Adirondack Park News
The Times Union reports on the NYCO land swap. The Post Star takes a look at the proposed NYCO Constitutional Amendment. Also, see a detailed article in the Adirondack Almanack.
Major climate news: The planet has passed a major warming milestone: scientists now seeing 400 parts per million carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. See reports in the Washington Post, National Geographic, and The New York Times. See the NOAA report. Al Gore weighs in on passing 400 parts per million.
Gotham Magazine publishes an article about Governor Cuomo’s affections for the Adirondack Park.
APA works out a good plan for mountaintop emergency communications towers on Forest Preserve and private lands for Essex County. Then County officials blast protections and assessment for Bicknell’s thrush, a rare mountaintop bird. County officials complain to the Governor, the Governor has the APA change permit and UMP. Bad process, no science, a big mess. More information on how the state agencies caved in the face of bogus charges.
Governor Cuomo buys OK Slip Falls, the Blue Ledges and the Hudson River Gorge. New York State also announces plans to finalize purchase of Cat and Thomas Mountains in Bolton overlooking Lake George.
Adirondack Life allows pot shots at those working to protect the Adirondacks by Adirondack Futures project facilitators. PROTECT sets the record straight in the Adirondack Almanack.
Noted Adirondack historian Phil Terrie writes about How to Fix the APA in the new issue of The Adirondack Explorer. He takes a broad look at a range of issues.
The Post Star looks at the question of combatting invasive pests on the Forest Preserve by removing infested trees. This is something the environmental community will very likely have to deal with.
Court approves PROTECT’s motion to challenge state snowmobile trail construction and management program. See news report in North Country Now, the Adirondack Daily Enterprise, and on WAMC public radio.
State set to attempt spruce grouse reintroduction to try and expand the population in the Adirondack Park.
Local outdoors columnist attacks with numerous errors Adirondack Explorer editor Phil Brown over his successful defense of public navigation rights, but then walks back his comments in his next column with a series of corrections.
Brandreth Park Association and Friends of Thayer Lake plan to appeal recent public navigation rights ruling that opened Shingle Shanty Creek and other waters to public use.
The Adirondack Daily Enterprise gets it wrong in an editorial and PROTECT sets the record straight.
New study from Stanford University argues that New York State could produce enough energy from wind-, solar- and hydro-power to meet all its energy needs. Read about the plan here.
The Wildlife Conservation Society Adirondack Program releases new report Protecting Wildlife Connectivity through Land Use Planning: Best Management Practices and the Role of Conservation Development. Download report (see Latest Publications) here.
State is closer to completing purchases of lands at confluence of Indian and Hudson Rivers as well as the OK Slip tract, which includes the Blue Ledges in the Hudson Gorge. Former APA Counsel and Commissioner also tells APA to obey the State Land Master Plan. See report in Daily Enterprise.
The Inbox blog discusses population trends in the Adirondacks. PROTECT also takes a look in the context of state and national trends.
Same old song. Will Doolittle, longtime anti-Adirondack Park columnist for the Glens Falls Post Star, authors error-prone commentary attacking PROTECT with no less than 10 mistakes in less than 400 words. PROTECT corrects the record with a post on the Adirondack Almanack. More sloppiness from Will Doolittle where he can’t be bothered to get the right names of people when he attacks PROTECT.
Brian Mann picks up the conversation about PROTECT’s new Myths & Reality #1 about the Park’s supposed out-of-the ordinary aging population. The comments are lively.
John Caffry talks about the importance of the Brown public navigation rights case.
WCS Adirondack Program finds that exurban development impacts bird species as far as 200 meters away.
Phil Brown and the Adirondack Explorer win their public navigation rights lawsuit. Bravo! See NCPR piece. See editorial from the Times Union, an article in the Adirondack Daily Enterprise, NCPR report, and AP story in the Washington Post.
PROTECT posts a piece on the Adirondack Almanack about its court challenge to the state’s road-like snowmobile trail construction in the Forest Preserve. See the Adirondack Daily Enterprise report on this lawsuit. More news articles in The Saratogian, AP wire, Times Union, and WCAX TV.
DEC clamps down on talking with the media.
The Times Union editorializes on a path ahead for the APA to improve regulatory review of clearcutting applications. PROTECT authors a guest editorial on the Adirondack Almanack on APA clearcutting issue. The NCPR Inbox takes a close look at this issue too.
After APA delays action on clearcutting, Brian Mann looks at the state of large industrial forests in the Adirondack Park. The Daily Enterprise reports.
It’s official: APA tables controversial new General Permit to ease clearcutting rules. PROTECT cheers this decision.
NCPR reports on APA readying approval of new General Permit to loosen clearcutting rules. Times Union, Daily Gazette, North Country Now and Daily Enterprise make reports.
PROTECT cheers 45% cuts in RGGI across 9 states from Maryland to Maine.
It’s time for Governor Cuomo and the DEC to get serious about aquatic invasive species. They should support a mandatory boat inspection and decontamination program on Lake George. Leaders from the Lake George community call the state’s bluff, demand speedy action.
See reports about classification of the TNC/Finch lands in the Adirondack Almanack here and here, and in the Times Union and Post Star.
