5 Things You Need to Know | October 2023 ADK Conservation News
By Justin Levine - Adirondack Council Communications Associate
Friday, November 3, 2023
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 highlights threats and opportunities concerning the Park’s ecological integrity, wild character, and community vibrancy.
Tales from an Adirondack Founding Father
Former Adirondack Council Deputy Director Dianne Fish recently led a talk at the Whallonsburg Grange Hall with Peter Paine, one of the integral figures in the land protection movement of the 1960s and ‘70s in the Adirondacks. Paine worked on the Temporary Study Commission that eventually led to the creation of the Adirondack Park Agency and the expansion of the Adirondack Blue Line, and he discussed his decades of Adirondack experience with an attentive audience.
APA Announces 2023 State Land Classification Action and Public Hearings
The state Adirondack Park Agency (APA) is holding virtual and in-person public hearings regarding proposed state land classifications. The proposed changes to land classifications include about 5,800 acres of new acquisitions, 250 acres of reclassifications, and six map corrections. In addition to a virtual hearing, one in Ray Brook and one in Albany, the APA will also be accepting written public comments until November 27.
Adirondack Groups Hopeful for Climate Corps Recruits
Traction has been gathering at the federal level for a program that the Adirondack Council has been advocating for for years - a new CCC, or Civilian Climate Corps. During the Great Depression, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) put thousands upon thousands of people to work doing projects still in use today, such as public campgrounds and parks. As climate change demands significant investments in renewable energy and resilience construction, the federal government is moving to create the new CCC to work on those projects.
The Adirondack Council Releases its Annual State of the Park Report
In October 6, the Council released its 42nd annual State of the Park Report, entitled “Strongest Together.” The report evaluates impacts to the Adirondack Park - positive and negative - at all levels of government while also taking a look at progress on important initiatives that may or may not impact the Park. This year’s theme represents the various coalitions and stakeholders the Council has worked with over the past couple of years to secure funding and pass bills that are vital to the preservation of the Adirondacks.
Adirondack Council Seeks Implementation of Road Salt Reduction
The state’s highly anticipated Adirondack Road Salt Task Force Report was released earlier this fall. The report does a good job of studying the problems associated with excess road salt application in the Adirondacks, such as the harm it causes to infrastructure and its negative impacts on natural water bodies and drinking water wells. However, there are few hard goals included that will ensure that road salt use decreases. The implementation phase will need to include distinct objectives for reducing road salt within the Blue Line.
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.
