The state of the Adirondack economy continues to be a major discussion point raising such issues as private property rights and concerns with land use regulations along with a lack of sufficient state investment in Adirondack communities. With the recent economic downturn, the perception of an ailing if not dying Adirondack economy seems to once again be gaining significant momentum. There has been a few recent studies providing valuable data on the health of the Adirondack economy and state of local communities. Studies such as the Adirondack Park Regional Assessment Project (APRAP) released May 2009, and The North Country in Statistical Profile by the Community and Rural Development Institute released in April 2008, can be interpreted in different ways. One interpretation is that the regional economy of the Adirondack Park is strong and in better health then rural regions outside the Park. From a different perspective, when viewed on a county and community level, the opposite conclusion could be drawn.
Regardless of how the data is interpreted, one thing is clear, local communities need to take their economic growth into their own hands. State and federal investment in the Adirondacks has been on the decline and local communities can no longer expect large capital projects and job generators such as new state and federal prisons. The local economies have long since shifted away from industrial and agricultural-based industries and has become more or less dependent on public sector jobs. As the state budget gets trimmed to address our significant deficit, the Adirondacks will surely feel it's fair share of the cuts.
The following posts will cover the current economic situation of the Adirondacks, what is working and what is not, and begin to identify possible recommendations towards achieving a sustainable economy, or multiple economies throughout the Adirondack Park.
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