Officials from the Fort Drum Regional Liaison Organization's Growth Management Task Force said the Army post and surrounding communities must work together to handle the post's expansion successfully.

"You hope everybody kind of realizes we are all in this together and a more regional approach can benefit everybody," said Ellen M. Heath, principal of EDAW, Atlanta, Ga., one of the planning firms involved in the task force.

The liaison organization made its first presentation to the community about the impact of the post's growth on the surrounding area Wednesday at Jefferson Community College.

It was titled "The Fort Drum Story" and designed to provide officials and residents with an overview of the growth management strategy study FDRLO commissioned.

The study, which began in the fall, aims to identify current and future issues the region will encounter due to Fort Drum's continued expansion. It is being conducted by EDAW and Behan Planning Associates LLC, Saratoga Springs, and is funded by a $180,000 grant from the Department of Defense.

Lawrence K. Bice, community planner for Behan, said the area's population has grown by 5 percent in the last seven years, largely spurred by the installation.

He also said Fort Drum has brought 29,477 military and civilian jobs to the area, and accounts for 25 percent of all the jobs in the three-county region. He said that does not take into account the indirect jobs created in health care, education, and other fields by population growth.

While this expansion has led to the construction of many new residences and businesses in the area, municipalities must begin planning to avoid encroachment on Fort Drum's property.

Ms. Heath said this is not currently a problem because there is little development around most of the installation's borders, but steps should be taken now to prevent future conflicts.

Ms. Heath said high-density sites such as housing complexes, schools, and hospitals should be avoided in the immediate area around the installation as they could be easily disrupted by military activity on post.

She said one way to accomplish this could be to add zoning laws to town and village codes that provide for a half-mile buffer around the installation's fence.

"It's not preventing development," Ms. Heath said. "It's preventing incompatible development."

Mr. Bice added to that recommendation, stating that every community should have a plan in place to deal with the population and commercial growth that will come with the post's expansion.

"A plan really guides decision making and also it's a community-supported vision," he said.

Mr. Bice said the task force's next step will be to meet with local officials in smaller groups to find out what those visions are. The task force will also make future projections on both the installation and area's growth and determine a detailed strategy on how to best manage it.

The task force's final report, including specific recommendations for local communities, will be published in March 2009.