Visitor Use Management Framework
How Visitor Use Management Framework works within the High Peaks Wilderness
In April 2026, the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) released two reports, prepared by planning firms DJ&A and Otak, regarding Visitor Use Management (VUM) for the Adirondack High Peaks Wilderness and Kaaterskill Clove region of the Catskill Park. The report was finalized in 2025, though not released to the public until 2026.
What is Visitor Use Management?
Visitor Use Management (or VUM) is actually a framework that is intended to guide decision making. A better title than VUM is then VUMF, Visitor Use Management Framework. The purpose of the framework is to provide cohesive guidance on the major elements for analyzing and managing visitor use. It is a proactive and an adaptive process that incorporates a variety of strategies and tools to achieve and maintain desired resource conditions and visitor experiences.
Why now?
The High Peaks Project Area “Visitor Use Management Pilot Project Final Recommendations Report and Monitoring Plan” was released in April 2026 and DEC accepted public comments on the report until June 1, 2026. Of the two report released, we here at Adirondack Wilderness Advocates are only commenting on the High Peaks Wilderness. However, we do understand there may be similarities between the Catskill Park and High Peaks Wilderness. The issue of VUMF is relevant and important today because of the ongoing discourse surrounding public safety and visitor use of the High Peaks. A true VUMF would take those social dimensions of visitor use management into account, as well as provide a formal ecological assessment.
Next steps
Adirondack Wilderness Advocates submitted a comment in response to the report released for the High Peaks Wilderness. We acknowledge the considerable effort DEC and its consultants invested in this project and recognize that managing a high-visitation Wilderness in a state Forest Preserve context presents genuine and complex challenges. We support DEC’s commitment to a structured, adaptive management framework for the High Peaks Project Area. Nevertheless, we have significant concerns about what this planning process portends for public access to constitutionally protected lands. Our full public comment is available for anyone to read.
Adirondack Wilderness Advocates is committed to working with all stakeholders to find solutions to issues within state-managed Forest Preserve Wilderness lands. We have been working on studying Adaptive Management for a number of years and look forward to continuing to provide input in the future.
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