Apr 25, 2013 — A plan to build and upgrade emergency communications towers on four summits in the Adirondack Park is sparking new controversy because of the possible impact on a rare songbird called the Bicknell's thrush. The thrush is a "species of concern" in New York, because of its dwindling population and its small, alpine breeding area.

Last winter, the Adirondack Park Agency set strict rules for the construction project, designed to limit any impacts on the songbird. But facing pressure from local leaders, the APA decided earlier this month to scrap those restrictions.

The last-minute change is drawing criticism from scientists and conservation groups that study Bicknell's thrush.  Go to full article

Apr 24, 2013 — State officials are moving forward with two land purchases in the Adirondacks totaling nearly 10,000 acres.

State Conservation Commissioner Joe Martens will be on Prospect Mountain near Lake George later this morning unveiling one of the deals.  Go to full article

Ray Brook, NY, Feb 15, 2013 — A plan by the Adirondack Park Agency to streamline permit applications for large-scale clearcut logging sparked fierce debate yesterday.

Supporters of the plan say it will encourage loggers and landowners to adopt better harvesting practices. At the APA's monthly meeting in Ray Brook, some commissioners spoke passionately in favor of the change.

But others expressed deep skepticism about the plan.  Go to full article

Ray Brook, NY, Feb 14, 2013 — The Adirondack Park Agency is delaying action on a controversial plan to revise clearcut logging rules in the park.

The change would have affected about 700,000 acres of private timberland owned by large companies and property owners.

The logging industry strongly supported the measure, as did many academic foresters, but a coalition of green groups rallied to oppose it.  Go to full article

Ray Brook, NY, Feb 08, 2013 — Next week the Adirondack Park Agency will vote on a controversial new policy that would change the way clear-cut logging is regulated.

State officials hope to offer a more streamlined general permit to landowners in the Park who want to clear-cut forest stands larger than 25 acres.

Only private timber lands covered by a sustainable forestry plan would qualify for the new permit.

Supporters of the change say it will help the region's logging industry harvest trees more efficiently, while also encouraging smarter long-term management of the Park's forests.

Critics in the environmental community say the APA is giving up too much of its regulatory clout and giving loggers too much leeway.  Go to full article

Ray Brook, NY, Jan 11, 2013 — The Adirondack Park Agency is hiring a new top attorney.

APA chairwoman Lani Ulrich announced yesterday that Jim Townsend will take the job at the end of this month.

Townsend is a former APA commissioner from Monroe County, who served on the Park Agency board for more than a decade.  Go to full article

Jan 04, 2013 — State officials are delaying consideration of a new plan that would ease clear-cutting rules for loggers working in the Adirondack Park.

The measure was expected to be taken up at the Adirondack Park Agency meeting next week in Ray Brook.

If approved, it will allow some timber operators to clear-cut stands of trees larger than 25 acres without a full review by the Adirondack Park Agency.  Go to full article

Aug 17, 2012 — The Adirondack Park Agency approved a new 1,300 acre subdivision Thursday in an area that borders the Hurricane Mountain Wilderness. The proposed development could eventually mean construction of 27 new homes.

The APA approved the project despite the fact that developers didn't include a plan to protect views and open space on the parcel, which is considered some of the most iconic farmland in the Adirondacks.

But state officials did include a provision that will require more planning before most of the homes were built.  Go to full article

Tupper Lake, NY, Jul 23, 2012 — Last week, an environmental group called Protect the Adirondacks released a new bundle of documents as part of its lawsuit attempting to block construction of a new resort in Tupper Lake. The group claims that the documents show new evidence of illegal communication between top Adirondack Park Agency officials and an attorney for the resort's developers.

The release comes as Protect the Adirondacks faces intense political pressure to drop its lawsuit. Adirondack Bureau Chief Brian Mann has been following this story closely and he joined Martha Foley to talk about the case.  Go to full article

Tupper Lake, NY, Jun 11, 2012 — In March, two environmental groups and a small number of landowners sued the state of New York, hoping to invalidate permits allowing construction of the Adirondack Club and Resort in Tupper Lake. Green groups argued that the Adirondack Park Agency had failed to enforce key regulations designed to protect open space in the Park.

The lawsuit has been moving forward, with all sides filing legal briefs with the state Supreme Court. Brian Mann spoke about the latest developments with Martha Foley.  Go to full article