Adirondack Park Agency
The Adirondack Park Agency (APA) is an agency of the New York State government . It was founded in 1971 by Governor Nelson Rockefeller with the aim of enabling long-term planning for the future of Adirondack Park . She oversees construction projects by private landowners and other activities in the Adirondack Park area. The agency is based in Ray Brook .
history
Since its inception in 1892, Adirondack Park has been a bone of contention between wildlife conservationists and advocates since it spans six million acres (24,000 km², which is larger than Yellowstone , Yosemite , Grand Canyon , Great Smoky and Everglades National Parks combined) the building rights of private owners. The Adirondack Park Agency was created to resolve many protracted disputes, but was also highly controversial from the start.
The Adirondack Park is unique in its form because more than half of the area is privately owned. When the APA was founded, there was a risk that the areas would be heavily developed in private hands. At that time the land belonged to only a few hundred owners. The completion of the Adirondack Northway in 1967 resulted in a dramatic increase in the demand for vacation homes. The agency's first challenge was therefore to create a master plan and, based on this, a zoning map and a land use plan . The zoning map divides the park into different sections and classifies the land for a specific use. The classifications are divided into Private Land Classifications and State Land Classifications. The classifications led to great controversy, especially in the private sector, because they dictate to the owners what they are allowed to do on their own land. The classifications for private land use differentiate hamlet (settlement), low-intensity use (weak use), moderate intensity use (medium use), rural use (rural use), resource management use (resource management) and industrial use (commercial use). The residents of the park often assume that a large part of the areas has been classified incorrectly. In fact, the original classification (6 million acres) came about in just eight months. A land classification can be adjusted by the APA, but this is a long administrative act.
When it was introduced, the Land Use Plan triggered a storm of indignation. The idea that foreigners from Albany and New York City would dictate to residents what they were allowed to do on their land angered the traditionally independent Adirondackers. There were threats that APA's houses would be set on fire and truckloads of manure were dumped on Agency property. A man was even caught red-handed trying to set the Agency headquarters on fire and an entire commune voted to step out of the park. A notable supporter during this period was Clarence Petty .
It wasn't until 1972 when the Horizon Corporation of Tucson , Arizona bought 24,000 acres of the park area that the agency's benefits became apparent. There were plans to build 10,000 new properties, along with golf courses and ski facilities. And it was announced that there were further plans for 4,000 properties in an area of 18,000 acres (73 km²).
The work of the APA continues to be judged controversially, many projects cause court cases from various sides. The latest controversies have arisen over cell phone masts along the Northway and near Lake George , as well as access rights for all-terrain vehicles and snowmobiles and "floating camps" and houseboats. There are several organizations that oversee the Agency, including the Adirondack Council , Association for the Protection of the Adirondacks , Residents' Committee to Protect the Adirondacks, and Adirondack Land Trust .
See also
literature
- Christopher Angus: The Extraordinary Adirondack Journey of Clarence Petty , Syracuse: Syracuse University Press 2002. ISBN 0-8156-0741-5
- Barbara McMartin: Perspectives on the Adirondacks , Syracuse: Syracuse University Press 2002. ISBN 0-8156-0742-3
- Charles I. Zinser: Economic Impact of the Adirondack Private Land Use and Development Plan , State University of New York Press 1980. ISBN 978-0-87395-399-3
- Maps & Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Adirondack Park Agency Maps and GIS. NYS Adirondack Park Agency, 2003. Web. Feb. 21, 2014. < http://apa.ny.gov/gis/ >.