Posts Tagged ‘logging’

Friday, July 22, 2016

Court Upholds Halt Of DEC’s Forest Preserve Tree Cutting

minerva to newcomb snowmobile trailThe Appellate Division, Third Department, of state Supreme Court issued an order today to uphold an injunction against tree cutting by the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) on a new 9-12 foot wide snowmobile trail between Newcomb and Minerva in the central Adirondacks.

The DEC cut over 4,000 trees on 2.9 miles of this trail in the fall of 2015, had recently cut over 1,000 more trees on a new 3-mile section, and was about to cut thousands more trees, including many located in old growth forest habitat. » Continue Reading.


Monday, July 18, 2016

Chainsaw Safety Course Set For Thursday

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Warren County will be holding a free Chainsaw Safety course on Thursday, July 21st at 1 pm at the Cornell Cooperative Extension Education Center at 377 Schroon River Road in Warrensburg.

Chainsaws are among the most useful and dangerous outdoor power tools owned and operated by landowners. Severe injuries include deep, jagged lacerations embedding foreign substances resulting from direct contact with the chain saw; strains and sprains from improper handling; and contusions concussions and/or fractures caused by being struck by objects while cutting. Improper long term use may result in loss of hearing and diminished nerve sensitivity. » Continue Reading.


Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Matty’s Mountain Management Plan Includes Selective Tree Cutting

Berry Pond Preserve and Matty’s MountainSince the Lake George Land Conservancy was established in 1988, the organization has protected more than 10,000 acres from development, largely to maintain the clarity and water quality of Lake George. But when conserving a property, its Board of Directors also considers a preserve’s broader value – for recreation, education and wildlife habitat.

In 2009, for instance, the Conservancy hired ecologists to study bird populations and in 2010, it began working toward establishing a managed wildlife refuge on one of its preserves.

And earlier this year, the board approved a Stewardship Plan for Matty’s Mountain, a 175 acre parcel in Lake George bordered on three sides by the Berry Pond Preserve. » Continue Reading.


Monday, May 16, 2016

Conservation Council President On Managing ‘Forever Wild’ Lands

Wilderness around Fulton Chain from Castle Rock above Blue Mountain Lake

At a recent meeting I attended with other sportsmen, outdoor advocates and various environmental professionals, the topic of balance among the concerns of our lands and forests, wildlife, and people was being discussed.

From the perspective of the New York State Conservation Council, there is nearly a complete loss of balance on state lands in the Adirondacks because of an overbearing philosophy within the forest preserve, the forever wild philosophy, and wilderness and wild forest classifications. Thus the carrying capacity for song birds, wild game and other species in the Adirondacks is severely lacking. » Continue Reading.


Thursday, April 28, 2016

POW Labor Camps in the Adirondacks

PineCamp1942The word Adirondack calls to mind many things — natural beauty, family playground, sporting opportunities, colorful history — but nothing so dark as prisoner-of-war host.

Yet during the last world war (let’s hope it was the last), followers of Hitler and Mussolini populated the North Country. Volumes have been written about the suffering endured in POW camps, but for countries adhering to the Geneva Conventions, there was a clear set of rules to follow. Among them was that prisoners must receive adequate provisions and supplies (food, clothing, living quarters), and if put to work, they must be paid. » Continue Reading.


Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Kushaqua Tract Plan Includes 100 Miles Of Public Roads

Kushaqua Roads MapThe New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has released the Final Kushaqua Tract Conservation Easement Lands Recreational Management Plan (RMP) for motorized recreational use of snowmobiles, ATVs, and motor vehicles on the approximately 18,000-acre easement in the northern Adirondacks.

The Kushaqua Tract Conservation Easement Lands are located in the towns of Franklin and Brighton in Franklin County formerly owned by International Paper Corporation. DEC purchased a conservation easement on the lands in 2004 which included development rights and logging requirements. The easement also includes public access to the property and more than 100 miles of existing roads. » Continue Reading.


Thursday, March 17, 2016

Trees: White Pine Bears Important Fruit

eastern white pineThe old saw “money doesn’t grow on trees” will remain valid unless bartering ever becomes the norm, in which case fruit and nut growers will be awash in tree-grown currency. Figuring exchange rates would be quite a headache, I imagine. Our eastern white pine isn’t considered a crop-bearing tree and it certainly doesn’t sprout cash, but it has borne priceless ‘fruit’ all the same.

The tallest trees this side of the Rockies, white pines of up to 230 feet were recorded by early loggers. The current US champion stands at 188 feet tall, and in New York State we have several over 150 feet. In terms of identification, white pine makes it easy. It’s the only native pine out east that bears needles in bundles of five, one for each letter in ‘white.’ (To be clear, the letters are not actually written on the needles.) It produces attractive, six-inch long cones with resin-tipped scales, perfect for fire starting and for wreaths and other holiday decorations (might want to keep those away from open flames). » Continue Reading.


