For more information:
John F. Sheehan
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Released: Tuesday, June 16, 2009

TICONDEROGA, N.Y. – International Paper Company announced today it would provide an additional $2,000 grant to the Adirondack Council for wider distribution of its watershed publication “Adirondack Waters: Resource at Risk.”

The Adirondack Council published the 28-page handbook on safeguarding water quality in 2008, with the assistance of International Paper. IP both provided the high-quality recycled paper on which the publication was printed, but also helped with the cost of printing and initial distribution.

“The publication is a plain language guide to saving clean water and avoiding major threats. It generated a great deal of attention and interest when it was first released in 2008,” said Adirondack Council Executive Director Brian L. Houseal. “We published thousands of copies and gave them away to local governments, lake associations, water district managers and others. It was very popular and we are anxious to get the publication into the hands of more people who will make good use of it.”

“Water quality protection is a common ground issue that environmentalists, local governments, citizens and businesses agree must be a priority for policies and funding,” said Donna Wadsworth, Manager of Communications & Environmental for IP in Ticonderoga. “We were very pleased with the publication when it was published and we want to ensure that anyone who can use it gets a copy.

“Our work on this publication with the Adirondack Council is a good example of what makes the Adirondack Park such a special place,” said Wadsworth. “Elsewhere, industries are often locked in heated conflict with environmental organizations. Here, we are working together for the benefit of the Adirondack Park, for our papermaking business and for the environment. ”

Houseal said the Adirondack Council is anxious to continue distribution of the water publication to government leaders, citizens and students in an effort to further raise awareness and build political will to address the issues identified.

Issues addressed in “Adirondack Waters: Resource at Risk” include, but are not limited to, acid rain, mercury contamination, invasive species, climate change, exurban development, road salt and water diversions to outside-the-park communities.

In conjunction with the wider distribution of the publication, the Council will provide an update on state and local progress toward improving protections for clean water.

“We will also provide opportunities for citizens to communicate with policymakers, ensuring government officials understand the importance of water quality to the environment, the communities and the economy of the Adirondack Park,” Houseal said.

A copy of “Adirondack Waters: Resource at Risk” is available for free from the Adirondack Council’s main office (518-873-2240) or in Adobe PDF by clicking here.

Founded in 1975, the Adirondack Council is a leading environmental research, education and advocacy organization with members in all 50 United States. Its mission is to ensure the wild character and ecological integrity of New York’s 9,300-square-mile Adirondack Park. The Council is privately funded. It neither solicits nor accepts donations from government agencies or any other taxpayer-supported sources.