I like the traditional Adirondack Yellow-on-Brown, but maybe the Blue is more watery.
Waterways Crescent Connection – ADK
Waterways Crescent Connection – Blue
ANCA Reveals New Scenic Byway Logo for the Central Adirondack Trail
Under the leadership of the Adirondack North Country Association (ANCA) communities from Warren, Hamilton, Herkimer and Oneida Counties along the Central Adirondack Trail Scenic Byway will now have a new theme and logo to set their special travel route apart from other New York State Scenic Byways. The new logo reflects the “Waterways Crescent Connection” theme that was developed by ANCA, Fuller Communications and community representatives who participated in a regional marketing and branding project that explored the many sites, attractions, and activities located along the Byway that are so appealing to today’s travelers.
Following the news of the Adirondack Council suing the Adirondack Park Agency (APA), I mentioned to someone that lawsuits are quickly becoming a norm in any regulatory process in the Adirondacks. Seems like there could be a better way to get things done. Two hostile parties rarely reach mutually satisfying results.
Well, another one just dropped into my mailbox:
Adirondack Groups Sue State to Protect Wilderness Lake
ALBANY, N.Y. — The Adirondacks’ leading conservation groups, the Adirondack Mountain Club (ADK) and Protect the Adirondacks! (PROTECT), filed a lawsuit Tuesday in state Supreme Court in Albany to force the Adirondack Park Agency (APA) to adhere to state law and classify a state-owned wilderness canoe route in the heart of the Adirondacks.
“We are forced to seek redress in the courts because, despite the best efforts of many different parties, our state agencies failed to settle some important matters regarding implementation of the State Land Master Plan,” said David Gibson, executive director of PROTECT “We go to court for all state-owned waters in the Forest Preserve, not merely to settle the classification of Lows Lake. Classification drives management direction. We seek better direction about how to manage wild waters in the Forest Preserve for the benefit of people in the central Adirondacks, visitors from all across the country and Canada and many more who may never paddle these waters, but who nonetheless appreciate the way they are managed for future generations.”
Various Non-governmental Organizations i.e. ANCA, ADK Club
Various Business Associations i.e. Chambers of Commerce
Various Private Individuals/Businesses i.e. adirondacks.com, adirondack.net
Have you heard about the Central Adirondack Trail Marketing and Branding Project? It seems they have come up with a Final Theme Statement for the Central Adirondack Scenic Byway, now known as The Waterways Crescent Connection:
The Waterways Crescent Connection – integrates the unique intrinsic scenic and natural, recreational, and historic and cultural experiences of the Central Adirondack Trail.
All of these special qualities are dominated by the enormous variety of water resources in and along the waterways–natural and man-made, in wilderness as well as in urban settings—that exist along the entire Scenic Byway.
The term crescent evokes the visual image of the very distinctive shape of the Scenic Byway.
Connection highlights the overriding geographic aspects of the route – connections to and between the diverse waterways that parallel, and or, intercept the route, and the diverse transportation and four-season recreational opportunities they provide. Connection sets the stage for the history of how those who have lived along the byway route and waterways have used the lakes, rivers, ponds, streams, and canals for military, transportation, and recreational purposes, and for their livelihoods. It also conveys the cultural and community relationships that exist and are nurtured today by those waterways.
A quick search reveals that the term, “Waterways Crescent” is wide-open for marketing purposes. In fact, the domain “waterwayscrescent.com” is still available. Who will be the proud owner?
Not a whole lot has changed since last year’s report. Scratch that, almost everything is different, just the tourism marketing remains the same. It’s cool to be able to buy your own ROI study. (Did you know that penning nice ROI studies can get you contracts and advisory roles?) Here are the New York State and Adirondack highlights as I see them:
NYS Tourism Growth Slows – 2008 Spending only grew by 4%, compared to 10% the previous year.
$53 Billion in NYS Tourism Spending in 2008
Tourism Contributed 4.1% of NYS GDP for 2008, 6.2% of all jobs
Tourism Generated $14.3 Billion in Tax Revenue ($7 Billion NYS and Local)
NYC, Long Island, Hudson Valley comprise 79% of Total Spend – Adirondacks only 2%
Tourism Generates 17% of the Adirondack Region’s Employment
Visitors Spent $1.2 Billion and Supported over 20,000 jobs in the Adirondacks
Warren County represents 45% of the Region’s Tourism Spend
Visitors Spending Growth – Clinton 10%, Essex 8.9%, Franklin 6%, Hamilton 2.2%, Lewis 0%, Warren 3.9%
51.9% of Total Labor Income in Hamilton County is from Tourism
40% of Jobs in Hamilton County are Tourism Related, 35% in Essex County
Tourism in the Adirondacks generated $152 Million in State and Local Tax Revenue
Silly me. Had a meeting on Saturday – typical blah, blah, blah. K. was nice enough to provide some meeting supplies. Always count on a schoolteacher to have plenty of pads and pencils. Of course, I immediately become fascinated with the pencils (sorry folks!). I gotta get out more, as some might say, because I had never seen these before.
The Blackfeet Indian Pencil
“Hey, what’s up with these pencils?” It seems that K’s father was also a schoolteacher who used to supply his kids with these pencils. “Really, is that the box?” The box was in prime, unopened condition. She mentioned something about 25 years ago…maybe that’s when her dad passed? Anyway, full-box, all nicely pointy.
GOVERNOR PATERSON ANNOUNCES 4 PERCENT INCREASE IN DIRECT TOURISM SPENDING FOR NEW YORK STATE IN 2008
Interesting headline. It almost got me excited until I saw the year. Anyway, the whole press release is after the jump. One thing I have to say, saavy marketers might appreciate the timing of this. Possibly the critical budget negotiations happening and stuff might be related. Maybe.
According to Governor Paterson’s introductory note in the I Love NY 2008-9 Year in Review,
The results of this year in review prove that the course we have charted is a correct one. Despite tourism retrenching in every region of the country, New York’s tourism industry has held steady — no doubt partly due to the revitalized I LOVE NEW YORK campaign and the strategic decisions based around it.
The most recent economic impact data, not surprisingly, shows growth in tourism spending for 2008.
"Prior to taking her current position in July 2008, Martino, was Executive Director of the Adirondack North Country Association, one of the major co-sponsors for the APRAP."
"For the sake of the town, the uniqueness of the location, I would like to see something within zoning there." - Why bother with those pesky zoning rules?
"A general 1 to 3 inches of rain combined with climbing temperatures, moist air and strong winds will eat through the snow like crazy, releasing a half a foot of water some areas."
"The Obama administration will accept no more public input for a federal strategy that could prohibit U.S. citizens from fishing the nation's oceans, coastal areas, Great Lakes, and even inland waters. "
"If there's one thing I truly hope comes out of this medal, I hope more kids and more people get out and try these sports that we love to do here in the North Country."
"The problem is the United States has the reputation of being among one of the most unfriendly countries when it comes to international visitors, so this almost seems like one more way we are unwelcoming."
"The fee element of the plan is controversial as some business travel organizations argue that imposing a fee would dissuade, rather than promote, inbound travel."