NCPR Regional News Archives

Governor Paterson's proposed budget would vastly rein in what New York can do with its environmental resources. The plan would slash the Environmental Protection Fund by a third. It would put a moratorium on new land aquisitions. And it would cut the Department of Environmental Conservation budget by 11%. Many observers say the DEC never recovered from deep cuts in the 1990s. DEC Commissioner Pete Grannis was in Clayton last Friday to mark the completion of a brownfield clean-up on the St. Lawrence River. He told David Sommerstein his agency does face big challenges.

The New York State Assembly overrode Governor David Paterson's veto of ethics legislation yesterday. But the vote failed in the State Senate, where Republicans and Democrats were left pointing fingers over who was to blame. Karen DeWitt reports.

When the computer-age took off in the 1990s, lots of people thought we'd use a lot less paper. But that hasn't happened. Julie Grant reports on why environmentalists are so concerned about all the paper we're still using in our offices and homes. More...

Governor David Paterson has named Peter Hornbeck to serve on the Adirondack Park Agency commission. Hornbeck is a widely-respected boat builder from Olmstedville in Essex County. But his nomination has sparked debate because of his strong ties to environmental groups. Martha Foley has more.

Doing good deeds is nothing new to SUNY Potsdam student Tyler Kellogg. He grew up in Adams Center, near Watertown, where his generosity earned him the nickname Tyler "Dogood." Last summer, as part of a project at school, Kellogg took to the road — travelling south to Florida. He spent 55 days living out of his car and helping strangers along the way. He recorded his experiences in a blog and journal. This winter, he's sharing his story with high school students and college classmates. Todd Moe spoke with Tyler Kellogg about his summer road trip adventures and generosity.