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The
Adirondack Council is a not-for-profit, environmental
organization that has been working since 1975 to ensure the ecological
integrity and wild character of the
Adirondack
Park.
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For more information:
John F. Sheehan
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Released, Wednesday, May 7, 2008
TWO-HOUR PUBLIC TELEVISION
DOCUMENTARY TO BRING
BEAUTY, GRANDEUR OF ADIRONDACK PARK TO NATIONAL AUDIENCE
'THE ADIRONDACKS'
is First Film to Capture Park's Vast, Natural Scenery in
High-Definition Video Format
For help finding your
local listing of the film, click here
ALBANY, N.Y. - The Adirondack
Council, WNED Public Television and the I Love New York campaign
today showed portions of a soon-to-be-released, two-hour documentary
on New York's masterpiece of wilderness preservation, the Adirondack
Park.
At the press conference, the
movie was lauded by NYS Environmental Conservation Commissioner
Pete Grannis, a week in advance of the movie's national premiere
on Public Broadcasting System stations (Wednesday, May 14 at
9 p.m.). Also speaking at the conference were NYS Sen. Elizabeth
Little and representatives from the three sponsoring organizations.
THE ADIRONDACKS is the first movie to capture in high-definition
video the soul-stirring beauty of the 9,300-square-mile, 116-year-old
park. The Adirondack Park is located in the mountainous region
between Lake Champlain and Lake Ontario. It is the largest American
park outside of Alaska and covers 20 percent of New York State.
"This film captures not
only the natural wonder and beauty of the Adirondack Park but
also its one-of-a-kind status as a wilderness with residents,"
said NYS Environmental Conservation Commissioner Pete Grannis.
"The Park has 3,000 ponds and lakes, 1,500 miles of rivers,
2,000 miles of hiking trails, nearly 100 campgrounds and an enormous
range of recreation from canoeing to skiing to my personal favorite-flyfishing.
And in contrast to America's national parks, the Adirondack Park
is home to 130,000 full-time residents and hundreds of businesses
whose future depends on continued protection of the natural resources
and a sustainable economy. This underscores the Park's standing
as a unique American treasure."
"WNED in Buffalo and director
Tom Simon did a masterful job of capturing the Adirondack Park's
stunning beauty in high-definition video," said Brian
Houseal, Executive Director of Adirondack Council, the environmental
organization that helped underwrite the movie. "This movie
shows that New York is better at protecting wilderness, without
excluding people, than anyone else in the world. Alaska's wilderness
areas might be larger, but there aren't 70 million people within
half a day's drive of any of them. The Adirondack Council's mission
is to encourage state officials to carry on this proud tradition
of wilderness preservation in an otherwise crowded corner of
the world. The movie boldly illustrates the success we have enjoyed,
as well as the need to carry on our work."
THE ADIRONDACKS represents the latest effort in WNED's
ongoing commitment to highlight the treasures of New York State
and the Niagara Region," said WNED President and CEO
Donald K. Boswell. "We're proud and excited to share
the extraordinary sights and stories of the Adirondacks with
the national PBS audience."
"I Love NY proudly supports
this phenomenal documentary that highlights the unique attractions
within New York State," said Daniel C. Gundersen, Upstate
Chairman of Empire State Development, which manages the I
Love NY tourism campaign. "I Love NY has a long history
of promoting the Adirondacks, dating back to 1977 when its first
television advertisement featured a grand panoramic view of the
breathtaking mountains. This documentary highlights our Park
and it is my hope that viewers will appreciate this extraordinary
place as they make their summer vacation plans."
Funding for THE ADIRONDACKS
was provided by The Kevin T. and Betty Ann Keane Foundation;
NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation; The
Adirondack Council; I LOVE NY; Ted and Lisa Pierce; The Lyme
Timber Company; PBS.
THE ADIRONDACKS was produced, directed and written by
Tom Simon (Working Dog Productions, Dobbs Ferry, NY). The director
of photography was Peter Nelson. The editor was Sak Constanzo.
The narrator is Russ Harris. The executive producer was John
Grant. The musical score was composed and performed by Michael
Bacon (Bacon Brothers Band).
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