New York State's Adirondack Park Agency recently held public meetings to gather input on the State Land Master Plan; the document the APA and other state agencies use as a legal road map for decisions about how to manage the Park's forest preserve.

State officials said they are open to the idea of modifying the plan for the first time in decades. That has opened a big conversation about the future of millions of acres of public land in the Park.

The question is, if they do amend the State Land Master Plan, do they do it just for the Essex Chain area?

Our Adirondack Bureau Chief Brian Mann walked through some of the debate with Martha Foley.

Why should anybody care about the "SLMP"?

: Okay, let's get the sort of a wonk-question out of the way. The State Land Master Plan sounds like a pretty dry, kind of work-a-day set of regulations. Why should the public care about it?

Brian Mann: It's such a bureaucratic document that people actually talk about it using the acronym SLMP — pronounced "slump" — but this is really a big deal. The SLMP really sets out how the environment in the Park will be protected and it sets the rules for how we all get to use and play in those park-lands.

It was written back in the 1970s and a lot of people are convinced that it's really outdated. Here's Bill Farber head of the Hamilton County board of supervisors and part of a group called the Common Ground Alliance.

Bill Farber: "You have a Master Plan that hasn't been updated for changes in science or thinking or opportunity. Because it was developed in 1972 it doesn't really think very broadly about recreational opportunities that exist today like mountain biking," Faber said during an appearance on the public radio program Capital Pressroom.

A conversation sparked by new forest preserve lands

MF: So these concerns have been around for a long time. Why is the Park Agency cracking this open now?

BM: It was prompted by these big new public lands that have been added to the Park as part of the Finch

conservation deal in the last few years. The state wants to do a couple of things on those lands, near the Essex Chain Lakes, that require changes to the SLMP. That includes possibly building a bridge across the Cedar River for snowmobile riders. Also, they're interested in possibly allowing more mountain biking in areas classified as primitive. Under the current rules, those things would be prohibited.

MF: But am I right that some of the possible changes to this Master Plan would go beyond that one area of the Park? I mean, some people want to change other big rules, too, right?

BM: Yes. And that's part of the debate right now. What ideas should be on the table? And how much of the Park should any changes impact? Phil Brown is managing editor with the Adirondack Explorer magazine and he's been covering this very closely — especially rule changes that might affect mountain biking which a lot of people think could be the next big thing in the Adirondacks.

: "The question is, if they do amend the State Land Master Plan, do they do it just for the Essex Chain area or do they allow mountain biking in other primitive areas and perhaps other wilderness areas on roads where there would be no ecological damage. The Adirondack Park Local Government Review Board is calling for a change throughout the Park. And the Adirondack Mountain Club also is in favor of allowing mountain biking."

More talk, less shouting?

MF: We've talked the last few years about the fact that there seems to be a more amicable, less sort of volatile conversation in the Park these days. How's that working on this issue? Are people talking more, shouting less?

BM: Yeah, absolutely it's a different tone. And you have interesting coalitions. The Adirondack Mountain Club, for example, has really embraced some recreation ideas that local government leaders love, including rule changes that would allow the state to use non-natural materials when building bridges on the forest preserve. Also, more relaxed mountain biking rules. You also have local government leaders really pushing for more environmental protections that would shelter lakes and rivers from invasive species.

But it's important not to gloss over the fact that there are still real differences and real debates here. It's more civil, but that doesn't mean everybody agrees. Dave Gibson is with Adirondack Wild, one of the green groups in the Park. He says he's worried that there's too much emphasis on recreation, not enough emphasis on protecting a sense of deep wilderness.

Dave Gibson: "I am very concerned that this APA and this governor has focused on recreational appetites and not the natural resources of the forest preserve, which the SLMP says deserves our paramount consideration. This is not about managing recreation, though that's important. But that should not be the dominant attitude of state government. [The focus should be] protecting natural resources, protecting wilderness character."

MF: Okay, Brian, give us a couple of areas where agreements here look possible and maybe a couple of flashpoints to watch out for us as this goes forward.

BM: I think it's very possible that we may see more mountain biking allowed in the Park on these old logging roads that crisscross public lands. Also, I think some kind of new thinking about invasive species. I think controversial ideas will include a proposal to create some kind of land bank in the Park that would give local and state governments a bit more flexibility when using forest preserve land for public works projects. Also, there's a proposal being floated that would allow the state to widen snowmobile trails. I think that would be pretty controversial but a lot of sledders think this is important for their sport.

MF: Okay, this is a conversation that's just getting underway in the Park. The Park Agency wrapped up last month a series of public meetings about possible changes to the State Land Master Plan. We'll have updates as the APA comes forward with more specific proposals.