracting a New Generation

LAKE PLACID, NY — The Adirondack Common Ground Alliance and Northern Forest Center view the future success of the Adirondack Park as one that includes a younger and more diverse group of new residents.

The Alliance’s findings, and supporting reasons for them, were presented Thursday and are the result of small group discussions with more than 200 Adirondack residents, educators, business owners, community leaders, and local government officials representing 56 different communities during a two-day virtual Forum held July 14-15. A recap, including presentations and video, are now available at CommonGroundADK.com.

The results will serve as the foundation for a strategy for Adirondack communities to Attract a New Generation of Adirondack Residents, led by the Northern Forest Center. The outcomes will also provide the platform for the 2020 Blueprint for the Blue Line, a list of policy recommendations to share with Albany leaders.

“The Common Ground Alliance should be a model across the state and across the country. The work that you’re doing to bring people together in a way that allows each voice to be heard provides a powerful platform to move our communities forward,” said Judy Drabicki, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Executive Deputy Commissioner, who joined Thursday’s closing session. NYS DEC Commissioner, Basil Seggos, was a participant in last week’s session.

Highlights of the 2020 Forum findings include:

Young people living in the Adirondacks are making incredible contributions to shaping the future of the Park, and were dynamic voices as part of the Forum. A third of the participants in the forum were under 45. Forum participants noted striking contributions that young people are making across multiple sectors, including business and entrepreneurism, local government, non-profits and the arts.

There are simple, low-cost ways that communities can take quick action towards becoming more attractive to and welcoming to potential new residents. Examples include:

Grassroots efforts to welcome new community members

Local initiatives to make community information about events and jobs more accessible

Forming networks and affinity groups to provide new ways to build community

Community-driven steps that can provide models to build on include these examples:

Efforts underway to make quality rental housing more accessible

Partnerships with the Adirondack Diversity Initiative to ensure our communities are safe and welcoming for all

Investments in multiple communities to make sure that authentic, walkable downtowns are connected to nearby recreational assets and amenities

“We were excited to bring our on the ground experience from other rural communities across the Northern Forest to the Common Ground Alliance forum this year,” said Rob Riley, President of the Northern Forest Center. “The work that community members and local leaders engaged in at this year’s Forum is an important step to position Adirondack communities to address our challenges and successfully attract new residents.”

“This year’s forum allowed us to look comprehensively at solving one of the region’s biggest challenges – how do we create more welcoming communities for younger populations,” said Zoë Smith, CGA core team member. “CGA will use the results of the forum to identify solutions that can be moved forward with our elected leaders in Albany.”

The Common Ground Alliance was formed in 2007 to identify opportunities for dialogue among diverse, and at times, competing stakeholders looking to seek collaborative action. The Alliance promotes inclusiveness, mutual respect, transparency, candor and trust to guide open discussions and foster a productive exchange of idea across a multitude of viewpoints.

Those interested in becoming involved in the Common Ground Alliance can contact the organization and sign up to join its newsletter at CommonGroundADK.org.

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WATCH: 2020 Common Ground Alliance Forum Conclusion

Thu, 23 Jul 2020 19:34:00 GMT

Members of the Common Ground Alliance Core Team and Northern Forest Center staff share key points from the forum, and outline next steps to ensure that we take these ideas to the next level. The information conveyed here will serve as the platform for the 2020 Blueprint for the Blueline and inform the development of a strategy to attract a new generation of residents to the Adirondacks.

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WATCH: 2020 Common Ground Alliance Forum

Tue, 14 Jul 2020 20:56:00 GMT

The 2020 Common Ground Alliance Forum featured two thought provoking presentations:

THE ADIRONDACKS’ DEMOGRAPHICS CHALLENGE
Why should we focus on attracting a new generation of residents? This presentation, by Joe Short of the Northern Forest Center, will frame this question. Joe will draw on data from several regional analyses to provide context and motivation to our work together in this year’s forum.

and

A WELCOMING PLACE
Since 2007, Adirondack Common Ground Alliance has been bringing hundreds of people together who love the Adirondacks to tackle difficult issues and find common ground.

Many of us think of the Adirondacks as a welcoming place. However, recent events have highlighted that there is much work to be done to ensure our communities are truly welcoming and safe for everyone. We have asked CGA Core Team member Ross Whaley to facilitate a conversation with Nicky Hylton-Patterson, Director of the Adirondack Diversity Initiative and Bill Farber, Chairman of Hamilton County Board of Supervisors and CGA Core Team member to discuss ways in which diversity and ensuring that our communities are welcoming are inextricably linked.

CGA hopes this can be the beginning of thoughtful and honest conversation about how everyone can make the Adirondacks a welcoming place.

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Presentation: Demographic Trends in the Adirondacks & Northern Forest

Tue, 14 Jul 2020 17:58:00 GMT

The 2020 Common Ground Alliance Forum opening session featured a thought provoking presentation by Joe Short of the Northern Forest Center. Lucky for us, he’s shared the slides from that presentation.

VIEW PRESENTATION

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WATCH: SLHS valedictorian calls out anti-Asian racism she endured

Tue, 14 Jul 2020 14:18:00 GMT

Get Engaged: diversityadk.org/events

ADK Enterprise: SLHS valedictorian calls out anti-Asian racism she endured

GABRIELS — In Francine “Frannie” Newman’s speech as valedictorian of Saranac Lake High School, she spoke frankly about racism she has endured from classmates and teachers for being Asian, going back to day care when kids nicknamed her and her brother “Fortune Cookie” and “Eggroll.”
“I don’t mind the race jokes,” she said. “I don’t have a single friend who hasn’t made one, and I’m guilty too. I know there’s not a lot of diversity in the area, and I know that no one has ever intended to hurt me with what they say; there’s a lack of education and understanding, and it is not the fault of anyone living here. Knowing this, and growing up knowing this, did not make any of it hurt any less.”

The speech went public Friday night as part of the SLHS commencement, but it had been recorded earlier in June, as had the other speeches and each graduate walking across the stage. Good Guy Productions of Bloomingdale edited these parts together into a two-hour video, which premiered before graduates and their families Friday night as a drive-in movie in a field at Tucker Farms in Gabriels. The video is also now posted on the SLHS website, http://highschool.slcs.org .

Newman said things got worse for her when she was in second grade and switched to Petrova Elementary in Saranac Lake after Lake Clear School closed.

“In a larger pool of kids, and in an older pool of kids, innocent race questions turn quickly into blatant racism,” she said. “They tugged at the sides of their eyes and said they couldn’t have me over to their houses because I would eat their dogs. It seems so insignificant now, but in the mind of a second-grader? I cried openly in front of a class full of entirely new people, and was pulled aside afterwards and told that I needed to toughen up — that kids will be kids, and that it was all jokes, and that I was being sensitive, and that I wasn’t going to make friends this way. And so I did. I toughened up. I began to make the jokes before other people could. I began to respond to the new nicknames the kids on the back of the bus gave me. Gone were the days of ‘Fortune Cookie,’ replaced instead with ‘Chink,’ ‘Ling Ling,’ ‘China’ and ‘Squinty Eyes.’ These were trying times. Sink or swim. I wanted the friends and I didn’t care how I got them, even if I felt myself growing to hate the way I looked as much as it seemed everyone else did.”

