§ 801 — Statement of legislative findings and purposes

New York § 801

• Jurisdiction: New York
• Law EXC: Executive
• Art. 27: Adirondack Park Agency

Text

§ 801. Statement of legislative findings and purposes. The Adirondack\npark is abundant in natural resources and open space unique to New York\nand the eastern United States. The wild forest, water, wildlife and\naesthetic resources of the park, and its open space character, provide\nan outdoor recreational experience of national and international\nsignificance. Growing population, advancing technology and an expanding\neconomy are focusing ever-increasing pressures on these priceless\nresources.\n Our forefathers saw fit nearly a century ago to provide rigid\nconstitutional safeguards for the public lands in the Adirondack park.\nToday forest preserve lands constitute approximately forty percent of\nthe six million acres of land in the park. The people of the state of\nNew York have consistently reiterated their support for this\ntime-honored institution.\n Continuing public concern, coupled with the vast acreages of forest\npreserve holdings, clearly establishes a substantial state interest in\nthe preservation and development of the park area. The state of New York\nhas an obligation to insure that contemporary and projected future\npressures on the park resources are provided for within a land use\ncontrol framework which recognizes not only matters of local concern but\nalso those of regional and state concern.\n In the past the Adirondack environment has been enhanced by the\nintermingling of public and private land. A unique pattern of private\nland use has developed which has not only complemented the forest\npreserve holdings but also has provided an outlet for development of\nsupporting facilities necessary to the proper use and enjoyment of the\nunique wild forest atmosphere of the park. This fruitful relationship is\nnow jeopardized by the threat of unregulated development on such private\nlands. Local governments in the Adirondack park find it increasingly\ndifficult to cope with the unrelenting pressures for development being\nbrought to bear on the area, and to exercise their discretionary powers\nto create an effective land use and development control framework.\n The basic purpose of this article is to insure optimum overall\nconservation, protection, preservation, development and use of the\nunique scenic, aesthetic, wildlife, recreational, open space, historic,\necological and natural resources of the Adirondack park.\n A further purpose of this article is to focus the responsibility for\ndeveloping long-range park policy in a forum reflecting statewide\nconcern. This policy shall recognize the major state interest in the\nconservation, use and development of the park's resources and the\npreservation of its open space character, and at the same time, provide\na continuing role for local government.\n The Adirondack park land use and development plan set forth in this\narticle recognizes the complementary needs of all the people of the\nstate for the preservation of the park's resources and open space\ncharacter and of the park's permanent, seasonal and transient\npopulations for growth and service areas, employment, and a strong\neconomic base, as well. In support of the essential interdependence of\nthese needs, the plan represents a sensibly balanced apportionment of\nland to each. Adoption of the land use and development plan and\nauthorization for its administration and enforcement will complement and\nassist in the administration of the Adirondack park master plan for\nmanagement of state land. Together, they are essential to the\nachievement of the policies and purposes of this article and will\nbenefit all of the people of the state.\n Accordingly, it is the further purpose of this article to adopt and\nimplement the land use and development plan and to provide for the\nplan's maintenance, administration and enforcement in a continuing\nplanning process that recognizes matters of local concern and those of\nregional and state concern, provides appropriate regulatory\nresponsibilities for the agency and the local governments of the park\nand seeks to achieve sound local land use planning throughout the park.\n