I neglected to share this with you in my last newsletter. In case you didn’t see this story online, Adirondack Park Agency staff are in the review process of an application for a military ballistics testing range. Michael Hopmeier, owner of the former Atlas F missile silo site in Lewis, has already been conducting small firearms testing indoors. Now, he’s applying for an APA permit to test the ballistics of military cannons manufactured in Watervliet.

Neighbors are mostly against the proposal, though the town supervisor and one neighbor are supporting it. The APA said Hopmeier’s application is incomplete so we won’t see any decisions yet. You can read our story about the proposal here, as well as Adirondack Council’s reaction to it here.

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer was in the Adirondacks recently to discuss the Inflation Reduction Act. He was joined by Michael Barrett, executive director of the Adirondack Mountain Club and Willie Janeway, executive director of the Adirondack Council. The act includes $370 billion for clean energy investments including tax credits for solar panels and wind turbines, funding for clean transportation and an expanded clean electricity tax credit. Within that pot of money is also $60 billion for clean air and water projects in environmental justice communities. Schumer suggested upstate New York could benefit.

Also notable for Adirondack communities is $1.5 billion for establishing community and urban forests, $125 million for invasive species control and $125 million for endangered species recovery plans. Billions will also go toward investments in climate-smart agriculture and rural development, including voluntary conservation programs, loan modifications and economic relief for some farmers and loan and grant programs for rural small businesses.

U.S. Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, R-Schuylerville, was also in the Adirondacks in recent weeks, attending the opening of the Lake George Wastewater Treatment Plant. She noted that $500,000 from the Northern Border Regional Commission supported the building of the $24 million plant.

I’m sorry to write that Timothy Barnett, a conservation leader in the Adirondacks, has died. Explorer Editor Jim Odato has a story about Barnett’s life and legacy.

We also had an update about an APA lawsuit regarding the last developable lot in an Upper Saranac Lake subdivision. Seven neighbors sued the APA and two of their incoming neighbors over a permit amendment for Deerwood Subdivision. The neighbors have lost the lawsuit, but now they have filed a notice of appeal. You can read more about that here: https://www.adirondackexplorer.org/stories/upper-saranac-subdivision-septic-permit-dispute.

Zachary Matson has an update on the newly passed boat inspection law and the stewards and environmental conservation officers educating the public about it. Read more here: https://www.adirondackexplorer.org/stories/no-boat-left-behind.

Image at top: A diagram shows the layout of proposed cannon testing in Lewis. Image courtesy of Unconventional Concepts Inc.’s application to the Adirondack Park Agency

Editor’s note: This first appeared in Gwen’s weekly “Adirondack Report” newsletter. Click here to sign up.