As Newman got older, she said, “I began to resent my culture, resent my own mother, for making me look this way.”

“Adults in my life have played just as large a role in reinforcing my self-loathing as kids have,” she said. “In third grade I was given to the wrong parent at the end of a field trip, because the parent was Asian, with the excuse, ‘You all just look the same.’ In eighth grade a classmate was asked by the teacher, ‘In this room, who is going to get into college first?’ and was forced to choose Jackson and myself, seeing as we were the ethnic minorities. We were told that we were lucky to not be white, even though in that moment I would have given anything to blend in with the rest of the class, would have given anything to think that my future accomplishments would be based on merit and not on race.

“Today, standing before you, I can finally say that I am proud — proud of everything I have done, proud of where I am heading in the fall (Middlebury College in Vermont), proud of what I look like, proud of my heritage and proud of my mom.

“I am thankful for the person I was forced to become, and I am thankful that one day I will have the opportunity to teach my own kids about their culture and about acceptance. My only regret leaving high school is not having had these revelations sooner.”

She ended the speech on a positive note, thanking friends, parents, classmates and teachers, and saying, “I am so thankful to have been a part of this class.

“Over these four years, we’ve all found self-acceptance, and we’ve all grown into the people we were meant to become.”

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2020 Forum Registration Closes July 10

Fri, 10 Jul 2020 11:31:00 GMT

Since 2007, Adirondack Common Ground Alliance has been bringing hundreds of people together who love the Adirondacks to tackle difficult issues and find common ground.

The Tuesday, July 14 Forum session will include a conversation with Nicky Hylton-Patterson, Director of the Adirondack Diversity Initiative and Bill Farber, Chairman of Hamilton County Board of Supervisors and CGA Core Team member, to discuss ways in which diversity and ensuring that our communities are welcoming are inextricably linked. We’d love for you to be a part of that conversation.

But don’t wait, registration for the Forum will close at 5 p.m. today. All registrants will receive an email on Monday, July 13 with detailed instructions for logging into the Forum, which will be held on Zoom.

We hope you can join us and that this this can be the beginning of thoughtful and honest conversation about how everyone can make the Adirondacks a welcoming place.

Adirondack Common Ground Alliance Core Team

The post 2020 Forum Registration Closes July 10 appeared first on Common Ground Alliance .

2020 Blueprint for the Blue Line

Sun, 03 Nov 2019 19:08:00 GMT

Adirondack Common Ground Alliance 2020 Blueprint for the Blue Line

For Governor’s staff, Commissioners, Senior Agency Staff, Legislative leaders and their staff

November 2019

On July 24, 2019, the Adirondack Common Ground Alliance forum in Lake Placid attracted more than 250 stakeholders focused on solutions for multiple issues important to the region and New York state. With many of you or your designees attending, people celebrated collaboration among diverse stakeholders and honored leaders including the Lt. Governor Hochul, and state, local and non-governmental entities who are working together for a better future for the Adirondack region. Real challenges were recognized; there was positive energy and appreciation to the state’s leaders for their commitment to the area. We thank you for your support.

The 2020 Blueprint for the Blue Line is a summary of recommendations for state actions to benefit the Adirondacks that were a direct result of Common Ground Forum discussions. As you will see, some of the recommendations have already been achieved. While not included in this document, any necessary landbank legislation, overuse of the High Peaks, Adirondack Park Agency reforms, affordable housing and education issues are continuing priorities. Thank you for the opportunity and your consideration of these Adirondack priorities.

Adirondack Communications Infrastructure (cellular, broadband, emergency) :

– Issue : While improving in places, the current coverage and infrastructure for cell phones, broadband and emergency communications is inadequate, and in places getting worse.

– Executive Ask : Ask the Governor to assign members and staff to the Communication Task Force announced in the 2019 State of the State, and include representation from the Adirondacks ( done ).

– State Funding Ask : Fund 100% of the last mile 100 meg broadband coverage in the Adirondack Park.

Clean Water Infrastructure :

– Issue : The State’s $1.0 billion 2019 clean water grant program, plus loans, are appreciated, but when grants are capped at 25% of costs projects are underfunded where residents can’t afford a 75% share.

– State Policy Ask : Continue existing grants and loans and establish a supplemental grant program for the needs of hardship communities requiring funding that exceeds the current 25% cap.

– State Funding Ask : Continue to increase technical assistance and engineering grants to support local leaders to meet public and private clean water challenges. Renew Clean Water grant funding.

Climate Change :

– Issue : C limate change is the issue of our lifetime and is impacting human and natural communities in the Adirondacks. The Park can play a unique role in the fight to slow the warming of our planet.

– State Legislative Ask : Incentivize carbon sequestration and forest ownership by putting a value on carbon and developing new (forest) tax laws that promote long term stewardship of forests that protect carbon sinks and productive forests for non-market and market values.

– State Policy Asks : Appoint regional representation for the Climate Council and/or advisory panels, create a climate communication advisory panel, and draft a Park renewable energy opportunity plan.

Invasive Species :

– Issue : Aquatic invasive species constitute one of the greatest threats to the future of our Adirondack economy and environment. Terrestrial invasive species are a growing threat too.

– State Legislative Ask : Strengthen and extend the Aquatic Invasive Species Transport Law and increase enforcement.

– State Funding Ask : Increase funding for aquatic invasive species research, education, spread prevention, rapid response and management through the EPF and other sources.

Road Salt :

– Issue : O ver-application of road salt is negatively impacting drinking water quality and public health.

– Legislative Ask : Create a blue-ribbon panel, including State Agencies, scientists, winter road maintenance experts and representatives of the legislature and Attorney General’s office to develop recommendations to measurably reduce road salt contamination in groundwater and surface water.

(legislation introduced November, 2019)

– State Policy Ask : Develop and implement a Park-wide salt reduction pilot program.

Transportation :

– Issue : As the region prepares for the 2023 World University Games in Lake Placid, there are significant challenges and opportunities to modernize the way people travel to and through the Park .

– State Ask : Form (and fund) an Adirondack Transportation Working Group to study use patterns and needs; study transportation at the community level; inventory existing transportation facilities, expertise; align communication and transportation needs; and generate recommendations.

Making Communities in the Adirondacks more Welcoming to new and existing Residents and Visitors :

– Issue : T he Adirondack Diversity Initiative plays a critical role in supporting the Adirondacks as a region that is more welcoming and inclusive to visitors of all backgrounds and experiences.

– State Funding Ask : Sustain funding for the Adirondack Diversity Initiative (ADI) for staffing and programming to implement collaborative trainings, outreach, education, and programs.

Empowering Local Ownership: Readying new Entrepreneurs, and Positioning Communities for Success:

– Issue : Existing state programs should be scaled to match rural needs with shorter applications, by emphasizing the quality of the jobs created (not the number), and incentivizing co-op and employee ownership.

– State Policy Ask : Tailor and size existing state programs for small rural Adirondack-North Country needs.

– State Funding Ask : Increase funding for marketing and promotion of Main Street business assistance.

Competitive Regional Strategy :

– Issue : The Adirondacks face demographic and economic challenges that could be overcome with a region-wide strategy that aligns around competitive assets and new opportunities.

– Funding Ask : Provide funding to develop a regional competitive strategy to attract more residents and improve the visitor experience.

