Adapting the Land
Then as now, how the Adirondacks are
used and by whom, are defining questions. In Stoddard’s day, unregulated mining and logging devastated much of the pristine Adirondack scenery. He documented that loss and used those images to foster a new ethic of responsibility for the landscape, leading to the 1892 “Forever Wild” clause in the New York State Constitution. Yet, with the growing appreciation of that preserved landscape, tourists initiated
their own changes on the land to improve access and comfort.