59. Residents Committee to Protect the Adirondacks
(Latest update 2001)
P. O. Box 27
Main Street
North Creek, NY 12853
Telephone: (518) 251-4257
Fax: (518) 251-4257
E-mail: RCPA@netheven.com
Key Personnel
Peter Bauer, Executive Director, Editor of Adirondack Voices
Philip J. Hamel, Chairman
Duane Ricketson, Vice-Chairman
Evelyn Greene, Secretary
Membership
(unknown)
Finances (1998)
Assets: $16,786
Income: $156,905
(50l(c)(3)—Files an IRS 990 form)
Coalition Involvements
Adirondack Council
Adirondack Mountain Club
Organizational Description and Goals
“Mission: Natural Resource Protection.
“Programs: Promotion of educational, research, and advocacy activities to educate the public about the importance of preserving the natural resources and rural way of life in the Adirondack Mountains of New York State.” —IRS report
“The Residents’ Committee to Protect the Adirondacks (RCPA) is a vital and effective grassroots group of Adirondack Park residents who are working to protect the rural quality of life and the natural resources of the Adirondack Park.”
Board of Directors (1998)
Philip J. Hamel, Chairman, Saranac
Duane Ricketson, Vice-Chairman, Olmstedville
Sally Murray, Treasurer, North River
Evelyn Greene, Secretary, North Creek
Nancy Bernstein, Vermontville
John R. Collins, Jr., Blue Mountain Lake
Ann Hough, Keene
Peter Hornbeck, Olmstedville
Ray Masters, Newcomb
Peter O’Shea, Fine
Kitty Vondrak, Schroon Lake
Founding Directors
Randy Denton
Carl Heilman
Ernest LaPrairie
William T. Ling
Paige MacDonald
Joe Mahay
Erwin Miller
David Moro
Arthur Perryman
Richard Stewart
Publications
Adirondack Voices: tabloid-style quarterly magazine with articles about issues and nature related to preserving the Adirondacks. Distributed free to every postal customer.
Comments
The Residents’ Committee to Protect the Adirondacks is an offshoot of the Adirondack Council, designed to overcome criticism that the Adirondack Council was an organization of outside interests. The Residents Committee reportedly used the Adirondack Council mailing list for its first mailings.
The positions of the Residents’ Committee parallel those of the Adirondack Council. The Residents’ Committee invariably invokes extreme preservationist positions on issues.
The Residents Committee has been active in promoting wolf reintroduction, while claiming to want to hear all sides of the issue.
In a recent issue of the Adirondack Voices, Peter Bauer attacked the Blue Line Council for a “disinformation campaign” and told readers not to believe its “propaganda” about potential job losses if the Champion International lands are sold to the State of New York.
The issue of Voices advocated “sustainable” forestry, supported the purchase of the Champion lands, discussed the Lynx again (the earlier reintroduction had failed, and perhaps this is to set the stage for trying over), discussed the wild turkey’s success and the Adirondack spruce grouse and its “tenuous existence,” advocated conservation easements as a “voluntary program to sustain the Adirondack way of life,” and contained an article by a “physically challenged user of the Adirondacks” (Dan Ling) against use of motorized vehicles in the Adirondacks, and an article against jet skis.
In his article about Champion International’s land, Peter Bauer alleged that the sale to the State would “open and preserve Adirondack rivers.”
The magazine’s format seems to give the heavy duty political articles to Peter Bauer and to carry selected a number of less controversial articles about nature or forestry by various board members and others—giving an appearance of balance, and also carry some irate articles about real or imagined abuse of nature or noise in the forest preserve. The appearance is sought to portray that the Residents Committee is an even-handed advocate for local residents. But, after the magazine comes in the mail, local recipients who are not too familiar with the Residents Committee have telephoned this writer to say that they “got something in the mail from the APA today.”
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