Saint Regis Mountain from the Barnum Brook Trail (10 October 2005)

Strengthening the APA: An Adirondack Explorer Conference
26 September 2013
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM

This one-day conference, organized by the Adirondack Explorer, includes panels on water quality in the Adirondacks and conservation design, as well as a keynote address by landscape planner Randall Arendt.  The cost is $25 per participant. The registration fee covers coffee, snacks, lunch and the reception at the end of the day.

Conference Schedule
8:00 - 8:50 AM Registration
8:50 - 8:55 AM Brief introduction by Dick Beamish, Adirondack Explorer founder
8: 55 - 9:15 AM Historian Philip Terrie presents perspective on Adirondack protection efforts with focus on progress and problems since WW2.
9:15 - 9:40 AM APA representative highlights agency’s mission, accomplishments and challenges on 40-year anniversary of Adirondack Park Land Use and Development Plan.
9:40 -10:00 AM Break
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM Panel on Water Quality: How to maintain and restore it in the Adirondacks.

  • Peter Bauer, executive director of Protect the Adirondacks, on stormwater runoff and new data on development trends in the Park
  • Chris Navitsky, Lake George Waterkeeper, on proper on-site sewage controls
  • Eileen O’Conner, director of environmental health for Cayuga County, on Cayuga’s model ordinance regulating septic systems
  • Julie Regan, external affairs chief for Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, on efforts to restore Lake Tahoe legendary water quality
The panel will be jointly moderated by Brian Mann, Adirondack Bureau chief for North Country Public Radio, and Phil Brown, editor of the Adirondack Explorer.
11:00 AM Break while written questions are submitted and selected for answering/discussion.
11:15 AM - Noon Q&A
Noon - 1:00 PM Lunch outdoors, weather permitting
1:10 PM - 1:40 PM Randall Arendt, national leader on conservation design, featured speaker
1:40 PM - 2:00 PM Break
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM Panel on conservation design, smart growth, and low-impact development

Same co-moderators as for morning panel.
3:00 PM - 3:20 PM Break while written questions are submitted and selected for answering.
3:20 PM - 4:00 PM Q&A
4:00 PM - 4:45 PM Discussion of key recommendations for strengthening the Adirondack Park Agency by former APA Chairmen James Frenette and John Collins and Bill Kissel, former APA commissioner and original staff counsel for the agency.
4:45 PM - 5:00 PM Willie Janeway, executive director of the Adirondack Council, on the connection between specific environmental protections highlighted during the conference and economic sustainability.
5:00 PM - 6:00 PM Wine and beer reception. Also an opportunity for a trail walk to Heron Marsh or Barnum Pond.


Explore the VIC

The Paul Smiths VIC offers a wide variety of programs throughout the year to educate and inform Adirondack Park residents and visitors about the natural wonders of the Adirondack Mountains. You can help support these programs by joining the Friends of the VIC. More information on Friends of the VIC memberships

Explore the Trails

The VIC trails are free and open to the public, from dawn to dusk, spring through fall. In winter, the trails are open to cross-country skiers and snowshoers for a fee. Day or season passes may be purchased.