About Gwendolyn Craig

Gwen is an award-winning journalist covering environmental policy for the Explorer since January 2020. She also takes photos and videos for the Explorer's magazine and website. She is a current member of the Legislative Correspondents Association of New York. Gwen has worked at various news outlets since 2015. Prior to moving to upstate New York, she worked for a D.C. Metro-area public relations firm, producing digital content for clients including the World Health Organization, the Low Income Investment Fund and Rights and Resources Initiative. She has a master's degree in journalism from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. She has bachelor's degrees in English and journalism, with a concentration in ecology and evolutionary biology, from the University of Connecticut. Gwen is also a part-time figure skating coach. Contact her at (518) 524-2902 or gwen@adirondackexplorer.org. Sign up for Gwen’s newsletter here.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Christina says

    Yes I agree with having outerstaters pay a fee more than us in ny state. Expand it to Ausable Forks Jay wilminton and end of keeseville. Very good idea with free buses.

  2. Boreas says

    Two people out of 22 to directly represent the entire hiking community?? I agree that the ADK 46rs should be represented inasmuch as they are as much a part of the problem as part of the solution. I also feel at least 5 different hikers should be invited to every meeting to offer their views, since they will be directly effected by any policy changes.

  3. David Gibson says

    An outstanding report and thanks very much for the quotes from participants, which are quite candid and helpful. The public input opportunities via email are also appreciated, and ours have been acknowledged by DEC and others – thank you. For perspective, a High Peaks Wilderness advisory committee met numerous times in Ray Brook c. 1990-92 to help DEC and APA prepare a HPW unit management plan (which was approved as conforming with the State Land Master Plan in 1999). I was on that committee and there was no way, back then, for the public to know what was under discussion or to have much input into the comm’s deliberations – until the committee’s final report was issued in print. So, in terms of public input and transparency this process is a big improvement.

  4. Judson Witham says

    The EMPIRE SOCIALISTS need to build BIG PARKING LOTS for all the Citizens of the State to use the trails. Like the Prospect Mountain Hwy and say Gore Mountain ….. The People of the State have every right. Meeting behind closed doors …. That totally STINKS.

    • Dana says

      So are you trying to insult “SOCIALISTS” while asking for more socialism?? And you wonder why the doors are closed?

  5. David says

    Many hikers are from out of state?
    Let’s be more accurate: At least half, and probably more, are from Canada. (Anecdotally, I would say 60 percent.)
    I absolutely agree that there should be a revenue producing plan, with discounts given to NY State residents, if not US residents in general.
    And limiting access based on first come basis will favor Canadians, who are generally in closer driving distance than NYers driving up from downstate NY.

  6. David says

    And I would add that I hope that those working on a plan consider the irony, if not lack of fairness, in coming up with a plan that would effectively disadvantage downstate NYers (whose taxes support this NY resource) over visitors from Canada.

    And first come first served effectively does that.

  7. Pablo Rodriguiez says

    “There will be more front-country stewards to help visitors with parking and education.” You mean to order them around, right? Skip the front-country stewards. We already have a police state in the Adirondacks. There are often three trooper cars between Lake Placid and Keene, including one running radar and partially blocking entrance to the Olympic ski jumps.

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