The APA and the Adirondack Council

When I started reporting yesterday morning’s story about ties between the Adirondack Park Agency, a state regulatory agency, and the Adirondack Council, an independent environmental group, I was largely ignorant of the facts.

I didn’t realize that of the eight members of the public appointed to the APA commission, three are former Council board members.

That’s a lot of voting power.

After interviewing a wide array of sources — both on and off the record — I’m convinced that there’s no conspiracy here, no deliberate effort to “stack” the APA board.

The three individuals with past ties to the Council, APA chairman Curt Stiles (former vice-chair of the Council’s board), enforcement committee chair Cecil Wray, and Richard Booth, chair of the park policy and planning committee, all strike me as smart, ethical and devoted to the Adirondack Park.

They all have complex and varied backgrounds, ranging from academia to the corporate world to environmental activism. None are defined by their ties to the Council.

And APA officials are adamant in their claim that the Council doesn’t enjoy special access to these or any other commissioners.

But the question remains: Is it appropriate for so many of the board’s voting members to have that particular item — a leadership role with one green group — on their resumes?

Interviewed by NCPR, Blair Horner, with the New York Public Interest Research Group, was ambivalent.

It’s noteworthy when a regulatory agency has such close ties to one group, according to Horner. He points out that a diversity of opinions and representation is usually better.

But he also notes that the three board members were appointed by two different governors — one Republican and one Democrat — and confirmed after review by a Republican-controlled Senate.

What’s more, the APA board also includes sitting members who maintain ties to other interests, including local government (Frank Mezzano and William Thompson) and resort development (Arthur Lussi).

No one questions their ethics or judgments because of those relationships. So why should the Council connection be any different?

What we do know is this: The Adirondack Council has emerged as a uniquely influential group with ties to politicians in both the Democratic and Republican parties. (Two former Pataki era officials now sit on the Council’s board.)

Is the Adirondack Park well served by the Council’s unprecedented role inside the Blue Line?

Your comments and opinions are welcome below.

Tags: adirondacks