Governor Andrew Cuomo was in the Adirondacks this weekend to show off the state’s recent acquisition. The governor hopes the lands will be a boon to the local tourist economy, but some local officials say the losses from the hunting and forestry industry outweigh any potential tourism benefits.
The head of the Adirondack Park Local Government Review Board was not impressed with the Governor’s trek to the central Adirondacks on Sunday and comments that tourism potential in the newly acquired 69-thousand acre parcel will benefit local communities. Executive Director Fred Monroe says there’s a better way for the state to acquire Adirondack land that would have kept jobs in the forest products industry, kept recreational leases intact, and cost taxpayers less.
Adirondack Council John Sheehan says the concerns expressed by Monroe are completely unfounded.
Hamilton County Board of Supervisors Chair Bill Farber agrees that the forest products industry is the primary concern, but he is optimistic that the Governor’s tourism plan will help affected communities.
The 69-thousand acres of former Finch-Pruyn forest land was purchased from the Nature Conservancy to be included in the Adirondack Forest Preserve.