Adirondack Analytics (What Information Exists, What Information is Needed and for Whom?) :

– Issue : While much economic, social, demographic and ecological data exists and more is on the way, access and organization is problematic to decision makers. This hinders policy and budge decision-making while leaders are trying to be more efficient and effective.

– State Policy Ask : Establish a central functional data repository relevant to a variety of social, economic, environmental topics in the Adirondack Park as a model for the state and the nation.

– State Funding Ask : Designate long-term funding for Adirondack research and distribution of results.

Thank you for your generous support of the Adirondacks. Please let us know if Adirondack Common Ground Alliance core team members might meet with you. We look forward to helping you advance common goals.

CGA contacts: Zoë Smith (518) 327-6276, Ross Whaley (518) 359-9631 or Cali Brooks (518) 523-9904

The post 2020 Blueprint for the Blue Line appeared first on Common Ground Alliance .

2019 Blueprint for the Blue Line

Wed, 07 Aug 2019 17:17:00 GMT

Adirondack Common Ground Alliance

Sustaining the Successes of New York’s Adirondack Park

2019 Blueprint for the Blue Line

The citizens of New York State can rightly be proud of the globally significant Adirondacks, a region where people live in small rural communities, where millions of people vacation and recreate, and a place comprised of millions of acres of protected forests, waterways, and vast open space. Within is a community of energized and engaged people working together to protect the Adirondack legacy of wilderness and ensure the economic and social vibrancy of its iconic downtowns. What may be truly rare about this place in today’s polarized world is how people from different political and world views are working together to advocate for a balanced future for the Park.

Through the Adirondack Common Ground Alliance, leaders from government, business, nonprofit organizations, education, health care, and grass roots citizen groups have come together across varied interests and partisan politics to create a 25 Year Vision for the Adirondack Park that includes shared strategies and a widely endorsed agenda to solve complex challenges. Our vision for the park is one where:

“Understanding the interdependence of our environment and our economy spreads throughout our communities. Our mixture of public and private lands is the defining feature of the Park; our diverse sustainable economy increases our self-reliance. We use balanced, slightly more flexible regulation to preserve our unique landscape while enhancing the health of our communities.” (ADKfutures.org)

Efforts by individuals, government and nonprofit organizations have resulted in progress moving closer to that vision. There have been additions to the New York State Forest Preserve; recreational use has expanded; installation and use of solar energy has increased; economic opportunity in the micropolitan areas surrounding the Park has seen demonstrable improvement; and a constitutiona amendment aimed at improving broad-band access and municipal utilities was approved by the citizens of New York State. This is evidence of what a shared commitment to progress, hard work and a search for “common ground” can accomplish.

Each year the Common Ground Alliance convenes a summer forum to discuss important issues and to identify solutions. At the 2018 Common Ground Forum the people of the Adirondacks advocated for government action in four areas:

People & Places: create a livable Park with more vibrant sustainable communities.

Economic and socially vibrant communities require policies that support attracting workers and young families, locally owned businesses, job availability, communication systems, high quality affordable workforce housing, and “smart growth” downtown planning policies. We identified three priorities:

Infrastructure; ensure the health and safety of residents and visitors

Workforce Development; minimize wage differential with downstate areas, and create jobs

Housing

Climate Change & Clean Energy: develop a global model for action

Climate change and subsequent policy responses are perhaps the most critical issues facing the planet today. The interdependence of ecological systems and human communities is increasingly laid bare as the impacts of climate change become more evident year by year.

Private Land Stewardship: support long term land management

Policies and incentives that support sustainable land management practices, including private stewardship, forest management, carbon sequestration, property tax reforms, and conservation design principles are ever more important as rural land areas are increasingly under pressure from human development and impact. The benefits go well beyond the borders of the Adirondack Park to the state as a whole.

State Land Stewardship, Planning and Resources: safeguard our natural resources and provide world-class visitor experiences.

As more people visit the region, it becomes increasingly critical to maintain the integrity of the Park’s iconic wild places. Managing the impact of backcountry visitation, accommodating new recreational uses, addressing high use, and implementing recommendations regarding the Adirondack Park State Land Master Plan (APSLMP) are high priorities.

This document is respectfully submitted on behalf of the diverse group of citizens and organizations of the Adirondacks. It reflects the thoughtful considerations of the 200+ people who participated in working groups at the 2018 Common Ground Alliance. We make these recommendations to the State and reinforce the value of the 6-million-acre resource for the people of the State of New York.

The post 2019 Blueprint for the Blue Line appeared first on Common Ground Alliance .

2018 Blueprint for the Blue Line

Sat, 03 Feb 2018 19:18:00 GMT

Adirondack Common Ground Alliance

2018 Blueprint for the Blue Line

Successes in the Adirondacks are being celebrated. A diverse network under the banner of the Adirondack Common Ground Alliance (CGA) are focused on celebrating these victories and addressing emerging priorities to positively affect the whole Adirondack Park, its communities, institutions, people and environment. Across a broad array of topics, the CGA brings people together around a shared vision and strategies to seek collaborative solutions to common ground issues. CGA sets the stage for constructive action and communicates with one voice on a shared agenda to solve simple and complex problems in the Adirondack Park. This common ground approach has proved to be a constructive path to success.

Recent successes include state passage of the Forest Preserve Health and Safety Land Account; expanded efforts preventing and controlling invasive species; the renewal of Champlain Valley farming; significant Regional Economic Development Council and private sector investment for recreation and tourism facilities; additions to the Forest Preserve; record setting numbers of travelers; significant public investment in improved access to state lands; and increases in the Environmental Protection Fund. A coordinated commitment and hard work can accomplish a lot.

In 2012 the ADKfutures.org project proposed a vision for the Adirondack Park over the next 25 years:

Over the next 25 years, an understanding of the interdependence of our environment and our economy spreads throughout our communities (and the State). Our mixture of public and private lands is the defining feature of the Park; our diverse sustainable economy increases our self-reliance. We use balanced, slightly more flexible (no less protective) regulation to preserve our unique landscape while enhancing the health (and economy) of our communities.

Building on input from the 11 th annual Adirondack Common Ground forum July 11, 2017, to move further toward this ambitious ADKfutures goal, and realization of the full potential of the Adirondack Park, the following opportunities for action and budget needs are offered for consideration in 2018:

Opportunities for Action (consistent with current legislative or budget authorizations):

1. Capitalizing on success , manage overuse, and use science to preserve the natural environment and leverage economic development in communities

a) Manage increased High Peaks use and encourage use of alternative destinations..

b) Update the Adirondack Park State Land Master Plan:

– Increase the use of “complex planning” to allow for broader planning integrating adjacent state units and other lands and waters.

– Revise the SLMP to provide specific principles, guidelines and criteria for complex planning while considering a “backcountry” classification for state lands allowing for recreational non-motorized biking, and wilderness management, in some locations, and expanded Wilderness protections in other locations.

c) Initiate a comprehensive recreational management and resource protection planning process for the High Peaks area.

d) Incentivize small Adirondack-scale private lodging investment to spread tourism impact.

e) Develop and sustain regional, collaborative networks that connect communities and entrepreneurs (e.g. ADK Rail-Trail, 5 towns, Great South Woods and hamlet to hut).

f) Support the convening of a park-wide, multi-stakeholder forum to organize research and monitoring priorities and funding needs.

g) Work with decision makers (e.g. AATV) to integrate science into decision-making.

