The Adirondack Park consists of all land, state-owned and private, inside the Blue Line. The Park became a legal entity on 20 May 20 1892 by Chapter 707 of the laws of that year, stating that it was "... to be forever reserved, maintained, and cared for as a ground open for the free use of all the people for their health or pleasure, and as forest lands necessary to the preservation of the headwaters of the chief rivers of the state and a future timber supply." This law described the original Park boundaries, provided for the sale and exchange of land outside the Park, the expenditure of the proceeds for new purchases within the Park lines, and the leasing of campsites within the Park.

The Blue Line is the administrative boundary of the Adirondack Park. Its name is derived from the fact that the State Comptroller in 1884 issued a map of the proposed park with the boundaries outlined in blue.

The Forest Preserve is a designation indicating the highest form of conservation in New York State, as described in the "forever wild" constitutional amendment adopted in 1894 (Vol. V, p. 766), which declares: "The lands of the State, now owned or hereafter acquired, constituting the forest preserve as now fixed by law, shall be forever kept as wild forest lands. They shall not be leased, sold or exchanged, or be taken by any corporation, public or private, nor shall the timber thereon be removed or destroyed." State lands in this classification are found in 12 Adirondack and four Catskill counties.

State Forests are public lands used as experimental or demonstration forests. They represent a small fraction of public Park lands, and are subject to commercial logging to generate revenues.

The Adirondack Park Agency (APA) is the independent New York State agency supervised by a board of commissioners, mandated to include Park residents. The agency, which has an advisory staff of scientists, planners, and lawyers, regulates land use practices within the Blue Line, mainly by issuing or denying permits.

The Empire State Forest Products Association (ESFPA) represents a consortium of private timber landholders in New York State. This group acts as a watchdog and participant in regulatory decisions affecting the Adirondack Park. Members include private land owners, paper companies, lumber companies, furniture manufacturers, and saw mills.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC) is the agency charged with management of the Adirondack Park. This agency also regulates and monitors environmental quality, including air, waters, forests, fisheries, and wildlife, throughout the state.