The Common Ground Alliance grew from a small core group of local elected officials, economic development non-profits and environmental non-profits who asked the question: “What solutions can we offer for the Park that will benefit the communities, their economies and the environment?”
Although the Adirondack Park has few year-round residents, more than 10 million visitors per year make the Park one of the state’s most important tourism destinations.
It also protects a huge portion of the state’s fresh water, with 2,800 lakes and ponds, more than a thousand miles of navigable rivers and 30,000 miles of brooks and streams.
About half of the Park is made up of “forever wild” Forest Preserve, which is protected from logging and development by the NYS Constitution.
Those protections ensure the long term health of the Park’s forests and waters, but can be an impediment to traditional development and commercial activity on the adjoining private lands.
The Alliance groups are coming together to find ways to nurture the environment and economy at the same time.
The Adirondack Common Ground Alliance core group is made up of:
• Lani Ulrich, founding Director, CAP-21 and local resident commissioner on the Adirondack Park Agency Board;
• Brian Towers, President of the Adirondack Association of Towns and Villages;
• Bill Farber, Chairman, Hamilton Country Board of Supervisors;
• JR Risley, Adirondack Economic Development Corporation;
• Kate Fish, Executive Director and of the Adirondack North Country Association;
• Zoë Smith, Adirondack Program Director, Wildlife Conservation Society;
• Ray Curran, Sustainable Communities;
• Ross Whaley, senior advisor to the Adirondack Landowners Association;
• Greg Hill, Independent Adirondack Consultant; and,
• Brian Houseal, Executive Director, The Adirondack Council.