2. Improving curb appeal , redevelopment and investment in core downtowns, fostering entrepreneurship and smart growth, and attracting, retaining and supporting young families:

a) Increase I Love NY Adirondack marketing and include a great place to visit, work and live.

b) Make the Park “family friendly,” celebrate diversity, and encourage urban/Park exchanges to encourage everyone to visit, live and/or retire in the Park.

c) Assist with business succession planning and match entrepreneurs with opportunities.

d) Offer expanded business planning assistance to communities and businesses.

e) Create ‘Adirondack Scholarships’ for private colleges in the Park.

f) Create a clearinghouse at the APA of workbooks (REDC) and successful plans.

3. Combat Terrestrial and Aquatic Invasive Species Threats:

a) Sponsor an invasive species citizen science Bio-Blitz to empower local action.

b) Initiate a state-wide communication and marketing campaign that educates NYS residents about the threats to invasives and mechanisms for prevention and control.

c) Explore biological controls to defend against invasive pests and implement programs in the Adirondacks (e.g. identify hemlock hedges for the eventual release of biological control agents to defend against the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid).

d) Become a leader in the northeast cooperative to limit the introduction of forest pests.

Opportunities for Legislative and/or Budget Action :

1. Preserve the Natural Environment and Communities Leverage Economic Development :

a. Appropriate capital and operational funds, and authorize diverse revenue for visitor education improved infrastructure, alternative hike options, natural resource protection, wilderness management, recreational planning and enforcement, to sustain and share success within and beyond the High Peaks Region.

b. Dedicate new funding for Adirondack data collection, open source analysis, strategic planning of research, and monitoring to help decision makers with priority issues.

2. Improving curb appeal, redevelopment and investment in core downtowns, fostering entrepreneurship and smart growth, and attracting, retaining and supporting young families :

a. Establish a state income Adirondack investment Tax Credit.

b. Fund Rural Preservation Corporations (RPCs) and provide block grants to counties.

c. Authorize loans, grants for community center housing, child care and family services.

d. Forgive student debt and/or health insurance costs for job creating entrepreneurs.

e. Expand funding eligibility and increase opportunities for seed grants and loans.

3. Combat terrestrial and Aquatic Invasive Species threats

a. Increase funding dedicated to combating terrestrial invasives in the Adirondack Park.

b. Renew and improve legislation and policies that combat invasive species. Continuing Priorities (see 2017 Blue Print) : Improving APA procedures; capitalizing on (and protecting) the Forest Preserve, and growing the economy of the Park; responding to the opioid use and suicide crisis, and; supporting women in Leadership in the Park, etc.

The post 2018 Blueprint for the Blue Line appeared first on Common Ground Alliance .

2017 Blueprint for the Blue Line

Sat, 05 Aug 2017 12:29:00 GMT

Building Blocks for Adirondack Community Success

Updated Blueprint for the Blue Line

Adirondack Common Ground Alliance (2017)

Once again this past year New York is making progress in protecting the environment of the Adirondacks while growing its economy. Expanded efforts for preventing and controlling invasive species, additions to the Forest Preserve, record setting numbers of travelers, increases in the Environmental Protection Fund, investments through the Regional Economic Development Council’s, first passage of a constitutional amendment aimed at enhancing broadband, and assisting in municipal safety and health are only a portion of the activities that have moved the state toward recognizing the potential of the Adirondack Park. This is evidence of what a coordinated commitment and hard work can accomplish.

For ten years, scores of stakeholders–including those from the local government, nonprofit environmental and business sectors have come together as the Adirondack Common Ground Alliance to find a common agenda and coordinate their efforts toward collective action to solve simple and complex problems. In the past we developed a shared vision and strategies for the whole Adirondack Park in order to communicate with one voice. Using a scenario-based planning tool to stimulate new, creative, thinking about the challenges and opportunities ahead, a new conversation started and the Common Ground Alliance proposed the following vision for the Adirondack Park over the next 25 years. The entire report can be found at ADKfutures.org

“Over the next 25 years, an understanding of the interdependence of our environment and our economy spreads throughout our communities. Our mixture of public and private lands is the defining feature of the Park; our diverse sustainable economy increases our self reliance. We use balanced, slightly more flexible regulation to preserve our unique landscape while enhancing the health of our communities.”

In moving toward this ambitious goal the Common Ground Alliance submits the following 2017 agenda.

Policy, Practice and Budget Recommendations

Improving the APA procedures (Slightly more flexible regulation, and streamlining, are understood to require reforms that both enhance protection and restoration of environmental resources and improve predictability and sensitivity to business needs.)

1. Update Agency guidelines and procedures by supporting legislation to address Agency response time for initial applications to expedite a more complete evaluation of applications and reduce the number of subsequent revisions; and refine requirements for determining lot size and counting as proposed by the APA in 2013.

2. Fund and hire APA circuit riders to make the agency more proactive and its services more accessible to applicants in distant locations in the Park.

3. Amend the APA Act in order to permit the Agency to deny permits without requiring an adjudicatory hearing. The amendment should allow the applicant the right to have an adjudicatory hearing on an appeal of the denial of a permit.

– Develop policies or regulations that encourage and facilitate energy conservation and renewable sources of energy.

– Look closer at Adirondack Park Agency (APA) policies for private land use development and stewardship and amend them to include current, science-based reforms including, for example, transfer of development rights (TDRs), clustering and smart-growth incentives.

Capitalizing on the Forest Preserve

1. Fund an increase in full-time and seasonal DEC staff dedicated to education about and stewardship of and enforcement on the Forest Preserve to address increasing user impacts.

2. Expand partnership with the NYS DEC and others to support the creation and continuation of volunteer “Friends Groups” for assistance in promoting and maintaining aspects of the Forest Preserve, similar to what the Office of Park, Recreation and Historic Preservation and Parks and Trails NY do to support its “Friends” programs.

3. Embrace comprehensive landscape scale complex planning, such as the Great (Adirondack) South Woods study, and explore revisions in the State Master Plan that improve recreational management and resource protection, and develop programs encourage redistribution of visitor use patterns in the Park and apply this approach to the High Peaks region. Embrace comprehensive landscape scale planning and start it for the High Peaks.

Growing the economy of the Park

1. Improve “curb-side appeal” in hamlets through expansion of Main Street and Downtown Revitalization programs and initiatives to improve other non-downtown businesses and business districts.

2. Strengthen local businesses and community efforts by sharing success stories among park communities to model new and innovative ideas.

3. Adopt special state incentives for investments in the size and kind of business activities that are appropriately scaled to businesses in the Adirondack Park, for example develop programs based on the DEC Smart Growth grant for DOS and ESD. Evaluate the 80/20 funding requirement for state grants within the blue line.

– Support partners to establish a diversity plan that outlines strategies for ensuring all demographics feel welcome in the Adirondacks.

– Pass for a second time the constitutional amendment that addresses environmental and community concerns regarding road and utility infrastructure in the Adirondacks and pass the associated enabling legislation so that the constitutional amendment can go to the citizenry for a vote.

