The end of 2022 was busy with policy news as Gov. Kathy Hochul signed and vetoed remaining bills. On the afternoon of Dec. 23 she signed the 30-by-30 bill setting a conservation goal for the state to protect 30% of its lands and waters by 2030. You can read more on that here.

We also received a 140-page report from the New York Prison Redevelopment Commission that noted the Moriah Shock Incarceration Facility in Essex County will need a constitutional amendment for redevelopment. I spoke with local leaders about the report, including Moriah Supervisor Thomas Scozzafava, who was “extremely disappointed” about it. Should state legislators introduce a constitutional amendment in session this year for Moriah Shock, that will make five proposed constitutional amendments regarding the Adirondack Park under consideration. You can read the story about the prison report here.

We made it to 2023! Happy New Year! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season. I am celebrating my 3-year work anniversary at the Explorer. In case you missed it, our Explorer team put together a short piece on why we do what we do. Here’s what I said:

“I work for the Explorer because each day is different. Some days the office is a World War II-era barge carrying me across Lake George, or the winding trails guiding me along New Hampshire’s Franconia Ridge. Some days are on my computer, sifting through records and digging into a story that no one else has discovered. Our readers are passionate about the Adirondack Park, and it is a privilege and exciting challenge to provide them with both breaking news and in-depth stories.”

You can read my colleagues’ answers here.

Photo at top: Gov. Kathy Hochul celebrates the start of construction on the Champlain Hudson Power Express on Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2022 in Whitehall. Photo by Gwendolyn Craig

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