Paul Smith’s College Adirondack Watershed Institute (AWI) recently presented new research detailing the threat of aquatic invasive species in Adirondack lakes at the Northeast Aquatic Plant Management Society meeting in Lake Placid.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s Invasive Species Management Grant Program funded AWI to undertake two studies. » Continue Reading.
Sometimes I wonder if the Biblical plagues of ancient Egypt have lingered in one form or another. Blooms of toxic algae, which occasionally turn water a blood-red color, are on the increase. Gnats and lice have been supplanted by deer ticks, which I’d argue are even worse, and there is no shortage of hail in season. Frog outbreaks may not have occurred since Pharaoh’s time, but poisonous cane toads imported to Australia are now running amok there, decimating all manner of native animals. And currently, swarms of locusts are causing great hardship in Somalia, Ethiopia, and Kenya.
Here in the Northeast, we are blessedly free of the kind of swarm-feeding grasshoppers that continue to cause suffering in Africa. Nonetheless, locusts have become such a problem that in 2014 the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) declared the locust a Regulated Invasive Species, meaning it “cannot be knowingly introduced into a free-living state.” In other words, locusts are only legal in an environment from which they can’t escape. » Continue Reading.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced that invasive zebra mussels were discovered in late January 2020 in Delta Lake, which supplies water to DEC’s Rome Fish Hatchery. Subsequent water testing at the hatchery confirmed the presence of zebra mussel veligers (larvae) in an outdoor raceway.
The Rome Hatchery is one of DEC’s largest hatcheries with annual production totaling nearly 160,000 pounds of brook, rainbow, and brown trout. » Continue Reading.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced the release of a draft Recreation Management Plan (RMP) for the Croghan Tract Conservation Easement in Lewis County in the Western Adirondacks.
DEC is now inviting the public to share comments and ask questions about the draft plan at a public meeting and/or to submit comments on the draft RMP during the 30-day public comment period. » Continue Reading.
East Mill Flow-Round Pond Trail, part of the Hammond Pond Wild Forest, extends 5.2 miles between Round Pond Trailhead and East Mill Flow Trailhead in the Sharp Bridge Campground. » Continue Reading.
DEC manages 4.6 million acres of public lands, including three million acres in the Adirondack and Catskill Forest Preserves, more than 5,000 miles of formal trails, campgrounds, day use areas, and hundreds of trailheads, boat launches, and fishing piers. » Continue Reading.
New York State bear hunters took 1,505 black bears during the 2019 hunting seasons, the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation is reporting.
Hunters took a record 1,179 bears in the Southern Zone, while hunters in the Northern Zone took only 326 bears, the fewest since 2011.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced that the statewide Trees for Tribs “Buffer in a Bag” application period is now open.
The Buffer in a Bag initiative is designed to increase riparian buffers statewide by engaging landowners in small-scale plantings. Qualifying private and public landowners may apply for a free bag of 25 tree and shrub seedlings for planting near streams, rivers, or lakes to help stabilize banks, protect water quality, and improve wildlife habitat. » Continue Reading.
Chazy Lake is approximately 1,800 acres in size, runs 3.5 miles in length, and has a maximum depth of 72 feet. Chazy Lake is managed under the Chazy Highlands Wild Forest and is set in the valley between Lyon and Ellenburg Mountain providing excellent mountain views and great fishing opportunities.
Ice fishing is permitted on Chazy Lake which holds lake trout and landlocked salmon. The best fishing is said to be concentrated in the center of the lake over the deepest water. » Continue Reading.
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Forest Rangers respond to search and rescue incidents in the Adirondacks. Working with other state agencies, local emergency response organizations and volunteer search and rescue groups, Forest Rangers locate and extract lost, injured or distressed people from the Adirondack backcountry.
What follows is a report, prepared by DEC, of recent missions carried out by Forest Rangers in the Adirondacks. » Continue Reading.
According to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), the 2019 hunting seasons in New York were the safest on record. DEC documented seven tree stand incidents and one fatality in 2019.
More than a half million people hunt each year in New York State. Staff and volunteer hunter education program instructors teach about 40,000 students each year according to DEC. » Continue Reading.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is constructing an accessible full-service restroom at the Lake Flower Boat Launch.
The restroom will be built in the western corner of the boat launch property near the sidewalk along River Street and is expected to be ready for use during next year’s boating season. DEC will connect the restroom to the municipal water and sewer supplies. The facility, with restrooms for both men and women, will have four toilets and two sinks. » Continue Reading.
New York State Park Police and State Police are reminding all snowmobile riders to make safety their priority in an effort to reduce the number of personal injury and fatal accidents throughout the State of New York.
Everyone operating a snowmobile should be familiar with safe riding practices and all applicable laws, rules, and regulations. The best way to learn is by taking a snowmobile safety course, which can be found online. A safety certificate is required for youth between ages 10 and 18.
The storm on Thursday and Friday left power out for thousands of Adirondackers and left snow depths and conditions ideal for snowshoeing, skiing, snowmobiling, and other winter activities. But it also left a potentially deadly threat on steep open terrain – the threat of avalanche.
The majority of avalanches in the U.S. occur out west, but avalanches do occur in the northeast. Much of the steep open terrain is found in the High Peaks, but avalanche-prone terrain is found on mountains throughout the Adirondacks, including Snowy Mountain in Hamilton County. DEC warned the public Friday about the increased potential for avalanches. It’s a warning that history tells us we should take seriously.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced the release of the draft New York State Forest Action Plan for public review and comment. The State Forest Action Plan is a 10-year strategic plan for DEC and New York’s forestry community that provides long‐term, comprehensive, and coordinated strategies for addressing the challenges facing New York’s forests today. » Continue Reading.
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