Responding to the opioid use and suicide crisis

The legislature and executive branch have made serious strides in dealing with the growing problem of heroin and opiate abuse since the bipartisan Senate report of 2014. Unfortunately the problem still grows. We encourage consideration of bipartisan recommendations including attention to opiate use for young children.

1. Support implementation of Chapter 69, 70 and 71 of 2016 Laws which address Prevention, Treatment, Expanded Insurance Coverage for Addiction Treatment, and Funding to Combat Heroin and Opioid Abuse.

2. Working with Legislative representatives, support equitable funding for mental health services throughout ALL towns in the Adirondack Park. Such f unding could support mental hygiene clinics and add per diems staff into local clinics and schools to improve access to mental hygiene services by all Adirondack residents.

3. Assist in de-stigmatizing mental hygiene issues by consistently naming the suicide and opioid addiction crisis until measureable progress has been made parkwide.

Women in Leadership in the Park

1. Explore campaign finance reform that reduces the cost of running for elected positions.

2. Develop an intern program for women to monitor and learn from local government operations

The post 2017 Blueprint for the Blue Line appeared first on Common Ground Alliance .

2015 Blueprint for the Blue Line

Fri, 07 Aug 2015 17:17:00 GMT

A New New York, a New Adirondacks

Updated Blueprint for the Blue Line

Common Ground Alliance (2015)

“The Adirondacks have world-class outdoor recreation opportunities but not world-class infrastructure and amenities.”

New York is on track to be a progressive beacon of hope for the country once again thanks to governmental leadership restoring the state’s financial health. Adirondack groups are also optimistic about the way we work together to realize a better future. This positive change, which benefits all of New York, has been the centerpiece of the Common Ground Alliance.

For seven years, the Common Ground Alliance has brought stakeholders together to foster open communication, seek collaborative solutions, and set the stage for constructive action. We are working toward collective impact: the commitment of Adirondackers — including those in government, nonprofit, and the business sector — to coordinate their efforts and find a common agenda for solving complex problems. Together we develop a shared vision and strategies for the whole Adirondack Park in order to communicate with one voice. Using a scenario-based planning tool to stimulate new, creative thinking about the challenges and opportunities ahead, a new conversation started and the Common Ground Alliance proposed the following vision for the Adirondack Park over the next 25 years. The entire report can be found at ADKfutures.org

Progress toward this vision has been occurring across the region by multiple partners. Recent successes help drive our momentum forward:

Yet great challenges remain and the vision for the Adirondack Park is far from being realized. Demographic and economic trends challenge upstate New York. Thwarting invasive species, upgrading community infrastructure, and support for small businesses need sustained funding. Our aging population and struggling small schools continue to be obstacles in our region. The Common Ground Alliance polled its members and other interested individuals and presents the following 2014 proposed Adirondack Budget and Legislative Priorities.

2015 Adirondack Budget and Legislative Priorities

In 2014, the Common Ground Alliance produced a legislative poll for participants to rank priorities for attention from our elected leaders. With input at the Common Ground Forum, the priorities include (with examples for illustrative purposes):

1) Infrastructure Capital Funding (including NY Works, EPF, EFC, and any Infrastructure Bank) Infrastructure for clean water, tourism, roads and bridges is in disrepair or lacking. Small rural Adirondack communities need assistance from the state to form public-private partnerships to close the gap.

a) Matching funds, loans, and grants for clean water, waste water, storm water, including waste water treatment systems for our small, rural communities, including many that only have septic systems.

b) Capital fund grants for preventing and combating invasive species, including a system of staffed boat was disinfection stations like those found in Lake George for the entire Park rather than for individual lakes.

c) Buried, broadband communications lines and well-screened functioning cell service to help reach our goal of high-speed communications in every town.

d) State-land infrastructure, trails, bridges, signage, and ecological restoration to increase access to and protect our millions of acres of publicly owned lands. These funds would implement state DEC Unit Management Plans.

e) Farmland protection funding distribution, including family farms in the Champlain Valley.

f) Regional Economic Development Council (REDC) project grants, including tourism infrastructure, smart biomass, plus energy sustainability, smart grid, and other projects for economically struggling communities.

2) Operational Funding
Significant budget reductions during the great recession left state agencies (DEC and APA) lacking needed resources to leverage other private and local government resources to maintain and attract visitors to Park amenities.

a) Continue and expand ‘ I Love NY ’ upstate tourism promotion funding and support for expanded private visitor service employee training, branding, and inclusiveness. Continued Adirondack Challenge events.

b) Increase Forest Preserve stewardship resources and education focused on large, landscape and/or watershed systems, combining individual Units and management areas into larger integrated blocks for planning purposes.

c) Restore Adirondack Park Agency (APA) staffing for outreach and support for private entrepreneurs, compliance assistance, and local community priorities.

d) Restore Department of Environmental Conservation stewardship and forest ranger staffing to handle the increased number of visitors and provide new jobs in the area.

e) Provide access to state incentive investment for multi-community public/private collaboration already established. Place an emphasis on “buy local (Adirondack) farm products” and increased access to grants to scale up local food production and support young farmers.

3) Policy Innovations
Updated state policies, from invasive species to energy, are as important to the Adirondacks as funding.

a) Pass of community net metering legislation to support the State Green and Renewable Energy agenda.

b) Look closer at Adirondack Park Agency (APA) policies to include current, science-based reforms including transfer of development rights (TDRs), clustering and smart-growth incentives for landowners and communities.

c) Consider a State Land Master Plan (SLMP) update and adoption of comprehensive landscape scale planning.

d) Draft an amendment and enabling legislation that address environmental and community concerns regarding road and utility infrastructure in the Adirondacks.

State and Federal leadership is needed for development of consensus and resolution on the unique challenge of health care, transportation, and education present in sparsely populated rural areas such as the Adirondacks.

Thanks to State and Federal support, revitalization is underway in the Adirondacks — creating new business investments, new jobs, and new protection for clean water, the environment, and public health. New alliances are breaking down old conflicts; common ground is being found on multiple fronts, and the Adirondacks is poised to benefit.

We encourage our leaders to join us and grow this momentum to ensure that our vision is achieved for a healthy, strong, accessible Adirondack Park. Thank you to all who care about the future of New York and the Adirondacks.

The post 2015 Blueprint for the Blue Line appeared first on Common Ground Alliance .

2015 Blueprint for the Blue Line

Tue, 03 Feb 2015 19:40:00 GMT

A New New York, a New Adirondacks Updated

2015 Blueprint for the Blue Line

“The Adirondacks have world-class outdoor recreation opportunities but not world-class infrastructure and amenities.”

Progress toward this vision has been occurring across the region by multiple partners. Recent successes help drive our momentum forward:

– North Country Regional Economic Development Council, which includes the Adirondacks, wins multiple state competitions for support. Over $2T4 million in projects awarded funding.

– New public access and opportunities for diverse multi-season recreation on new state lands, coupled with resource protection, and new public recreation on private lands.

– Expanding broadband and cell coverage, with $14.SM in State funds for 9 broadband projects.

– New investment opportunity for Remsen-Placid rail corridor to generate community and Park benefits. The NYS Legislature approved three bills to combat invasive species.

– The NYS legislature approved legislation to advance efforts by the state to update rebuilding policies to enhance local community resiliency to climate change and storm impacts.

