The Adirondack Park Agency (APA) and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) are holding a joint public comment period to solicit comments for an amendment to the Blue Mountain Wild Forest Unit Management Plan.
Public comment will be accepted until October 30, 2019. » Continue Reading.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) had release of the latest design of the New York State Trail Supporter Patch.
Trail Supporter Patches resemble DEC trail markers, with the newest patch representing markers for connector trails, a yellow round disc with black lettering. The previous red design is no longer available.
Patch sale proceeds help maintain and enhance DEC’s non-motorized recreation trails throughout the state. All monies raised from patch purchases will be deposited in the Conservation Fund’s Outdoor Recreation, Trail Maintenance, and Development Account. » Continue Reading.
Field-level research funded by the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program is responding to the need to better understand how tile drainage influences nutrient efficiency, water quality, crop production, farm economics, and environmental stewardship.
Results from the most recent data collection from tiles installed at the Lake Alice Wildlife Management Area in Chazy, and on a working farm in Clinton County are adding to a database designed to quantify surface and underground movement of nutrients beyond field boundaries. » Continue Reading.
By the metric of public use the High Peaks Wilderness Area, and nearby Giant, Hurricane and Sentinel Range Wilderness areas, are major successes. The crowds hiking in the High Peaks are at an all-time high. The current dismal state of many of the hiking trails does not seem to be a major deterrent to the throngs of people eager to hike one of the High Peaks.
For many people hiking a mountain like a High Peak is no sure thing and is, and should be, a challenge. There are plenty of highly used and popular smaller mountains throughout the Adirondacks that provide stunning views, but the allure of hiking a High Peak is immense.
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) has announced best practice standards to advance more resilient and energy efficient buildings across the state.
The release of the NYStretch Energy Code – 2020 (2020 NYStretch) toolkit is expected to aid municipalities interested in voluntarily adopting higher efficiency standards for new and renovated building construction projects.
The Adirondack Council on October 4th sent a letter to Adirondack Park Agency Deputy Director for Planning Richard Weber urging that the proposed Sentinel Range Wilderness Area Unit Management Plan be incorporated into a larger landscape-scale plan for all public and private lands around the High Peaks Wilderness Area.
The Council also urged the APA to improve its monitoring of impacts of recreation on the ecology and wild character of the Forest Preserve, especially in wilderness areas. As it does with other unit management plans, the APA must decide whether it complies with the Adirondack Park State Land Master Plan. » Continue Reading.
Adirondack Wild: Friends of the Forest Preserve will make free hard copies of its guidebook Pathways to a Connected Adirondack Park available during its Keene Valley meeting on Saturday, October 12, 2019 at the Keene Valley Congregational Church.
The illustrated guidebook, authored by conservation biologist Dr. Michael Klemens, was written to de-mystify the process of ecologically-informed land use and development for a general audience. It defines and describes the threat to people and wildlife of fragmentation of large contiguous areas in the Adirondack Park by being broken up into ever smaller, isolated patches of land. The publications describes ten strategies for localities and for regional entities like the Adirondack Park Agency (APA) to adopt which can lead to better land use decisions that avoid or minimize fragmentation, reduce the ecological footprint of development and still accommodate vibrant human communities, working forests and outdoor recreation. » Continue Reading.
On Tuesday New York Supreme Court Judge Robert Muller granted a motion by two Adirondack environmental groups to preliminarily enjoin the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) from constructing of a new snowmobile bridge over the Cedar River until a decision is reached in an ongoing lawsuit.
The river is designated as a Scenic River under New York’s Wild, Scenic, and Recreational Rivers System Act.
The preliminary injunction was issued in response to a lawsuit brought by Adirondack Wild: Friends of the Forest Preserve and Protect the Adirondacks! The court decision halts construction of the trail at the banks of the Cedar River for now. » Continue Reading.
Warren County and the Town of Hague have earned the Sustainable Winter Management (SWiM) Program certification for reducing the use of road salt — and its runoff into Lake George and other waterways — while maintaining safe driving conditions.
The SWiM certification was developed and is administered by winter management consulting firm WIT Advisers, LLC, of Delanson, NY. In 2018, the Town of Lake George became the first municipality in North America to earn the certification. » Continue Reading.
State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced up to $1.2 million in grant funding is available for urban forestry projects across New York. Grants are available for tree planting, maintenance, tree inventory, community forest management plans, and for educating those who care for public trees. » Continue Reading.
Adirondack Mountain Club (ADK) has announced that Michael Barrett has been appointed as the new Executive Director of ADK, which will be effective in November. The appointment was unanimously approved by the ADK Board of Directors at its September 28, 2019 meeting the announcement said.
Barrett is a former foreign language interrogator for the United States Army. He went on to obtain his law degree in 2002 before serving as an attorney to the NYS Assembly Codes Committee. He later held executive-level positions in both the Spitzer and Paterson administrations. » Continue Reading.
The Adirondack Council’s 2019-20 State of the Park report is subtitled “Challenged by Success,” noting that the success of state tourism campaigns is straining the park’s lands and waters, as record numbers of hikers climb the state’s tallest mountains and as recreational boating and off-road vehicles gain popularity.
The challenge is especially noticeable in the High Peaks Wilderness Area, but can be seen in popular locations throughout the park, the report notes. State of the Park is the organization’s annual comprehensive assessment of the actions of local, state and federal government officials. This 38th edition rates 106 separate government actions. » Continue Reading.
A study published in the journal Science reveals that since 1970, bird populations in the United States and Canada have declined by 29 percent, or almost 3 billion birds, signaling what has been considered a widespread ecological crisis.
The results show tremendous losses across diverse groups of birds and habitats — from iconic songbirds such as meadowlarks to long-distance migrants such as swallows, and backyard birds such as sparrows. More research is needed to pinpoint primary causes for declines in individual species. » Continue Reading.
The Adirondack Research Consortium has announced a Forestry Roundtable event, set for Tuesday, October 15th, from 9:30 am to 3 pm, in the Northwest Bay Conference Center, Adirondack Hall, at SUNY Adirondack, 640 Bay Road, Queensbury. » Continue Reading.
In the Adirondacks, alpine ecosystems are areas above the treeline that are home to rare and endangered alpine plants more commonly found in arctic regions of North America.
Alpine ecosystems cover approximately 173 acres on top of more than a dozen High Peaks, including Marcy, Algonquin and Wright. Alpine vegetation is highly susceptible to human impacts such as trampling and climate change.
Ten years ago, the Adirondacks hosted the Northeastern Alpine Stewardship Gathering for the first time. Since then visitor usage has increased in the High Peaks region, where all of the Park’s alpine ecosystems can be found.
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