About Mike Lynch

Mike Lynch is a multimedia reporter for the Adirondack Explorer. He can be reached at mike@adirondackexplorer.org. Sign up for Mike’s newsletter

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Comments

  1. Josh says

    How many members of the public were there? What about the majority of the hiking public that lives all over the state and in Canada? How can data collection be representative if only done for a few months in one year? If data collection ends in August it misses the great hiking months of September and October that see a lot of traffic. The process is way too short and does not seem to be designed to truly gather public input.

    • Todd Eastman says

      Send in your comments like most people who contribute to these processes…

      … look and you can find the link.

      • Josh says

        I previously sent my comments directly to Otak prior to this presentation. One meeting at night on a weekday in May in Saranac Lake is no way to gauge the sentiment of hikers that mostly come from hours away. By the way, the subscription system to get notified of follow-up comments almost never works for me. Click “notify me of new posts by email” and nothing happens most of the time.

    • Bill Keller says

      The project leaders are still developing a plan for data collection and developed a database by digitizing trail register sheets across the park. The “great hiking months of September and October” use will be taken from trail registers. A two year study with several years of ecological research already completed is more than adequate, It’s being done by a private firm not government.

      • Josh says

        The chart in the photo says “Data collection March-August 2023.” Even if they do include information from years of trail registers that doesn’t tell you much. Half the people don’t fill in all the information, if they bother to register at all. Name (often of only one person in the party, where they are from, date, number of individuals, and their destination. That isn’t gathering “the public’s perceptions and expectations.” And, yes, I have provided this feedback to Otak.

  2. Mike says

    How about Otak? Why did NY hire a company out of South Korea for $600,000, a country that has its own issues it can’t handle?

    • Craig McGowan says

      The South Korea comment has a glimmer of fact but leaves out some important context. Otak is based in the US and at least one of the folks working on the project has deep experience in the Adirondacks. It would be great if we could develop these skills here in NY though so.

      • Mike says

        No, it is a fact. Otak is owned by Hanmi Global out of South Korea. So we get one person from the Adirondacks for $600,000? There’s plenty of qualified people in NY that have these so called skills that will produce something close to nothing.

  3. Scott says

    Pay an annual hiking permit fee to support our resources, especially the rangers, similar to permit systems in NH, WA, OR, etc. Over 40% of hikers are Canadians who pay zero property or State income tax, which ultimately funds ADK park services.

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