– State Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) restorations for two years total $22 million.

Yet great challenges remain and the vision for the Adirondack Park is far from being realized. Demographic and economic trends challenge upstate New York. Thwarting invasive species, upgrading community infrastructure, and support for small businesses need sustained funding. State leadership is needed for development of consensus and sustainable resolutions on the unique challenges of health care, transportation, and rural education in sparsely populated rural areas such as the Adirondacks.

2015 Adirondack Budget and Legislative Priorities

In 2014, the Common Ground Alliance produced a legislative poll for participants to rank priorities for attention from our state leaders. With input at the Common Ground Forum, the priorities include (with examples for illustrative purposes):

1) Infrastructure Capital Funding
(including NY Works, EPF, EFC, and any Infrastructure Bank) Infrastructure for clean water, tourism, roads and bridges is in disrepair or lacking. Small rural Adirondack communities need assistance from the state to form public-private partnerships to close the gap.

a) Matching funds, loans, and grants for clean water, waste water, storm water, including waste water treatment systems for our small, rural communities, including many that only have septic systems

b) Capital fund grants for preventing and combating invasive species, including a system of staffed boat wash disinfection stations like those found in Lake George for the entire Park rather than for individual lakes

c) Buried, broadband communications lines and well-screened functioning cell service to help reach our goal of high-speed communications in every town

d) State-land infrastructure, trails, bridges, signage, and ecological restoration to increase access to and protect our millions of acres of publicly owned These funds would implement state DEC Unit Management Plans.

e) Farmland protection funding distribution, including family farms in the Champlain Valley

2) Operational Funding
Significant budget reductions during the great recession left state agencies (DEC and APA) lacking needed resources to leverage other private and local government resources to maintain and attract visitors to Park amenities.

a) Continue and expand ‘/ Love NY’ upstate tourism promotion funding and support for expanded private visitor service employee training, branding, and Continued Adirondack Challenge events.

c) Restore Adirondack Park Agency (APA) staffing for outreach and support for private entrepreneurs, compliance assistance, and local community priorities

d) Restore Department of Environmental Conservation stewardship and forest ranger staffing to handle the increased number of visitors and provide new jobs in the area

e) Provide access to state incentive investment for multi-community public/private collaboration already Place an emphasis on “buy local (Adirondack) farm products” and increased access to grants to scale up local food production and support young farmers.

3) Policy Innovations
Updated state policies, from invasive species to energy, are as important to the Adirondacks as funding.

a) Pass of community net metering legislation to support the State Green and Renewable Energy

c) Consider a State Land Master Plan (SLMP) update and adoption of comprehensive landscape scale planning

d) Draft an amendment and enabling legislation that address environmental and community concerns regarding road and utility infrastructure in the Adirondacks

State leadership is needed for development of consensus and resolution on the unique challenge of health care, transportation, and education present in sparsely populated rural areas such as the Adirondacks.

Thanks to New York State support, revitalization is underway in the Adirondacks — creating new business investments, new jobs, and new protection for clean water, the environment, and public health. New alliances are breaking down old conflicts; common ground is being found on multiple fronts, and the Adirondacks is poised to benefit. We encourage our leaders to join us and grow this momentum to ensure that our vision is achieved for a healthy, strong, accessible Adirondack Park. Thank you to all who care about the future of New York and the Adirondacks. You have a diverse team ready and willing to work with you and support your efforts.

The post 2015 Blueprint for the Blue Line appeared first on Common Ground Alliance .

2008 Blueprint for the Blue Line

Sat, 23 Feb 2008 13:13:00 GMT

THE COMMON GROUND ALLIANCE

BLUEPRINT FOR THE BLUE LINE

FEBRUARY 2008

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction Page 2

Blueprint Points:

1) Aquatic and Terrestrial Invasive Species Page 4

2) Acid Rain Page 4

3) Global Climate Change Page 4

4) Main Street Revitalization Page 5

5) Water, Sewer and Storm-water Infrastructure Page 6

6) Marketing and Entrepreneurial Development Page 6

7) High-Speed Telecommunications Page 7

8) Workforce/Community Housing Page 8

9) Transportation Infrastructure Page 8

10) Energy Page 9

11) Effective Governance and Policy Framework Page 10

12) Land Use Change Page 10

13) Property Taxes Page 11

14) Primary Healthcare Crisis Page 12

Appendix Page 13

Procedures and Schedule Page 13

Founding Sponsors Page 14

Alliance Core Team Page 15

INTRODUCTION

ALLIANCE GUIDING PRINCIPLES

The Common Ground Alliance is a forum for public-private collaboration. State and local governments, nonprofit organizations, stakeholders, and residents of the Park participate as equals. We work to recognize the common good of the communities, residents, and resources of the Adirondack Park, not to further specific organizational, institutional, or individual agendas.

The six-million acre Adirondack Park is comprised of both public and private lands and contains the largest protected area in the continental United States. The park is ecologically significant in that it constitutes one of the least fragmented temperate forest landscapes remaining anywhere in the world. It also contains historic resources, charming hamlets and villages, a rich cultural history, and access to recreational resources, small businesses and various commercial enterprises.

The Park is home for more than 130,000 full-time residents and is visited annually by 8 million people. The people of New York State value the Adirondacks as a cherished resource. There are Constitutional protections of the public lands of the Forest Preserve, and the Adirondack Park Agency (APA) regulates land use planning for private lands. While local communities are the stewards of this unique Park, the Alliance believes that they must also prosper in order to continue to provide the environmental benefits that are shared by all New Yorkers. Community leaders believe there must be a solid commitment by New York’s leaders to address the complex challenges of sustaining economic development and the quality of life in the Adirondack Park.

The Adirondack Park has 103 towns and villages that differ in size, geography, character and demographics. Some Park communities are recognized internationally, while others are struggling for economic survival. Many communities lack the financial resources and technical expertise to respond to the loss of their Main Streets, the out-migration of their youth, the lack of business development and markets, and their inadequate and aging infrastructure, inclusive of water, sewer, telecommunications and roadways. Rising property values, coupled with increasingly high property taxation and a proliferation of second home development, have made it increasingly hard for local residents to live in the region resulting in a crisis in affordable housing. A lack of local land use plans and zoning in some communities can significantly contribute to their being unprepared for potential development.

The region faces a number of environmental problems including loss of critical habitat due to factors such as climate change, land use change, and invasive species. Other threats include the degradation of water and air quality due to acid rain and mercury pollution that threatens human and ecological health. A number of initiatives by the scientific community and environmental groups exist to understand and respond to these threats. Increasingly, community members and municipal leaders agree that these environmental threats can undermine the natural resources and infrastructure that contribute both to community quality of life and economic sustainability.

BLUEPRINT PROCESS

In the summer of 2006 , A Blueprint for the Blue Line was endorsed by the Common Ground Alliance, a group of leaders representing non-profit organizations, municipal governments, businesses, economic development, and environmental interests that work directly with constituents within the Adirondack Park to help define and attain a collective vision for the Park. In July, 2007, a cross-section of 148 organizational and community leaders met in Long Lake, NY to share suggested revisions to the original Blueprint. Written and verbal input has been synthesized into the Blueprint for the Blue Line .

