On Monday, February 24, 2025, the Adirondack Council was honored on the floor of the state Assembly with a bipartisan resolution noting the Council’s 50th anniversary. Thanks go to Assemblyman Bill Jones for welcoming members of the Council’s Board of Directors and Executive Director Raul “Rocci” Aguirre to the floor of the Assembly, and to Assembly EnCon Chair Deborah Glick for her praise of the Adirondack Council’s 50 years of Adirondack leadership. Below is the full text of the resolution, passed by the state Assembly.
Resolution of the New York State Assembly
Resolution No. 124, Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Adirondack Council
Passed February 24, 2025 by Assembly member Billy Jones, D-Plattsburgh, and co-sponsored by Assembly members Joseph Angelino, R-Binghamton; Ken Blankenbush, R-Carthage; Ken Brown, R-Northport; Joseph DeStefano, R-Medford; Michael Fitzpatrick, R-Smithtown; Jodi Giglio, R-Riverhead; Scott Gray, R-Watertown; Rebecca Kassay, D-East Setauket; Dana Levenberg, D-Ossining; Jen Lunsford, D-East Rochester; Donna Lupardo, D-Binghamton; John McDonald, D-Cohoes; Brian Miller, R-New Hartford; Angelo Morinello, R-Niagara Falls; Tommy John Schiavoni, D-Sag Harbor; Matthew Simpson, R-Queensbury; David Weprin, D-Queens.
WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that the continuing welfare of the citizens of this great State is greatly enriched by the purposeful endeavors of individuals and organizations committed to the preservation and protection of our environment, and to the enhancement of appreciation for the distinctive features of our natural surroundings; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-standing traditions, it is the intent of this Legislative Body to recognize and pay tribute to The Adirondack Council upon the occasion of its 50th Anniversary, which occurred on January 13, 2025, and will be celebrated on Adirondack Park Day on February 24, 2025, at the New York State Capitol; and
WHEREAS, The Adirondack Council is a not-for-profit environmental advocacy group that has been working since 1975 to ensure the ecological integrity and wild character of the Adirondack Park; and
WHEREAS, The Adirondack Council is the largest environmental group in New York State, working full-time to preserve the Adirondack Park for the benefit of all New Yorkers; it has worked for 50 years to conserve the natural resources of the Adirondack Park while promoting welcoming, sustainable, thriving communities; and
WHEREAS, The Adirondack Council works to protect the private lands in the Adirondack Park from inappropriate and haphazard development; it also works to defend Article XIV (the Forever Wild Clause) of the New York State Constitution which protects over 2.6 million acres of Adirondack Forest Preserve; and
WHEREAS, The Adirondack Council works with elected officials and their staff at the local, state and national levels, along with executive agencies from the Federal and State governments, to protect the natural resources of the Adirondack Park; and
WHEREAS, The Adirondack Council played a major role in the creation of New York State’s conservation easement program and in the creation of the 1993 New York State Environmental Protection Fund; and
WHEREAS, The Adirondack Council published its 2020 Vision and Vision 2050 Reports, which have served as guideposts for State Agencies, Adirondack municipalities, and Advocacy organizations in the pursuit of a more perfect Adirondack Park; and
WHEREAS, In 1996 and 2022, The Adirondack Council was part of a coalition of environmental groups that worked for the creation of the Clean Water/Clean Air Bond Act and Clean Water, Clean Air, Green Jobs Bond Act; and
WHEREAS, The Adirondack Council led the effort to pass the Randy Preston Road Salt Reduction Act, reducing road salt pollution across New York State; and
WHEREAS, The Adirondack Council led the effort to make “Clean, Drain and Dry” aquatic invasive species prevention protocols mandatory within the Adirondack Park; and
WHEREAS, The Adirondack Council led the effort to establish the Adirondack Diversity Initiative and Timbuctoo Summer Climate and Careers Institute, which together foster an Adirondack Park that is more welcoming, inclusive, safe and relevant for all New Yorkers; and
WHEREAS, The Adirondack Council led the BeWildNY Coalition, which successfully advocated for the establishment of the largest Wilderness area in the Northeast; and
WHEREAS, The Adirondack Council has battled against the scourge of acid rain in the Adirondack Park and worked with other groups and individuals, staff and elected officials at the state and federal levels to pass State and Federal acid rain legislation; and
WHEREAS, The Adirondack Council has led efforts to establish a new Parkwide water quality study known as a Survey of Climate and Adirondack Lake Ecosystems (SCALE); now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of The Adirondack Council and to congratulate its board and staff for five decades of successful Park protection and advocacy; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to The Adirondack Council.
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