Northern Frontier Summary Report
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Project Brief

Along the Mohawk and Susquehanna Valleys and the Erie Canal of Upstate New York lies a region contained within an area historically known as the Northern Frontier. This territory was hotly contested during the French and Indian War, American Revolution, and War of 1812 due to its military, agricultural, transportation, and commercial importance.

Due to the significance of the region in American history, a Special Resource Study (SRS) was commissioned in 1998 through legislation with former Congressman Sherwood Boehlert's (Twenty-third/Twenty-fourth District, New York) support to provide resource information and analysis that could lead to formal national recognition of the study area. Such recognition could provide opportunities for technical and financial assistance for the management of the regions historic resources. To this end, the National Park Service contracted with the Faculty of Landscape Architecture at the State University of New York, College of Environmental Science of Forestry in Syracuse to conduct the study.

Our goal was to develop alternative management scenarios for the Northern Frontier Special Resource Area. To accomplish this task, we prepared a database of the historical, cultural, and natural resources that share a relationship to the Northern Frontier study area and heritage theme. 192 contributing thematic resources across New York were identified and mapped using ArcView geographic information system software.

As we moved into the second phase of the schedule, the thematic resource data was analyzed based on criteria developed by the National Park Service for Special Resource Studies to determine alternative management strategies for the Northern Frontier heritage landscape.

Our mission concluded with the publication of a summary report highlighting the proposed management scenarios with related cultural and economic benefits for the communities within the study area.