Preserving the Wild Character of the Adirondack and Catskill Parks
In recent years, visitation to public lands has been on an upward trend nationwide. This increased use presents an opportunity for public agencies to engage a greater share of the public to build an appreciation for nature and to cultivate a sense of stewardship for public lands. However, this trend has also created unprecedented visitor use management challenges in some locations. During peak periods, popular areas within the Forest Preserve experience compounding negative effects of intensive visitation, including parking shortages; unsafe conditions along busy state highways and local roads; crowded trails, summits and other points of interest; and physical degradation of trails and other facilities.
Visitor Use Management (VUM) is the proactive and adaptive process for managing visitor use on public lands. First developed by a partnership of federal land management agencies, the VUM process is outlined in the Interagency Visitor Use Management Framework and is currently being utilized by DEC to better understand how many people visit the Forest Preserve, where they go, what activities they participate in, and what unintended impacts those activities may be causing to natural resources and visitor experiences.
The VUM process allows DEC to work with stakeholders and the public to identify desired conditions for visitor experiences, natural resource protection, facilities development and recreational opportunities in a given area. The process typically includes an action plan, monitoring protocols, and adaptive management strategies to achieve and maintain desired conditions for current and future generations.
By proactively engaging in VUM in sensitive and/or highly visited locations, DEC can provide a positive visitor experience and foster a deeper appreciation for the Forest Preserve while at the same time protecting this important natural resource, as mandated by Article XIV of the New York State Constitution, the Adirondack Park State Land Master Plan, and the Catskill Park State Land Master Plan (PDF).
