Gary Randorf papers

Gary Randorf (1937-2019) was a conservationist and nature photographer. He began his career in 1972 as ecologist with the Adirondack Park Agency working with Clarence Petty to document the Park’s Wild, Scenic, and Recreational Rivers. He was an important voice in policy discussions during a critical era in Adirondack history as the ethical and scientific uses of the Park were being determined.

Working for the Adirondack Council from 1977 to 1987 as director, then executive director. He lobbied legislators and presented testimony at hearings working to expand the Wild and Scenic Rivers system and defend the Forever Wild clause of the NYS constitution. He argued the AC’s position on proposals for residential and corporate development and mining. When acid rain threatened the ecology of the Park, Randorf went to Washington to lobby NYS congressional delegates for support of corrective legislation. As a member of both organizations he strived to work together to achieve the common goals of government, private organizations, and public citizens.

In addition to defending the Park through legislation, Randorf worked to build appreciation of the Adirondacks through his work as a naturalist and senior natural planner for the APA. He also worked to educate through his photography. He published The Adirondacks: Wild Islands of Hope, Celebration of Wildness, and Beside the Stilled Waters with the belief in the power of images to effect change. He actively worked to design informative and compelling Visitors’ Centers in the Adirondacks.