North Country Scenic Byway Corridor Management Plan Seeks Akwesasne Input

“What are some of the most memorable experiences you want people to take away from Akwesasne?” This is the question that Susan Fuller of Fuller Communications posed to the group that had gathered for a workshop this past Saturday morning. On behalf of the Adirondack North Country Association (ANCA), Fuller Communications hosted the community workshop at the Office for the Aging to provide a comprehensive overview of the grassroots process being used in developing the North Country Scenic Byway Corridor Management Plan. Lindsay Tarbell from the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe’s Economic Development Office also attended the meeting to update the community on the ways that their office is getting involved with this initiative.

The Scenic Byway Corridor Management Plan covers the area spanning from Rouses Point at the New York and Vermont border and carries through to Massena. The Fuller Communications group, made up of Fuller and her partner Robert Hest, explained to the crowd that for the most part the history of the municipalities that the Byway runs through are similar in certain aspects. It will be these similarities that will be identified by the group, such as historical sites, cultural sites and natural environment sites like the wetlands. The use of the waterways is also a common theme throughout the proposed Byway.

“Years ago this whole area had been a hot spot for fishermen.” recalled community member and basket maker Judy Hemlock-Cole. “The St. Lawrence river is well known in the world for fishing, especially the carp tournament.” said Ben Herne, another attendee of the event.

Identifying the different areas of interest within the territory of Akwesasne is just one facet of the Byway initiative. Another step is to work with all of the Economic Development agencies along the corridor in order to encourage them to work together.

“One of the things I had never liked about the Chamber of Commerce was the territory battles between them,” remarked Hest. “But that mentality seems to be changing and now the groups seem to be more willing to work together.”

In the past a Chamber of Commerce for Akwesasne had been attempted, but had focused only on cigarettes and eventually interest waned. Another hurdle that had been identified for the local area is that some residents will not want the increased activity of tourism. Fuller explained, “The point of having a corridor management plan is to avoid creating another ‘Lake Placid’, where the cost of living became too expensive for the original residents to maintain living in the area. We want to avoid creating that feeling that residents aren’t welcome in these areas.”

In addition to the goal of bringing in tourism from the outside area, there would also be an increased effort to encourage residents of Akwesasne to capitalize on the local features that will be developed. There is a lot of information about the territory that many do not know about, like Drum Street being named after Colonel Drum who lived on the street. “Community input in this project is the core of this whole process,” added Fuller.

“I would like to see the waterways being better used and for local governments to create zoning in the waterways to allow for other avenues of tourism like kayaking, which makes use of the water in an eco-friendly way.” Suggested Karla Ransom, another community member who attended.

Jessica Jock, a SRMT Environment Department worker brought up the notion of having the community cultivate value added crops like making jams and jellies. Akwesasne used to be known for selling caviar to New York City, until over fishing ruined the market. “Setting and maintaining standards so we do not over fish the rivers will mean that compliance will have to play a huge role, especially having the governments working together.” stated Jock. The funding for this Byway initiative is from a federal source stemming from gasoline tax and funding from a transportation act passed by Congress. Another component of this Byway initiative is slated to utilize around $250,000 to develop their portion. The available funding for this initiative is fairly open ended, but expenses must be justified.

The work already done developing the Cultural Tourism strategy already puts Akwesasne ahead of other communities. The strategy identifies the building of an Akwesasne welcome center with tours through parts of the Akwesasne territory. This would create full-time jobs once the project is complete.

An Arts Park along the waterfront next to the hydroelectric dam in Hogansburg is another point of interest highlighted in the strategy. The development of this area would enable small-scale artisans to sell their crafts throughout the summer months without having to wait for the annual powwow.

“Signage will be a key point in this strategy and will direct visitors on the best locations to visit when they are in Akwesasne.” added Fuller. “Having proper signage will also help keep parts of the community private, with the Welcome center providing clear directions on how to get from point A to B.” Fuller stated addressing the earlier concern about having too many tourists in the residential parts of the territory.

“I’m so grateful that we had so many members of the community show up to give their input.” stated Tarbell. “If any community members were not able to attend this session they can always send in information to our office and we can pass it onto Fuller Communications.”

The next meeting scheduled by Fuller Communications will be on Jan. 20 in Canton, NY at the Best Western. If there is enough interest to hold a follow-up meeting to this session, the consultants are willing to come back to Akwesasne. Tarbell will serve on the advisory committee to ensure that the voice of Akwesasne is present while this project moves forward.

During the closing comments section Ransom stated, “this is an exciting initiative with great opportunity to set the standards for tomorrow.”