Ray Brook, NY, Jul 22, 2009 — In the latest issue of the Adirondack Explorer magazine, our reporter Brian Mann tells the surprising story of the Adirondack Park's State Land Master Plan.

The "SLUMP," as it's known, shapes nearly every activity in the Adirondack forest preserve, from hiking and snowmobile trails to the building of roads and lean-tos.

While researching the story, Brian learned that the regulations developed in the 1960s have been a source of friction and animosity among state officials for decades - often pitting the Department of Environmental Conservation against the Adirondack Park Agency.

Brian spoke about his report with Martha Foley.  Go to full article

Warrensburg, NY, Jul 17, 2009 — This summer, researchers across the Northeast are working to measure the impact of white nose syndrome, a deadly disease that has wiped out bat population in the region. Scientists say whole colonies have been obliterated. Brian Mann rode along on a survey in the Adirondacks and has our story.  Go to full article

Wells, NY, Jun 11, 2009 — A new study of the Adirondack Park is raising troubling questions about the future of the region's town's and villages. The Adirondack Park Regional Assessment found that the overall population in the mountains has stabilized. Just under 140,000 people live inside the blue line year-round. But a rapidly aging population could mean more school closings, and more towns turning into second-home communities. Brian Towers is supervisor in the town of Wells in Hamilton County and head of the Adirondack Association of Towns and Village, which sponsored the study. Towers told Brian Mann that the biggest worries are in communities like his in the interior of the Park.  Go to full article

May 06, 2009 — Non-profits make up one of the biggest chunks of the North Country economy, providing jobs and services to thousands of people. But NGOs have been slammed by the deepening recession, as foundations and governments closed the tap on grants and other funding. Today as part of our Year of Hard Choices series, Brian Mann talks with Michael Washburn. Washburn has led the Residents Committee to Protect the Adirondacks for the last year. But he's engineered a merger of the RCPA with another green group and plans to leave the organization by the end of the summer.  Go to full article

May 01, 2009 — Two of the Adirondack Park's most influential environmental groups have agreed in principle to join forces. The Residents Committee and the Association say they hope to consolidate their operations by mid-summer. Meanwhile, the director of the RCPA says he's stepping down. Brian Mann reports.  Go to full article

Feb 19, 2009 — The Nature Conservancy is reportedly planning to lay off 10 percent of its staff worldwide as it deals with a struggling economy and a drop-off in donations. But, the impact on the organization's Adirondack chapter is still unknown. Martha Foley has more.  Go to full article

Jan 29, 2009 — Governor David Paterson wants to cut tens of millions of dollars from the Environmental Protection Fund. That's the pool of money that pays for big environment projects in New York, including land conservation in the Adirondacks. Governor Paterson also wants to change the way the EPF is paid for, using new revenue that he hopes to create by expanding the state's bottle deposit law. Green groups say the new plan isn't reliable and bottling companies are promising to fight what they call a new tax on their businesses. Brian Mann reports.  Go to full article

Jan 21, 2009 — Birders around the region are still talking about this season's Christmas Bird Count - it's an annual event around the country when on one specific day, volunteers fan out over a 15-mile-diameter designated area to record all the birds they see. These hardy volunteers, usually avid birders, go out no matter what the weather may be. Todd Moe has more.  Go to full article

Jan 13, 2009 — Governor Paterson's administration has unveiled its new Open Space Plan for New York state. This is the document that shapes much of Albany's conservation agenda. The new draft plan aims to shift the focus away from major land purchases. The 2009 version puts more weight on climate change and healthy communities. The new document comes at a time when two landmark conservation deals are still being hammered out in the Adirondacks. They include the Follensby Pond tract near Tupper Lake and the massive Finch, Pruyn project--both spearheaded by the Adirondack Nature Conservancy. Adirondack bureau chief Brian Mann talked about the Open Space plan with Martha Foley.

Note: Public hearings on the Open Space plan will be held in the North Country this month, with sessions in Ray Brook and Watertown on January 22.  Go to full article

Boonville, NY, Jan 13, 2009 — In our occasional series, Moving the World, we meet North Country people who take their skills, expertise and resources to share with communities around the globe. Today we meet Boonville residents Terese and John Hart. They spend part of their time in the North Country, and the rest in Congo, Africa, working on land, species and habitat protection. The Harts are ecologists who first traveled to Congo in the early 70's. They've committed their lives and careers to preserving that region's environment and wildlife -- like Okapi, a forest giraffe and Bonobo, a diminutive ape. Todd Moe spoke with them about parallels with the landscape where they work in Africa and the North Country.  Go to full article