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National changes across Rural America shape what’s happening in the Adirondacks

One of the most striking maps coming out of the 2016 Presidential election is the red-blue county map. Despite Clinton winning the popular vote by 3 million, the county map shows a sea of red [...]

2019-09-12T23:42:10-04:00June 7, 2018|

Gooley Club buildings should be torn down and Third Lake on the Essex Chain Lakes should be restored

A decision to retain the collection of a more than a dozen buildings of the "Inner Gooley Club" on Third Lake, deep in the heart of the Essex Chain Lakes, would be terrible. The Gooley [...]

2019-09-13T01:20:35-04:00June 6, 2018|

The problem with buildings on the Forest Preserve, part 3

Buildings on the Forest Preserve are limited by state laws, regulations and policies to administrative and historic preservation purposes. The biggest looming threat to the Forest Preserve is the proposal to expand allowable buildings to [...]

2019-09-13T01:14:15-04:00April 14, 2018|

The problem with buildings on the Forest Preserve, part 2

The management of historic buildings on the Forest Preserve has been a vexing issue for decades. State management has evolved over the years from a position of building removal to now accommodating historic buildings on [...]

2020-11-10T16:56:17-05:00April 10, 2018|

Failed railroad CEO seeks a $5 million payday from the State of New York or local governments

In March 2016, Ed Ellis stood before the Warren County Board of Supervisors and said that there would be no oil tanker railcars stored in the Adirondacks. He said it again and again as he [...]

2019-09-15T13:35:24-04:00April 8, 2018|

US Census estimates in 2010 to 2017 that 44 of 52 counties in Upstate NY and 53% of US counties lost population

The US Census 2017 population estimates are out and 11 of the 12 Adirondack counties lost population. These estimates are based on samples and are not the comprehensive decennial censuses based on extensive surveys and [...]

2019-09-15T13:37:52-04:00March 29, 2018|

Governor signs classification to create over 25,000 acres of new Wilderness lands in Adirondack Park, including Boreas Ponds

Governor's signature concludes state's purchase and classification of over 69,000 acres Forest Preserve state acquired 2012-2016. With a stroke of the pen, Governor Cuomo created over 25,000 acres of new Wilderness in the Adirondack Park. [...]

2019-09-14T10:56:11-04:00March 20, 2018|

Thoughts on 50 Years of Forest Preserve Purchases and Classifications

When evaluating the final decisions in early February by the Adirondack Park Agency (APA) and Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) on the 2016 Forest Preserve classification package, which included the Boreas Ponds and over 50,000 [...]

2019-09-15T13:39:30-04:00March 1, 2018|

Empire Forests of the Future Initiative worthy of support and advances protections for New York’s forests

A major new program in Governor Andrew's Cuomo's 2018-19 state budget is the Empire Forests of the Future Initiative, referred to as "EFFI." This new program seeks to overhaul and modernize two longstanding "Preferential Forest [...]

2019-09-15T13:43:12-04:00February 21, 2018|
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