Blog

Congress is poised to make deep cuts to federal programs that protect the Adirondack Park from acid rain. It is threatening the progress we have made in saving our 11,000 lakes and ponds, our 30,000 miles of brooks and streams – our loons, trout and wildlife -- from acid rain.

A ruling by the federal Surface Transportation Board in February was a significant step for the Adirondack Park, boosting the state’s ability to defend the Park’s wild character from a plan to store used oil tanker railroad cars here.

Read our guest writer Kara DuPlessis tell her story about her visits to the Adirondack Park, her connection to it and what compels her to return again and again.

On February 15, the Adirondack Research Consortium held its Women in Conservation Advocacy & Policy Conference at Paul Smith’s College. Read on to find out the many takeaways from women conservation leaders in the non-profit and government sectors who spoke about their experiences in the Adirondack conservation field.

Getting outside and enjoying the snow and crisp air is a highlight of being in the Adirondacks in the winter. For those who love to cross-country ski, the season in the Adirondacks is too short. We seize every opportunity to feel the skis gliding across the snow, experience the quiet of the woods, and take in the beauty of a snowy trail. That’s why encountering people walking in the ski trails – in the Wilderness and even at the groomed cross-country ski centers – is a point of aggravation. Read on to find out why.

Adirondack 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 have to protect for future generations. Adirondack News aims to highlight both threats and opportunities concerning the Park’s ecological integrity, wild character and community vibrancy.

On February 7, a blustery winter storm cancelled all budget testimony that the Legislature was slated to hear regarding the environmental priorities in the 2018-19 Executive Budget proposal. While the hearing has been rescheduled for Feb. 27, our Director of Government Relations has already submitted written budget testimony. Read on to discover what the Adirondack Council is saying about the Governor's budget proposal.

In 2017, Governor Cuomo announced that New York State will invest $20 million in upgrades to the ski facilities at Whiteface and Gore Mountains. This is part of a plan to boost tourism in the area, and draw skiers with more modern ski facilities, attract major sporting events. This means changes will be needed for the Gore and Whiteface Unit Management Plans. Last week, the Adirondack Council submitted an official comment letter to ORDA on these proposed changes.

This week, the Adirondack Council urged Governor Cuomo to drop a provision in his 2018-19 budget proposal that would halt state property tax payments to localities for state-owned Forest Preserve lands in the Adirondack and Catskill Parks. Instead, the state would make payments-in-lieu-of-taxes (PILOTs). Upon first glance, it may seem like it’s a good idea, but when you take a closer look, you realize it’s not.

This spring, public radio listeners and students across Upstate New York will be working with the Adirondack Council to reduce greenhouse gas pollution from electric power plants. They will be joined by college students in Potsdam, bomb-train protesters in Albany and climate activists in Boston who will help us to curb carbon emissions. It’s easy to participate.