The Adirondack Park State Land Master Plan
What is the State Land Master Plan?
The Adirondack Park State Land Master Plan (SLMP), which has guided the management of the Adirondack Forest Preserve (constitutionally protected state lands) for 50 years, states that “the protection and preservation of the natural resources of the state lands within the Park must be paramount.”
The Adirondack Park Agency, responsible for land-use planning and regulation within the Adirondack Park, is required to update the plan periodically. Such updates impact the way the Department of Environmental Conservation manages state lands to protect the Park. Some changes can be minor, while others might have long-term impacts on the overall health of the Adirondack Forest Preserve.
What is included in the SLMP?
The plan emphasizes that the protection of natural resources is paramount, and therefore, human use should not degrade the biological, physical, and social characteristics of land and water resources. With this guiding mandate, the plan calls for agencies to carefully consider the types of recreation and related infrastructure that are in balance with the carrying capacity of different types of land use classifications. For example, past amendments have addressed motorized use on Wild Forest and Primitive Area classifications and added a definition for electric bicycles. Taken together with additional layers of required management planning, such as Unit Management Plans, the seemingly small changes to the SLMP can have a significant impact on how state lands are managed on the ground.
Resources:
Adirondack Park Agency - About the SLMP
Adirondack Park Agency PDF of SLMP
Adirondack Park Agency Map of SLMP
The State Land Master Plan - what it is, what it does, and why we're lucky to have it
Adirondack Council Forest Preserve and Private Land
Adirondack Council Leadership and Government
Adirondack Council Overuse in the Adirondack Park
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