Change looms on the horizon and we should all be concerned. Even though we may not be directly involved, the decisions made today and in the near future will affect generations to come.
Recently there was an article in this newspaper concerning the proposed development of a mega-resort on the mountain adjacent to Belleayre Mountain Ski Area along Route 28 east of Margaretville.
Twelve-hundred acres of beautiful forests will be cleared to build hotels, restaurants, stores, a golf course and all the related structures, which include roads and parking areas. The state would expand its ski area, offering guests "ski in, ski out" access to the mountain.
This is not the only development of this magnitude planned for the Catskills and Adirondacks. A similar project has been proposed for the town of Tupper Lake, and others likely will follow.
Investors in Tupper Lake are trying to subdivide hundreds of acres for a development, and they want state funds to re-open Big Tupper Ski Area.
The Adirondack project would allow a second home development called "great camps" to be built on large lots, along with a resort complex adjacent to the ski area.
Developers of these projects paint a pretty picture for the local and state officials who are struggling with over-burdening taxes, skyrocketing expenses and failing economies. They point out the numbers of jobs that will be created and other economic benefits, but they neglect to add up the real costs.
In the fall of 2006, I returned to Colorado for an elk hunt. I had not driven across the Rocky Mountains in several years and was shocked by the changes. As you head up the eastern slope on I-70 out of Denver, the once beautiful, tree-covered mountains are now littered with development. Everywhere you look, huge houses cling to the steep, rocky hills.
They call this progress, but I'm not impressed.
Maybe I just don't understand. I like open spaces. Trees and free-flowing trout streams give me joy. Beautiful mountain vistas and undeveloped lakes excite me. Deep forests and wild animals stir my soul.
On an earlier trip out west, I stopped in the town of Vail, Colo. As I got out of my truck, I noticed a strange aroma.
It was the smell of money.
A hamburger and Coke cost more than $8. The deli clerk explained that she had to ride 60 miles to work each day because affordable housing doesn't exist in the area.
With the proposed resort developments in our mountains, the same thing is likely in our future.
The cutting of our forests will displace wildlife and allow run-off to fill our streams. Moneyed people will pay exorbitant prices for local "vacation" homes. This will drive our young people, who are just starting out, away from the area.
Progress is not always the answer. What are we willing to sacrifice? Once the trees are cut and the blacktop goes down, there's no turning back.
There is no easy answer. The world is changing at a pace that is faster than our minds can possibly comprehend. I guess there's just one more question to ask: Are we ready to deal with the consequences of our actions?
Maybe my fears are unfounded. I'm no tree-hugging environmental fanatic, but I care.
I'm concerned. Are you?
Rick Brockway writes a weekly outdoors column for The Daily Star. E-mail him at robrockway@hotmail.com.
