5 Things You Need to Know | January 2021 ADK Conservation News
By: Alycia Bacon - Adirondack Council Clarence Petty Advocacy Intern
Thursday, January 28, 2021
Adirondack Conservation News is a collection of the most current events taking place in New York’s Adirondack Park, a unique national treasure and legacy we inherited over 100 years ago, that we must protect for future generations. Adirondack Conservation News aims to highlight both threats and opportunities concerning the Park’s ecological integrity, wild character, and community vibrancy.
The U.S. Army is looking to increase its helicopter, low-altitude air training drills in the Adirondack Park. This has environmental groups concerned about their impacts on the Park’s natural resources, wildlife, and recreational activities on the “forever wild” Forest Preserve. In November 2020, the Army organized an ad hoc committee of state agencies, the New York Air National Guard, and environmental organizations, which is reviewing six specific sites the Army is interested in for training. Unfortunately, these meetings are not open to the public, which does not allow people to comment on these proposals.
Pandemic Leads Cuomo’s State of the State, but the Climate Remains a Priority
Although tackling the COVID-19 pandemic was the highest priority in Governor Cuomo’s State of State Address, the environment was still a key concern. The Governor claimed that he would be pursuing efforts to address environmental issues and supporting renewable energy and sustainability. He stated, “New York will be the green energy capital of the world.” Environmental advocacy groups were happy to see strategies to pursue a green economy in New York and will urge the Governor and the legislature to work together on environmental priorities in the state budget.
Adirondack Conservation Groups Bring Priorities to Albany
Four Adirondack conservation groups came together this past month to encourage Governor Cuomo to prioritize their agenda. Their joint priorities include investing in the Forest Preserve to reinforce the Department of Environmental Conservation’s work on mitigating overuse, preserving Adirondack clean water, strengthening invasive species legislation, and reforming the Adirondack Park Agency. The letter was signed by Protect the Adirondacks, the Adirondack Mountain Club, Adirondack Wild: Friends of the Forest Preserve, and the Adirondack Council.
Spurred by Climate Change, Invasive Species Threat Looms over Northeast U.S.
Invasive species have become a considerable problem for the Adirondacks and the Northeast in general due in part to climate change. For example, the hemlock woolly adelgid, a tiny sap-sucking pest from Japan that feeds on hemlock trees, have now established themselves in the Park. Non-native species are taking advantage of the warmer temperatures created by climate change, threatening entire ecosystems in the process. Scientists are actively trying to mitigate the damages through intervention, but warmer weather and forest damaging storms make a prime opportunity for invasion.
Adirondack Land Trust Buys Last Unprotected Shoreline on Thirteenth Lake
The Adirondack Land Trust has purchased 17 acres on Thirteenth Lake, including the last piece of unprotected shoreline. The Land Trust will work with the state to have the property become part of the adjacent 114,010-acre Siamese Ponds Wilderness Area which will protect the land as “forever wild” under the New York State Constitution. Thirteenth Lake is a headwater of the Upper Hudson River and the largest body of water within the Siamese Ponds Wilderness Area.
Alycia Bacon is the Adirondack Council’s 2021 Clarence Petty Advocacy Intern working with the Government Relations and Communications teams in Albany, helping to advance the Council’s advocacy programs. Alycia is originally from Scottsdale, Arizona, but she’s lived in the Capital Region for almost 11 years. Currently, Alycia is a graduate student at the University at Albany, where she is working on her Master's degree in Africana Studies, with a focus on philosophy and history - particularly in Ancient Civilization and African Americans. Alycia is proud to be working to protect and maintain the Adirondacks as a beautiful living ecological space because she loves our planet and wants to see it healthy for future generations.