Monday, November 2, 2015

Raquette Lake Railway Creation Myths

forge dock 4a11219uWhile researching the Raquette Lake Railway, I found several historical traditions that were repeatedly used by authors in their works regarding the railroad’s origin. Below I examine these traditions and then provide my research on its origin from period correspondence and historical sources, including the rationale from the words of its builder, Collis P. Huntington. » Continue Reading.


Thursday, October 8, 2015

Roads Less Traveled: The Five Ponds Wilderness

Old logging road south of Slim PondOld forest roads get more use than one would think in the Adirondacks. Although they see few motor vehicles these days, many see enough foot traffic, whether it be boot or paw, to maintain their existence in perpetuity. This resiliency is especially useful when planning backcountry adventures, where old roads often allow efficient access to some rather remote areas. » Continue Reading.


Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Old Forest Roads In The Adirondack Backcountry

Negro Lake Jeep TrailBushwhacking is hard work. Trudging through dense forest, struggling with hobblebush thickets, climbing over downed trees, and dodging wetlands is no simple walk in the park; unless it’s the Adirondack Park.

An well-trod  path provides welcome relief from all this effort, whether it’s a herd path or a marked trail. Old forest roads offer another opportunity for respite, while still retaining that wilderness feel. In the Adirondack backcountry, these old roads are rather abundant.
» Continue Reading.


Tuesday, August 4, 2015

Woodlot Management: Losing Money By High-Grading

100_1149What do you call a dairy farmer who spends decades improving the genetics of a herd, then abruptly sells all the best animals to start a new herd from scraggly, unproven stock? Crazy, perhaps, or foolish at the very least.

Under normal circumstances, no livestock farmer culls their best animals to start over with random ones. Yet it’s common for woodlot owners to sell all the large, well-formed trees during a timber sale and leave nothing but small and defective trees to regenerate the next forest. » Continue Reading.


Monday, April 6, 2015

Wood Pellet Boiler Project Expanded To Region

Adirondack Wood Boiler ProjectFinancial and technical assistance that has helped homeowners and businesses in New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont switch to high-efficiency wood pellet heating is now available to Adirondack homeowners and businesses through the Adirondack Model Neighborhood Wood Heat Initiative. » Continue Reading.


Thursday, April 2, 2015

At Levi Lumber, Logging Runs In The Family

03242015_loggingnews1_w300Approaching the “landing” at the Levi Lumber job site in the Adirondack League Club is akin to landing on another planet. The drive down narrow, snow-covered roads makes one think they’ve gotten close to the end of the earth…until a large logging truck is coming from the other direction. But there are plowed turnarounds and pull-offs; safety is considered every step of the way.

After twists and turns that seem to lead to nowhere, there is a clearing full of very large machinery and equipment, and a red school bus. On the school bus are the Levi brothers; John, Jr., Dan and Jerry, eating lunch together as they have done every day for most of their lives. Their father, John, Sr., is on the top of a large truck securing logs. » Continue Reading.


Thursday, March 5, 2015

Watching the Forest Preserve Reclaim an Old Road

Burn-Road-1It’s slow work for the forest to take back a road, but once the forest gets started, its work is relentless. The State of New York has owned the Burn Road on the north side of Little Tupper Lake (part of the William C. Whitney Wilderness area) since 1997 when it bought the 14,700-acre north end of the larger Whitney tract. It was classified as Wilderness soon thereafter, though the road remained open for several years to honor access agreements with neighboring landowners to haul out logs.

Fifteen years later, young maples, white pines, alders, white birch, and striped maples, among other trees, work daily to break apart the long-packed gravel road bed. Leaf litter and the detritus of perennial ferns, grasses, and sedges bury the road in many places. The thick forest edge grows inward to narrow the road corridor as trees unpruned and unfettered grow laterally as they grow higher. » Continue Reading.


Thursday, December 18, 2014

New Wood-Pellet Projects: Paul Smith’s College

Photos of Paul Smith's College ©Paul Buckowski 2006Paul Smith’s College is installing a state-of-the-art wood-pellet boiler system, which will heat its three academic buildings.

This project is one of the first uses in New York State of a high-efficiency and low-emission wood pellet boiler heating system to heat multiple buildings.  Paul Smith’s is one of five new sites in the North Country planning to install the technology including the Olympic Regional Training Center in Lake Placid, North Country Community College’s Sparks Athletic Complex in Saranac Lake, the Indian Lake School and the North Country School in Lake Placid. High efficiency wood boilers were pioneered in the Adirondacks by The Wild Center in Tupper Lake. » Continue Reading.



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