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August 28, 2008

Adirondack transportation policy set

Green Book puts three state agencies on the same page

By KIM SMITH DEDAM

NORTH HUDSON -- Cutting trees on Route 3 a few years ago, Department of Transportation workers stepped on Forest Preserve toes.

The brouhaha called three state agencies to one Adirondack table to redesign a green policy for highways in the park.

On Wednesday, under perfect blue skies, DOT Commissioner Astrid C. Glynn, Adirondack Park Agency Chairman Curtis Stiles and Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Peter Grannis inked the plan called the Green Book, setting precedent for interagency cooperation.

They met at the High Peaks Welcome Center on the Adirondack Northway and signed pages on top of two picnic tables.

Glynn said the Green Book, which is even printed on green paper, is a partnership reflected in policy drawn from "hours and hours of thought and care."

Calling the Adirondacks an "American treasure" connecting people and nature, Grannis said it is important for agencies to cooperate on policy making that works on both economic and environmental terms.

"This agreement renews and reinforces the state's commitment that necessary infrastructure work will be done in the most environmentally protective way possible. The Adirondack Park deserves no less."

Stiles said the Green Book sets a standard for management of the park.

He said that under the leadership of Gov. David Paterson, best practices now include plans for expansion of pedestrian and bicycle facilities and promotion of community assets.

"We don't mind setting the pace," DOT spokesman Pete Van Keuren said of the example the plan sets for other state agencies whose policies don't always mesh with land-use regulations inside the blue line.

It has taken years to hammer out a coordinated agreement.

Green Book guidelines were first initiated more than 25 years ago, said Mark Sengenberger, APA director of regulatory programs.

"APA has had a cooperative relationship with DOT and DEC for years."

But with DOT divided into three regions and DEC divided into two regions among the 6.1-million-acre Adirondack Park, communication channels can get crossed.

"We were trying to get all three DOT regions to have consistent practices in the park," Sengenberger said. "There were significant concerns on Forest Preserve issues."

DOT cut trees along Route 3 in 2005 not knowing where the highway right-of-way ended and the park began.

"It's marked now," Sengenberger said.

The Green Book includes specifics for Adirondack-highway design, guide-rail materials, signage, invasive-species protocol and scenic byways.

New in the third edition are the elimination of rustic brown guide rails; plans to use native species for roadside planting; new plans for habitat connectivity and wildlife protections; and new guidance on Forest Preserve issues, including cutting.

Environmental groups declared allegiance to the new plan, and Brian Houseal, executive director of the Adirondack Council, credited the three state agencies for pulling together the technical people to make the Green Book work.

But he cautioned policy makers to keep an eye on the changing climate and to "think about migratory corridors as we build new transportation structures."

David Gibson, executive director of the Association for the Protection of the Adirondacks, said Ed Franz, the DOT's specific engineer for the Adirondacks, deserves credit for accomplishing the tough job of coordinating the state agencies.

"But the most important people here are not us," Gibson said, "they are the people out there -- the visitors and the residents of the park."

After signing the cooperative agreement, Glynn went on to make celebratory remarks in Tupper Lake on completion of Route 30 improvements.

DOT relocated utility lines and reconstructed nearly 3 miles of scenic roadway near Big Tupper Lake.

R. Carey Babyak, Region 7 coordinator for DOT based in Watertown, said the second phase of road construction for Tupper Lake is still in design phase.

DOT is currently reviewing options to straighten or otherwise smooth the flow of traffic through the Village of Tupper Lake.

"Continuation of the project is currently in design. Residents have asked us to take a look at Lake Street instead of Main Street," he said. "The people of Tupper have been very good at letting us know their opinions."

Phase 2 of DOT work in Tupper Lake has no specific timeline yet, Babyak said.

"We are still working on issues relative to cost and design."

kdedam@pressrepublican.com

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