Dear AWA Supporters:
The Board of Directors would like to extend our deepest thanks to you. Because of your support and shared advocacy for our values, AWA was able to not only submit our official comments to the Adirondack Park Agency concerning their proposed amendments to the State Land Master Plan (SLMP), but also include several hundred petition signatures from you calling for no motors in Wilderness.
We know from experience that petitions like this help the cause: the voices of many people in alignment motivate policymakers to look more closely at how they can respond to public concerns with compromises or alterations to their proposals that, while often seeming to be modest compromises, can in fact make a big difference. For example, the APA could respond to our pressure (and that of other environmental organizations who are in broad agreement about the threats of motorized access) by deciding not to alter the definition of “Motor Vehicle” in the SLMP. The other proposed additions concerning Other Power-Driven Mobility Devices (OPDMDs) could remain, allowing a reasonable acknowledgment of the need to accommodate requests for access to the Forest Preserve, but if the Motor Vehicle definition was left unchanged, the SLMP would still prohibit those devices in Wilderness areas. That would be a huge victory.
Together, we will see how the APA responds to public comments, and what revisions to their proposed language they will offer. You can be assured that AWA will stay on top of this process and continue to do what we can to advocate for Wilderness. However, we could not do our work effectively without your voices too; that is the importance and beauty of a grass-roots organization like ours. We are grateful for your support.
Sincerely,
The Board of Directors
Adirondack Wilderness Advocates
