First and foremost, we wish to extend our thanks to the staff of the Adirondack North Country Association (ANCA). Their cooperation, guidance, and assistance through each phase of the project allowed the study team to provide a higher caliber planning effort than would have otherwise been possible. We are especially grateful to Ms. Terry deFranco, ANCA Executive Director, who diligently reviewed numerous drafts of the planning document and made important contributions to the presentation of the findings and recommendations. Howard Riley and Leslie Higgins assisted the study team on a number of occasions, and coordinated the successful Adirondack North Country Bicycle Forum.

A thank you is extended to Ron Ofner, Chairman of the ANCA Tourism Committee, and all the committee members for their participation in a number of project review meetings, and for their help in guiding the project from inception to successful completion.

We appreciate the time of the 132 lodging owners and the 96 bicyclists who answered our lengthy questionnaire surveys, thereby contributing accurate, contemporary data to the planning effort. Nadia Korths and Joni Seidenstein served as research assistants during the survey aspect of the project.

We would like to offer our thanks to the many individuals from throughout the 14 county ANCA region who provided information on bicycling in their areas, and especially those 60 individuals who participated in the Adirondack North Country Bicycle Forum in Saranac Lake in July, 1994. Their suggestions and insights are reflected in the final plan, and were critical to achieving a planning effort that begins to address the bicycle needs of such a large and diverse area. A special note of thanks to Jeff Olson, NYS Department of Transportation Bicycle/Pedestrian Program Manager, for his participation in the Forum and for his support throughout the planning effort.

The following individuals kindly reviewed draft discussions of their respective counties:

Clinton County Glen Cutter, County Planning Department

Essex County Bill Johnston, County Planning Department

Franklin County Neil Seymour, County Tourism Department

Fulton County Laurel Corby, County Chamber of Commerce

Hamilton County Dick Bird, Chamber of Commerce

Herkimer County Robert Hall, Central Adirondack Association

Jefferson County Steve Fort, County Planning Department

Lewis County Karen Delmonico, County Chamber of Commerce

Oneida County Brian Sanders, County Planning Department

Oswego County Bryan Madigan, County Planning Department

Saratoga County Helene Brecker, County Heritage Trail Network

St. Lawrence County Dale Lally, Canton Bicycle Club & NY Bicycling Coalition

Warren County Pat Beland, County Parks & Recreation

Washington County Rob Brooks, County Planning Department

We benefited from the comments and suggestions of a few individuals who reviewed large sections of the Bicycle Master Plan: Dan Palm and Jan Maas of the St. Lawrence-Eastern Ontario Commission; Wendy O'Neil, Adirondack Forest Preserve Public Use and Information Plan coordinator for NYS Department of Environmental Conservation; and David Fasser and Mo Garvey with NYS Department of Transportation.

Dave Zembiec, of the Tug Hill Commission, deserves recognition for his support of the project and his past work as ANCA's Tourism Committee Chairman. His vision for cooperative planning in the region served to stimulate the initial support for this planning effort.

Finally, a special note of thanks to the close to 60 bicycle shop owners in the Adirondack North Country Region who provided information on bicyclists and bicycling. Their enthusiasm and support for bicycling, and their willingness to take a chance on growing a small business in the North Country, were an inspiration to the study team and provide a solid foundation for successful bicycle planning and promotion in the region.