For more than 20 years every April, the APA invited local government stakeholders from around the Adirondack Park to Local Government Day, which offered them an opportunity to learn about the latest planning issues, get information on state programs, network with other community leaders and share ideas and a vision for the future.

“People who are the heart and soul of local government and do the nuts and bolts work,” as APA Public Information Officer Keith McKeever put it.

Last year, the event was rebranded as the Adirondack Planning Forum, and the APA continued the new event on Wednesday at Thursday at the Hotel Saranac in Saranac Lake.

“In hosting this forum, our goal is to provide Adirondack Park stakeholders — local government, consultants, interested citizens — with a space to come together to share issues and ideas,” APA Executive Director Barb Rice said Thursday in her opening speech. “We hope that this equips each and every one of you with the knowledge and connections necessary to tackle the issues of today and tomorrow.”

Adirondack Park Agency Executive Director Barbara Rice gives opening remarks Thursday at the Hotel Saranac during the annual Adirondack Planning Forum. (Enterprise photo — Andy Flynn)

This year, about 220 people signed up to take part in the Adirondack Planning Forum, about 40 more than last year, according to McKeever. Before Local Government Day was canceled in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID, the APA promoted the event as having about 350 attendees.

“This is a really good number for networking and collaboration,” he said about this year’s group.

Even though the event has a new name, the essence of the conference is the same.

“The Adirondack Park is only as strong as the people and partnerships that support it,” Rice said.

Yet the forum is more focused toward planning initiatives that would be helpful to local government officials. Planning and zoning board members also had the opportunity to acquire annual continuing education credit hours.

Steve Lawson, the senior project manager at DJ & A, talks during the Visitor Use Management session Thursday at the Saranac Lake Free Library during the Adirondack Park Agency’s annual Adirondack Planning Forum. (Enterprise photo — Andy Flynn)

“In addition to the continual learning programs, we’re really focused on community sustainability and new programs that are out there, the DRI (Downtown Revitalization Initiative) and the New York Forward program, which is really geared toward community development for smaller rural communities,” McKeever said. “We’re really hoping that communities will take advantage of that program to do things that would help them bring more vibrancy into their downtowns and into their community centers and hamlets.”

On Wednesday evening, New York Secretary of State Robert Rodriguez was the forum’s keynote speaker at the Hotel Saranac after spending a day in the community talking about economic development, Downtown Revitalization Initiatives and housing projects at places like The Carry in Saranac Lake.

Breakout sessions on Thursday were held at the Hotel Saranac and the Saranac Lake Free Library across the street. They included the following topics: APA Jurisdiction 101, visitor use management (highlighting a program in the High Peaks Wilderness), comprehensive planning, flood risk reduction and resiliency, floodplain regulations for local boards, maximizing use of developable land in the park’s hamlets, APA permitting and Empire State Development ConnectALL digital initiatives, and the State Environmental Quality Review environmental assessment form.

During her speech Thursday morning, the executive director said she expected to see some themes emerge throughout the day, including current issues such as the housing crisis, climate change and the ever-growing pressure on the park’s public lands.

On Thursday, attendees were able to take part in consultations for the Downtown Revitalization Initiative and New York Forward program. Representatives from the Department of State and the North Country Regional Economic Development Council were available to talk to community leaders who were interested in submitting an application for the DRI and NY Forward program.

Attendees could also walk around the hotel’s Great Hall and visit the following tables of exhibitors to learn about private services and government programs: APA, state Department of State, state Department of Environmental Conservation, state Environmental Facilities Corporation, New York Municipal Insurance Reciprocal, New York Planning Federation, Adirondack North Country Association, Adirondack Research/Green Goat Maps, AES Northeast, PLLC, Barton and Loguidice D.P.C., BCA Architects and Engineers, Beardsley Architects and Engineers, Comp Alliance, LaBella Associates, D.P.C. and M.J. Engineering and Land Surveying, P.C.

“The Adirondack Park Agency is excited to work with all of you in finding solutions to lift up communities and to protect the park,” Rice said in her speech. “We are ready to build partnerships that make us stronger and more resilient for the benefit of ourselves today and future generations.”