The order of the Blueprint points was decided by an entrance “poll” at the July 2007 forum. In response to subsequent input, the original 12 points of the Blueprint have been amended to include 2 additional issues of great concern for the Adirondacks – Property Tax Reform and the Primary Healthcare Crisis.

Although each issue is presented separately, the Alliance recognizes the interdependency between many issues. Each point includes a brief problem definition or “rationale” and a list of suggested actions. Some points also include a section for remaining issues that represent ideas that have not yet been adequately explored by the Alliance, but which could be revisited at this year’s forum in July.

The Common Ground Alliance respectfully proposes action on the 14 points outlined below to maintain and sustain the economy, environment and communities of the Adirondacks.

BLUEPRINT POINTS

1. AQUATIC AND TERRESTRIAL INVASIVE SPECIES

RATIONALE: Aquatic and terrestrial invasive species, including pests and pathogens, are a significant threat to the Adirondack Park’s native species and can have a devastating impact on our native ecosystems, our forest products industries, and recreation and tourism industries. Aggressive non-native invasive plants and animals crowd out naturally occurring species and choke their habitats, such as wetlands, which are critical to supporting biodiversity, flood control and water quality.

SUGGESTED ACTIONS:

REMAINING ISSUES:

2. ACID RAIN

RATIONALE: The Adirondacks suffer from air pollution from mid-western coal-burning power plants that has resulted in acid precipitation, mercury deposition and deposition of other contaminants which threaten terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, and public health. Many of the Park’s water bodies currently have a ban on fish consumption. In a Park where outdoor activities are a focus for both local residents and visitors, this is threatening the quality of life and tourism economy.

SUGGESTED ACTIONS:

3. GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE

RATIONALE: There is widespread scientific certainty that global climate change is occurring due to increasing amounts of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. Global climate change has the potential to alter the region’s climate in a manner that could significantly influence the region’s economy, landscape, character, and quality of life. Climate change will affect the region’s seasonal tourism economy—particularly in winter—and will affect our forest ecosystems, and change the composition of native plant and animal

communities. Already under stress from acid rain, invasive species and salt runoff from treated roads, our ecosystem will suffer added risk from climate change.

Currently, New York State is a leader in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), which calls for the reduction of the state’s carbon emissions. A regional cap-and-trade program, such as suggested by RGGI, will assist all participating states in reaching such state-specific goals.

SUGGESTED ACTIONS:

REMAINING ISSUES:

4. MAIN STREET REVITALIZATION

RATIONALE: The unique historic character of the Adirondack Park’s 103 towns and villages presents outstanding opportunities to showcase their individual and special character through the revitalization of their main streets. Relatively sparse year-round populations maintain downtown business communities in hamlets which are limited in expansion potential. Achieving Main Street Revitalization requires customized technical assistance and tailored financial incentives that recognize the physical and economic environment that exists in these Adirondack communities. Maintenance of architectural history contributes to the region’s unique character and builds historic tourism, while providing 2 nd and 3 rd floor housing options which could help alleviate some of the critical community housing shortage.

SUGGESTED ACTIONS:

5. WATER, SEWER AND STORM-WATER INFRASTRUCTURE

RATIONALE: Many small communities in the Adirondack Park have inadequate, aging water and sewer infrastructure that often do not meet current NYS health standards. Existing water and sewer treatment capacity needs to expand if town and village growth is to occur; new ways to address the water and waste-water improvement and maintenance needs in outlying areas must be addressed to realize important community development gains. Given their relatively sparse year-round population size and diminished political clout, Adirondack communities are at distinct disadvantages in competing for federal and state funding.

The development of centralized wastewater treatment systems and alternative technologies to solve related problems is impeded in the Adirondacks by the area’s wide assortment of community types, and by the physical distances and barriers typically occurring between them. Lacking needed financial resources, they then are unable to capitalize on the economic benefits that generally stem from investments in infrastructure.

SUGGESTED ACTIONS:

REMAINING ISSUES:

6. MARKETING/ENTREPRENEURIAL DEVELOPMENT

RATIONALE: In the Adirondack Park, government is the largest sector of employment, followed by healthcare, retail and the hospitality/tourism sector. A wide range of small businesses, including wood products companies, giftware manufacturers, services, historic tourist attractions, and lodging establishments, benefit from the area’s abundant natural resources. But small businesses in particular experience challenges in business planning, marketing and the development of competitive, value-added products for distribution at local, national and international levels. There is a continual need for services, training and capital investment to assist businesses. In some Park locations, existing industrial sites are available for a wide range of business activities, but investment in their clean-up, development and marketing is significantly lacking.

The Forest Preserve and privately owned forests of the Park offer significant opportunities for public recreational access. Yet, tourism and hospitality businesses need assistance and financial investment to develop services for visitors and residents that take advantage of recreational assets. Blueprint for the Blue Line 7 February 2008

Transportation and product distribution throughout the Park are major impediments for all businesses, but more so for small-scale agricultural producers. There is a need for planning and investment to rebuild the region’s agricultural base as some farmers consolidate to larger operations and others strive to find niche markets for locally grown and value-added products.

SUGGESTED ACTIONS :

REMAINING ISSUES:

7. HIGH-SPEED TELECOMMUNICATIONS

RATIONALE: The Adirondack Park is in a true, rural digital divide with very limited broadband access available at affordable rates within the Blue Line. Improved wireless and wired accessibility is needed along the roadways and in the villages and hamlets. The lack of adequate cell services throughout the Adirondack Park is a threat to the millions of annual visitors and residents often making it impossible to request or coordinate emergency services. The lack of advanced telecommunications services adversely affects the ability to attract businesses to the region. Tourism facilities lack broadband and cellular connections, which adversely impacts the region’s ability to be competitive in a tourism market where travelers expect high-end amenities such as wireless services and consistent cellular coverage.

SUGGESTED ACTIONS:

REMAINING ISSUES:

8. WORKFORCE/COMMUNITY HOUSING

RATIONALE: The increasing purchases of Adirondack housing stock for second homes, coupled with high property taxes, has raised the prices of Adirondack property beyond the ability of year-round residents to afford a home. Workers from all economic sectors, including hospitality service workers, town employees, medical technicians, teachers, and other professionals, often cannot find affordable housing in the towns and counties in which their jobs are located. The result is a fraying social fabric in many local communities: young people are leaving, schools are closing, and emergency service entities are losing volunteers. Residents are severely limited in their ability to live, work and play in the same community. Affordable housing stock must be established in order to sustain Adirondack communities and “keep the lights on” year-round.

SUGGESTED ACTIONS:

REMAINING ISSUES:

9. TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE

RATIONALE: The region’s major roadways, many of which are designated as Scenic Byways by the Federal Highway Administration and NYS Department of Transportation, are often slow to receive improvements due to funding being allocated to regions of the State with higher populations and traffic volume. With the Park located within a day’s drive of nearly 100 million people, the region’s infrastructure of roads, rails and air connections has been inadequate in providing an integrated network for commerce, residential and visitor travel.

SUGGESTED ACTIONS: Blueprint for the Blue Line 9 February 2008

10. ENERGY

RATIONALE: Clean, affordable and reliable energy is a necessity to build a sustainable economy in the Adirondack Park, to continue to promote energy independence from foreign sources, and to mitigate the widespread environmental damage we incur from burning fossil fuels.

