By Justin A. Levine – Senior Communications Specialist
Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024
Adirondack Park’s wildest lands caught in debate over access – Adirondack Explorer, Nov 11, 2024
The state Adirondack Park Agency is proposing numerous changes to the State Land Master Plan, which determines how state lands are managed across the Adirondacks. One of the proposed changes could open up wilderness and other protected areas to use of motorized equipment such as ATVs and golf carts. Changes to the SLMP can have broad, long-range impacts, and as such, the APA must be careful in adopting any amendments.
Conservationists eye Whitney Park in the Adirondacks – WAMC/Capitol Pressroom, Nov. 18, 2024
The Whitney estate, between Long Lake and Tupper Lake, has long been sought after by conservationists such as the Adirondack Council for protection. It is the largest privately owned parcel left in the Adirondacks at 38,000 acres, and following the untimely death of owner John Hendrickson earlier this year, the question of the future of the property is more up in the air than before.
Reviving Big Tupper: New Jersey entrepreneurs explore options – Adirondack Explorer, Nov. 22, 2024
After roughly two decades in limbo, the former Big Tupper ski area is now owned by a pair of men who want to revitalize the downhill ski center. The ski area, located on Mt. Morris in the town of Tupper Lake, was last owned by developers of the Adirondack Club and Resort. However, after years of no action on the development and unpaid taxes, Franklin County recently auctioned off the property for $650,000. The winners of the auction said they plan on reopening the ski area with backcountry skiing and possibly lift access.
Governor’s veto of wildlife crossing bill disappoints Adirondack groups – Adirondack Explorer, Nov. 27, 2024
Gov. Kathy Hochul recently vetoed the bipartisan Wildlife Crossings Act, which easily passed both houses of the state legislature earlier this spring. The law would have directed the state Department of Transportation to identify places along state roads where animal-vehicle collisions are highest. This procedure would have been beneficial to wildlife and people across New York, but particularly so in the Adirondacks, where wildlife abounds. Vehicles hit between 60,000 and 70,000 deer on roadways per year in New York.
NYCO Minerals seeks to blast underground, expand hours in Lewis – Adirondack Explorer, Nov. 27, 2024
A long-operating mine within the Adirondacks is seeking to expand its operation downwards at the same time it increases the hours it operates. There are environmental concerns with this project, including possible groundwater contamination, but the Adirondack Council has also raised concerns about the impacts to the climate and existing bat populations. The Adirondack Park Agency only gave 15 days for public comments, while the materials submitted for the application contain more than 3,800 pages of information.
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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.