ADK Receives Grant for Phelps Trail Project 

May 27, 2022 — Keene Valley, NY — ADK (Adirondack Mountain Club) was awarded a $14,750 matching grant from the Environmental Protection Fund’s Park and Trail Partnership Grants program for sustainable trail rehabilitation on the Phelps Trail, one of the eastern approaches for Mt. Marcy. ADK will have to raise $1,807.20 in matching funds, for a total of $16,557.20.

The grant is one of 27 awards totaling $900,000 for organizations dedicated to the stewardship and promotion of New York’s state parks and historic sites, trails, and public lands. The grants will be matched with private and local funding and will support projects to strengthen Friends groups and enhance public access and recreational opportunities.  

Friends groups—nonprofit organizations often made up entirely of volunteers—are essential to the stewardship and promotion of our state park system. These dedicated groups raise private funds for capital projects, perform maintenance tasks, provide educational programming, and promote public use through hosting special events.  

The Park and Trail Partnership Grants are administered by Parks & Trails New York, a statewide non-profit organization, in partnership with the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation.  

Parks & Trails New York Executive Director Robin Dropkin said, “With more and more people discovering the outdoors, and visitation to our parks, trails, and public lands soaring, the need for strong public/public partnerships has never been greater. The Park and Trail Partnership Grants help bolster the role of Friends groups in these vital partnerships.” 

“Well-maintained and designed trails improve visitor safety and protect surrounding ecosystems,” said Charlotte Staats, ADK Trails Manager. “We thank Parks & Trails New York for supporting ADK as we work to build better trails in and around the Adirondack Park.” 

In 2023, ADK’s professional trail crew will install numerous sustainable trail features—including rock turnpiking and waterbars—to combat erosion and protect vegetation along the Phelps Trail corridor. This is part of a broader initiative by ADK to create a trail network in the Adirondack Park that is built to withstand increasingly heavy use from visitors and increasing precipitation events from climate change.