David Gibson from Adirondack Wild presented on the many efforts of his and similar organizations to keep the Adirondacks wild. He shared with us what it takes to do so, and how he was inspired by the heroic efforts and perseverance of people like Paul Schaefer. It all began with the adoption of Article XIV of the New York State constitution by the people of New York during the 1894 Constitutional Convention establishing the “Forever Wild” forest preserve. Numerous efforts over the years tried to weaken the provisions, but through legal challenges the essence of the article was affirmed repeatedly by the courts in 1930, 1993, and most recently in 2021. Yet the battles continue and people like David Gibson are at the forefront in making sure the Adirondacks remain “Forever Wild”.
