The Great Experiment in Conservation

by Porter, William F.

• ISBN13: 9780815632313
• ISBN10: 0815632312
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2009-06-01
• Publisher: Syracuse Univ Pr

Summary

The Adirondack region of New York State is, in many respects, America¿s cauldron of conservation. It was there, more than a century ago, that wanton exploitation of forests first aroused concern about human impact on the environment. It was there that Americans first began to set aside lands proclaimed as "forever wild." The establishment of the Adirondack Park created an immense landscape of 6 million acres composed of a mixture of public and private lands in nearly equal proportion. This unprecedented blend of human communities within wild lands makes the Adirondack Park perhaps one of the greatest case studies in conservation and development in U.S. history. Representing a remarkable achievement in environmental scholarship and drawn from decades of research, The Great Experiment in Conservation captures the wisdom born of the last thirty years of the park¿s evolution. The editors bring together leading scholars, activists, and practitioners--those who know the Park¿s origin and the realities of living in a protected area--to narrate this history. Organized into three sections, contributors explore the ecological, cultural, and economic aspects of the region, drawing lessons from successes and failures as they struggle to find the right balance of private interests and public controls. With keen insight and deep passion, the authors reveal the Adirondack Park¿s rich natural and cultural history in shaping conservation policy, providing vital contributions to the future study of land preservation.

Table of Contents

List of Figures	p. xi
List of Tables	p. xiii
Foreword: Connecting Means and Ends in the Study of Place	p. xv
Acknowledgments	p. xvii
Contributors	p. xix
Introduction: The Cornerstones of Conservation	p. xxvii
Foundations of the Adirondack Ecosystem and Economy
Introduction: A Dark Spot in a Sea of Lights	p. 3
Geology of the Adirondack Mountains Like an Egg with Its Major Axis to the North	p. 19
Water Resources: The Unique Adirondack Aquascape	p. 33
Soils of the Adirondacks: Out of Site, Out of Mind	p. 45
Upland Forests of the Adirondacks Reflections of Soils and a Record of Disturbance	p. 60
Fish and Wildlife Communities of the Adirondacks	p. 71
Wildlife Exploitation in the Adirondacks From Beavers to Biodiversity	p. 87
Mining the Adirondacks	p. 96
Forestry in the Adirondacks An Economy Built on a Handful of Species	p. 102
Human Impacts from Afar Acid Rain and Mercury Deposition in the Adirondacks	p. 114
Recreation and Tourism in the Adirondacks	p. 128
Great Camps and Conservation	p. 145
Development Rates and Patterns in the Adirondacks Paradise Lost	p. 157
Wildlife for a Wilderness Restoring Large Predators in the Adirondacks	p. 169
Institutions and Management of the Adirondacks
Introduction: The Park in Perspective	p. 193
Cultural History of the Adirondack Park From Conservation to Environmentalism	p. 206
Legal Structure and Defense of the Adirondack Park	p. 218
Public and Private Land-Use Regulation of the Adirondack Park	p. 227
The Early Years of the Adirondack Park Agency	p. 243
The Evolution of the Department of Environmental Conservation	p. 253
A Land Not Saved	p. 265
Top-Down Regulation and Local Economic Autonomy	p. 282
Lessons from the Commission on the Adirondacks in the Twenty-First Century	p. 288
A Perspective from the Forest-Products Industry	p. 298
Reflections on the Adirondack Park Agency in the Current Era	p. 321
Many Voices, Many Opinions
Introduction: Visions for the Adirondacks and Beyond	p. 345
Compromise, Continuity, and Crisis in the Adirondack Park Shortcomings and Opportunities in Environmental Protection	p. 354
Renewing Adirondack Park Mission Through an Educational Forest Preserve Shortcomings and Opportunities in Wilderness Preservation	p. 370
The Role of the People in Wilderness Preservation Shortcomings and Opportunities in Governance	p. 382
Public Opinion and Public Representation Strategies in Bio-Regional Development	p. 393
The Adirondack Association of Towns and Villages Strategies in Local Governance	p. 404
The Adirondack North Country Association Strategies in Economic Development Terry	p. 414
The Adirondack Environmental Nongovernmental Organizations Strategies in Conservation	p. 431
Envisioning the Future of Wilderness Public Demands and Private Lands	p. 451
Toward a New Wilderness Paradigm for Adirondack Park The View from Bear Mountain	p. 463
Can Such a Noble Endeavor Succeed? Alaska and the Adirondack Park	p. 485
The Adirondack Park in Global Perspective	p. 502
Conclusion: The Adirondack Experiment in a Full World	p. 517
Afterword: Living Within Limits	p. 536
Adirondack Chronology	p. 543
Notes	p. 553
Bibliography	p. 575
Index	p. 589
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