If you've ever visited Niagara Falls, you know how 150 years of commercialization of the Gorge has diminished -- but not yet ruined -- its grandeur. Development (including road construction) that would never be permitted now has lined the Gorge's shoulders.
There is now the chance of restoring a more natural look, feel and sound to a portion of the Gorge.
That can happen if 6.5 miles of the Robert Moses Parkway are removed from the New York side of the Gorge and replaced with a non-motorized greenway, as as the Niagara Heritage Partnership is arguing. A leader of the cause is Bob Baxter, who writes, "That the parkway is damaging to the fragile gorge and river ecology is not in dispute. Five and a half miles of four-lane parkway equals nearly three million square feet of rapid run-off surface. Hundreds of tons of salt are spread annually on this highway; routine herbicide applications to hinder “undesirable” vegetation contributes to this contamination introduced into an environment supporting centuries old white pine and other botanical communities unique to New York State. The NY Office of State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation documents 231,738.75 tons of carbon emissions annually from vehicles using the gorge parkway.
"Restored natural landscapes along a parkway-free gorge rim would provide economic and environmental potential for our region. It would enlarge the Globally Significant Important Bird Area by over 300 acres, creating a green space attractive to those seeking green vacations. Visitors could select hiking experiences according to their interests: within the gorge itself, or a more casual walk along the blacktop rim path, and wonderful family or group bicycling trips that would incorporate Lewiston and Youngstown as destinations. For more experienced and ambitious cyclers, the ride would extend along the upper river to Grand Island and beyond, and would also link up with the historic Seaway Trail at Lake Ontario."