Adirondack Club & Resort project sees Phase 1 approval delayed by the Town of Tupper Lake Planning Board because it fails to supply necessary information. ACR project is also hung up at the NYS Attorney General’s Office and DEC. Also read where Tupper Lake Village Mayor Paul Maroun personally thanks Governor Cuomo for his “help with the APA Commissioners’ vote for the ACR permit.” Sure sounds like ex parte communications.
Governor Cuomo announces $19 million increase in Environmental Protection Fund to raise it to $153 million in new 2013-14 NYS budget.
NY Attorney General Eric Schneiderman brings pollution fines to use for environmental restoration of acid rain damage in the Adirondack Park.
Short-sighted, cowardly. DEC steps on the Lake George Park Commission and blocks program for mandatory boat inspections, favoring more “study” about the aquatic invasive species problem. Listen to report on WAMC public radio and see the Times Union.
The APA announced that former APA Commissioner James Townsend will take over as the new APA Counsel. The Adirondack Explorer reports on the appointment. See Brian Mann’s take on the hiring and an article in the Schenectady Gazette.
PROTECT salutes the great generosity of Willsboro residents Dick and Leanna DeNeale, who donated over 300 acres to Champlain Area Trails to improve outdoor recreational opportunities and preserve these beautiful lands.
The Times Union reported on the call from PROTECT and other groups for state support for a mandatory boat inspection program to protect Lake George from new aquatic invasive species. See the AP report, Post Star report, and story from Denton Newspapers. Listen to a WAMC news report. The Post Star also reports about Albany holding up plans to protect Lake George.
NCPR reports on APA’s decision to hold off on new forest clearcutting rules. North Country Now also reports on the clearcutting controversy. Read more reports in the Post Star, Times Union, Adirondack Daily Enterprise, Wall Street Journal, and the Utica Observer Dispatch. Listen to the WAMC report.
State closes on first 18,000 acres of commitment to purchase 69,000 acres from The Nature Conservancy for the Forest Preserve. TNC also protected 1,400 acres on a neighboring property through a land swap.
Lani Ulrich takes a look at her first year as APA Chair in the Adirondack Express.
NYS Comptroller’s report raises questions about snowmobile trail maintenance fund spending in the Adirondacks.
Betsy Folwell reports in Adirondack Life on a new protection plan for the Marion River Carry that connects the Marion River to Utowana Lake and the Eckford Chain.
Kim Martineau, reporting for the Adirondack Explorer, asks “What makes this a Park?”
The Adirondack Daily Enterprise recounts a dramatic rescue in the High Peaks.
Letter to the Editor in the Times Union questions the need for a land bank Constitutional Amendment for forever wild Article 14.
Times Union calls on Governor Cuomo to sign enhancement of Environmental Protection Fund.
Adirondack Daily Enterprise, Post Star, Adirondack Explorer blog, and Times Union report on new APA clearcut rules.
New NRDC reports finds climate change has already caused $1 billion in economic losses due to warming winters across 38 states.
WAMC public radio reports on new filings in PROTECT’s lawsuit against the APA challenging its ACR approvals. See story in the Adirondack Daily Enterprise.
Listen to a report on WAMC public radio about PROTECT’s proposal for a new Upper Hudson River Wilderness Area. Listen to Brian Mann’s report on NCPR too. See more news reports in the Troy Record, Press Republican, Adirondack Daily Enterprise, two pieces in the the Adirondack Almanack here and here, and the Daily Gazette.
The Adirondack Daily Enterprise takes a hard look at why Saranac Lakes Wild Forest UMP has taken more than 10 years to produce.
Phil Brown takes a look at the issues around 28,000-acre Brandon Park, listed for sale for $27 million.
PROTECT rebuts more false charges about our lawsuit against the APA over its Adirondack Club & Resort approval decision.
The Adirondack Almanack takes a look at snowmobile trail construction based on PROTECT’s field work.
See PROTECT arguments that new Finch purchase has no negative economic impacts in “It’s Debatable” in November 2012 issue of the Adirondack Explorer.
See PROTECT Letter to the Editor in the Times Union.
The Daily Enterprise published a guest editorial from PROTECT about the merits of the APA-ACR lawsuit.
Governor Cuomo visits the Boreas Ponds, the heart of the TNC-Finch lands deal. See press reports in the Times Union, NCPR, Press Republican, the New York Times and Wall Street Journal. Also, see a video of the Governor’s press conference.
The Times Union takes a hard look at PROTECT’s motion for discovery concerning ex parte communications. NCPR reports on PROTECT’s motion for full discovery in APA-ACR lawsuit. The Daily Enterprise posts the press release with a few comments and also filed a news report. Phil Brown writes about the PROTECT-Sierra motion too. The Capitol Confidential weighs in.
The state plans to move ahead with historic purchase of former Finch, Pruyn & Company lands now owned by the Nature Conservancy.
Getting old. The Post Star throws more stones and PROTECT responds.
Adirondack Explorer focuses on weak APA shoreline protections
Times Union report about PROTECT’s argument that the ACR Finding and Order has expired and the Adirondack Almanack piece on expiration issue and the Adirondack Daily Enterprise report
Jessica Collier of the Daily Enterprise writes about PROTECT’s ex parte allegations as part of its Reply in the APA-ACR Lawsuit. The Inbox also covered the exparte allegations.
