5 Things You Need to Know | November 2023 ADK Conservation News
By Justin A. Levine - Adirondack Council Communications Associate
Friday, December 1, 2023
At Least We Can Give Thanks for a Tree - The New Yorker – November 23, 2023
Author and environmental activist Bill McKibben discusses the importance of visiting the largest recorded white pine in New York State. Council staff joined McKibben and others in a hike to the tree located on state Forest Preserve lands in the Adirondacks. McKibben found solace in the tree’s existence, the protections that allowed it to grow to its massive size, and a look toward the future in the recently created Timbuctoo Climate and Careers Institute.
Paradox Lake to become latest to be treated with milfoil herbicide - Adirondack Explorer – November 18, 2023
The Adirondack Park Agency (APA) recently approved another use of the indiscriminate herbicide ProcellaCOR for use in Paradox Lake. The herbicide has been used in a few Adirondack lakes to kill invasive milfoil. The chemical recently received approval for use in 2019, and there is no long-term study of the impacts it may have on native plants, invertebrates, or ecosystems. Studies of the chemical have only been conducted in controlled experiments and not in living water bodies. In a previous approval, APA staff admitted that it would kill a native, protected species.
Eclipse may come at bad time for High Peaks hiking - Adirondack Explorer - November 15, 2023
A rare total solar eclipse will cross the Adirondacks in early April next year, but there is concern that hikers may be unprepared for winter conditions. Winter conditions can hang on much longer in the higher elevations of the Adirondacks, and given the combination of the eclipse and picturesque mountains, hikers may trek into the peaks. However, with ice and deep snow likely to still be present, hiking can be dangerous to both people and the environment. It is also the time of year when the state Department of Environmental Conservation issues its “muddy trails” advisory, which asks hikers to stay at lower elevations so thin, vulnerable soils and plants are protected.
Residents, organizations gather to discuss housing solutions – Sun Community News – November 7, 2023
The Wild Center and Adirondack Explorer recently hosted a gathering to discuss housing issues in the Adirondack Park. Attainable housing has been an issue of growing concern as people who may want to move to the Adirondacks and make a life here are increasingly unable to find affordable places to rent or buy. Essex County says it has 100 job openings, but they are unfilled because too many people simply can’t find an apartment or house. The lack of attainable housing has far reaching consequences for the communities, school districts, and well-being of the Adirondack Park.
Adirondack Council releases 'State of the Park' report - Spectrum News – November 6, 2023
In October, the Adirondack Council released its 42nd annual State of the Park report, highlighting the good and bad of the past year for the Adirondacks. This year, the theme was Strongest Together, and the report highlighted the various partners and coalitions the Council has worked with to accomplish big goals. Some of those goals included securing funding for water and air quality monitoring, the passage of the $4.2 billion environmental bond act, and the creation of the Timbuctoo Climate and Careers Institute.
Justin Levine joined the Council staff in 2021 as the Communications and Outreach Assistant. He previously worked as a regional marketing manager for the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism and was an award-winning journalist and photographer for the Adirondack Daily Enterprise and Lake Placid News. Since graduating from Paul Smith’s College in 2004, Justin has worked in the environmental field in various roles in both the Adirondacks and Florida. When not working, Justin loves spending time with his family, running, and doing all the outdoor things the Park has to offer.
