Increasing numbers of hikers and an outdated management plan are contributing to a growing problem of human waste in the Adirondacks.
According to a recent article on Backpacker.com, human waste is turning popular routes in the Adirondacks into putrid corridors. Although so far there’s little evidence of serious impact on the environment or public health, no hiker wants to see pristine wilderness marred by poop. What’s more, it’s a potential crisis for the recreation-based economy.
The region’s management plan — which is minimal, only limiting group size — was completed in 1999. The plan was slated for revision every five years, but the 1999 document remains untouched. In 2016, 111,000 hikers visited the Adirondacks High Peaks region compared to just 82,000 in 1999.
Read about the growing problem of human waste in the Adirondacks.