Should New York require hiking permits in the High Peaks?

YES Christopher Amato

Permit systems are a proven land-management tool for protecting fragile wilderness areas from overuse. Both the National Park Service and the U.S. Forest Service have for years administered successful permit systems for wilderness areas under their jurisdiction in order to preserve fragile natural resources and the sense of solitude and remoteness that most users seek. We should do the same to protect the wilderness values of the High Peaks Wilderness Area (HPWA).

The HPWA is experiencing ever-increasing levels of use. Between 2005 and 2015, the number of hikers registering at the Van Hoevenberg Trail near Adirondack Loj soared by 62 percent, to over 53,000. During the same