By M. LISA  MONROE

Express Editor

The AdkAction community group was in Old Forge on July 12 to drum up membership and to explain its stance on what it feels are the three greatest challenges facing the Adirondack Park today: water quality, wide-spread high speed broadband access and fair and consistent property assessments.

The Chair of AdkAction, David Wolff, said that his group wanted to expand their member base to include more of the south-western areas of the park. He said that they got their start in the Saranac Lake area, and that membership has been centered on that part of the park.

“We have concentrated on three issues that we believe are important to all of the people residing in the Adirondack Park, and we get stuff done,” said Wolff.

To date the group has had some success tracking the use of road salt in the park. With clear numbers showing that the use of road salt was responsible for 84 percent of the salt pollution in the watersheds that were tested, the group was able to meet with the New York State Department of Transportation and get them to agree to cut road salt use and to conduct further studies in the Adirondacks on the impact of road salt.

In the area of water quality the group is also measuring E. coli with the Adirondack Lake Assessment Program and is also working on controlling the invasive Eurasian water milfoil.

In the area of broadband the group was instrumental, along with other groups, in securing a $600,000 state grant to bring high speed wireless to parts of Hamilton County.

In the area of property assessments, AdkAction has run classes especially geared toward the unique challenges facing property assessors in the Adirondack Park. The classes have been so well respected that attending them give assessors continuing education credits from the NYS Office of Real Property Services.

“When you have people with the same issues start working together, the potential to get things done is better,” said Wolff.

If you are interested in joining AdkAction, go to their web site at adkaction.org for more information.