The current energy picture is grim and includes: high prices for oil and propane fuels, high costs for non-municipal electricity, a decreasing electric power allocation from the New York Power Authority (NYPA) for municipal utilities, increasing peak power and energy needs for business and homes, the very low probability that electric transmission line capacity will be increased throughout the Park, the lack of natural gas infrastructure, and the use of diesel generators for peak power and reliability.

SUGGESTED ACTIONS:

REMAINING ISSUES:

11. EFFECTIVE GOVERNANCE AND A POLICY FRAMEWORK

RATIONALE: The Adirondack Park Agency (APA) Act and Land Use Plan, which regulate land uses and development densities, have not been substantially amended since they were adopted in the early 1970’s. Approved local land use plans, one of the mandates of the original APA Act, have been adopted in only 19 of the Park’s 103 towns and villages, in part due to a lack of resources for local planning.

In addition, a myriad of governmental agencies have Adirondack Park oversight responsibilities directed from various levels, often attempting to regulate the same or similar functions. The Department of Environmental Conservation splits the Park into two administrative regions which often demonstrate different management philosophies and practices. Likewise, the Departments of Health, Education, Transportation, Economic Development, and others, all have differing jurisdictional regions that overlap the Park, resulting in bureaucratic inefficiencies and a lack of clear guidelines and information for business, residential and community development. The delivery of social services, local planning, and management of the Park’s natural resources is fragmented and ineffective in many aspects.

SUGGESTED ACTIONS:

12. LAND USE CHANGE

RATIONALE: A major debate continues about additional land acquisition for the Forest Preserve, conservation easements on private lands that eliminate future development rights, and concerns for the economic survival of local communities. Today, 56%of the Adirondack Park’s lands are protected, between conservation easements on 767,000 acres of large private land-holdings (13%), and 2.6 million acres of publicly owned Forest Preserve lands (43%). The Nature Conservancy’s recent acquisition of 161,000 acres of Finch Pruyn forest lands increases the concerns of local communities that are “land-locked” by State lands; in extreme cases, State lands comprise more than 90% of a town’s lands, hindering future expansion.

Even though the State pays property taxes on Forest Preserve lands, many communities are asking, “How much protected land is enough?” Conversely, several second home subdivisions and other developments are Blueprint for the Blue Line 11 February 2008

proposed for resource management land use areas that were originally zoned to protect working forests and farms, raising environmental concerns.

SUGGESTED ACTIONS:

13. PROPERTY TAXES

RATIONALE : As currently structured, property taxes are used to finance too many programs of our ever-growing government and are contributing to the destabilization of Adirondack communities. Attempts by the Legislature and Executive Branch to lower taxes have usually focused on income taxes. While there have been significant reductions in income tax rates, government spending at the federal, state and local levels have continued to grow. This shift has resulted in huge federal deficits and has moved the tax burden for mandated programs to state and local governments.

Adirondack communities and other rural areas of upstate New York can no longer afford to fund schools with property taxes. School taxes now exceed local government taxes in many places in the Adirondacks, (e.g., the Saranac Lake Central School District).

Property tax assessment rules have a negative impact when they result in annual taxes going up in “lock-step” with rapidly rising property values, especially when an adjacent property sells for a much higher price than paid for the property. Low and middle-income people are finding it necessary to move out to avoid prohibitively high tax increases. Some states have instituted “welcome stranger” laws, where assessments are NOT raised on nearby properties when a newcomer pays above-market prices for a home or land.

SUGGESTED ACTIONS:

REMAINING ISSUES:

14. PRIMARY HEALTHCARE CRISIS

RATIONALE: Like other areas in the country, the primary health care system in the Adirondacks is facing significant challenges. Should the system collapse, there is no other option for health care and the out-migration of year-round residents will escalate. The growing crisis reflects two interconnected issues: the underpayment by commercial insurance companies for the services provided to patients in rural areas, and the inability to attract and retain primary care physicians.

SUGGESTED ACTIONS:

APPENDIX

COMMON GROUND PROCEDURES AND SCHEDULE

1. The Core Team will assemble an annual draft Blueprin t of timely issues.

2. The draft will be distributed throughout the Adirondacks. This process will continue to be an open one in which anyone is welcome to comment. Written comments will be compiled.

3. Verbal input will be received at an annual meeting each July in an outdoor location. (An additional winter meeting may be added).

4. Final input will be compiled and redistributed for endorsement by the Alliance. Any items not endorsed by a cross-section of diverse Adirondack interests will be tabled for future consideration.

5. The final Blueprin t will be submitted to State and federal officials for consideration in policy initiatives.

6. All participants will be reminded to leave “Axes, Egos, Agendas, and Logos” at the door. We will empathize with others, strive to get to the heart of matters, think with fresh perspectives, and work toward the common good.

7. Representatives of participating organizations will not use our relationship with the Common Ground Alliance to advance individual/organizational agendas.

FOUNDING SPONSORS

This revision of the Blueprint of the Blue Line is being sent to all participants in the 2007 Common Ground Alliance Forum held in Long Lake, NY and to other leaders and organizations within the Adirondacks whose voices help shape the future of Adirondack Park communities. We hope that you and your organization will be able to endorse the Common Ground principles of this Blueprint by signing on as those below did for the original document.

Signatories to the original 2006 Blueprint for the Blue Line

Adirondack-Champlain Community Broadband Network, Andy Abdallah, Chair of the +Advisory Board; Howard Lowe, Executive Director

Adirondack Economic Development Corporation, Dan Woodman, Executive Director

Adirondack Council, Brian Houseal, Executive Director

Adirondack Daily Enterprise, Catherine Moore, Publisher

Adirondack North Country Association, Terry Martino, Executive Director

Adirondack Sustainable Communities Inc., Ray Curran, Board Chairperson

Audubon NY, David Miller, Executive Director

CAP-21, Lani Ulrich, Executive Director

Central Adirondack Association, Chip Kiefer, Executive Director

Citizens Campaign for the Environment, Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director

Clifton-Fine Economic Development Corporation, Christopher Westbrook, President

Historic Saranac Lake, Mary B. Hotaling, Executive Director

Holmes and Associates, Timothy Holmes, Research Director

Leading Edge, Jack Drury, Principal

New York Rivers United, Bruce Carpenter, Executive Director

Plattsburgh-North Country Chamber of Commerce, Garry Douglas, Executive Director

Saranac Lake Area Chamber of Commerce, Sylvie Nelson, Executive Director

Saranac Lake Red Carpet Team, Keith Wells, Chair

Sound Adirondack Growth Alliance, Susan Cooper, Chair

Town of Forestport Town Board, Joan Ingersol, Supervisor

Town of Inlet, J.R. Risley, Supervisor

Town of Ohio, George Edwards, Supervisor

Town of Salisbury, John Mowers, Supervisor

Town of Webb, Robert Moore, Supervisor

Town of Wilmington, Jeanne Ashworth, Supervisor

Tupper Lake Chamber of Commerce, Jon Kopp, Executive Director

Village of Tupper Lake, Michael R. Desmarais, Mayor

Wildlife Conservation Society’s Adirondack Program, Zoë Smith, Program Coordinator

Wildwood Arts & Antiques, Jon Kopp, Owner, Tupper Lake Blueprint for the Blue Line 15 February 2008

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