Aug 06, 2008 — Huge conservation deals over the last decade have protected nearly a million acres of land in the Adirondacks. The deals allow timber harvesting to continue. But scientists say they also protect crucial habitats and eco-systems. In part two of his report on the Finch, Pruyn easement negotiated by the Adirondack Nature Conservancy Brian Mann sends an audio postcard from a bog near Blue Mountain Lake.  Go to full article

Jan 08, 2008 — The agreement last year that will preserve 161,000 acres of Finch Pruyn Paper company land is so large that it's reshaping the debate over conservation and economic development in the Adirondacks. The Adirondack Nature Conservancy engineered the $110 million purchase. Over the next four months, the green group will produce a management plan for the huge tract, which spreads over six counties and dozens of towns. The conservancy hopes to quickly sell much of the land and conservation easements to the state, at a price tag that could top $50 million. Other parcels will be sold for private development or to timber management companies. Brian Mann spoke at length about the project with the Adirondack Nature Conservancy's executive director, Mike Carr. Carr says there won't be a public process for the Finch, Pruyn project--no public hearings or formal comment period. But the Nature Conservancy is reaching out to as many local residents and officials as possible before next spring.  Go to full article

Jan 07, 2008 — The Nature Conservancy deal with Finch, Pruyn, announced last summer, has drawn criticism and accolades. Local government leaders have questioned its impacts on communities, while green groups in the region heralded the acquisition as one of the biggest environmental coups of the last half-century. The architect of the project is Mike Carr, executive director of the Adirondack Nature Conservancy. Carr lives in Keene Valley and has deep family roots in the North Country. Overnight, the Finch, Pruyn deal made him into one of the most influential men in the region. The decisions he makes over the next few months will resonate far beyond conservation, affecting a half-dozen Adirondack communities, as well as local economies. Some of the 161,000 acres will go into the forest preserve, but other pieces will continue in timber production or be sold for private development. Mike Carr sat down recently to talk at length about his expanding role with Brian Mann. This is the first part of their conversation.  Go to full article

Jan 07, 2008 — State Senator Betty Little has joined North Country Assemblywoman Teresa Sayward in calling for a moratorium on state land purchases in the Adirondack Park. Martha Foley has details.  Go to full article

Jan 01, 2008 — We first reported yesterday that state Assemblywoman Teresa Sayward from Willsboro is proposing that new state land purchases in the Adirondacks and the Catskills be suspended. Sayward says a court battle over property tax payments, known as the Dillenburg case, should be settled before any more land is added to the forest preserve. A judge ruled late last year that the state's system for paying taxes on public land is arbitrary and unfair and should be scrapped. The loss of those revenues would destroy local governments in the Adirondacks. New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has appealed the Dillenburg ruling. But in a public letter, Sayward urged Governor Spitzer and DEC Commissioner Peter Grannis to "place a moratorium on any further land purchases...until the issue is resolved in the courts." Sayward's proposal comes at a time when the Adirondack Nature Conservancy is hoping that the state will purchase big chunks of land and conservation easements on the former Finch, Pruyn lands. Mike Carr is the Nature Conservancy's executive director. The Nature Conservancy borrowed more than $100 million to finance the Finch, Pruyn deal, which covers roughly 161,000 acres in the Adirondacks. In an interview with Brian Mann, held before Assemblywoman Sayward proposed the moratorium, Carr said parts of the property could be sold to the state as early as next spring. But Carr acknowledged that the Dillenburg case had raised new questions.  Go to full article

Jun 19, 2007 — The Adirondack Nature Conservancy unveiled a massive land deal yesterday. The Keene Valley-based group acquired more than 160,000 acres of timberland. Purchase price: $110 million. Martha Foley has more.  Go to full article

Apr 03, 2007 — In a decision that will reshape the Adirondack timber industry, Finch, Pruyn and Company says it hopes to sell its paper mill in Glens Falls and more than a 160,000 acres of forestland in the Adirondack Park. The price wasn't disclosed. The proposed buyer is Connecticut-based Atlas Paper. As Brian Mann reports, the sale of Finch Pruyn and Company brings to an end a 142-year chapter of North Country history.  Go to full article

Sep 22, 2004 — One of the region's biggest timber companies is selling a 4,900 acre parcel of land in the town of Newcomb. According to a report published yesterday in the Glens Falls Post-Star, Finch Pruyn has agreed to sell the property for nearly $6 million. As Brian Mann reports, environmental groups say the deal could signal a new wave of housing development in the Adirondack Park.  Go to full article

Jan 08, 2003 — General Electric's factories in Fort Edward and Schenectady are facing their first national strike in more than thirty years. GE's largest unions - representing some twenty thousand workers - say they'll stage a two-day protest next week. As Brian Mann reports, local businesses worry that a longer dispute could follow.  Go to full article

Aug 02, 2002 — An appeals court in Albany has rejected a suit attempting to stop construction of a million-dollar swimming pool in Newcomb. The Finch-Pruyn paper company, a major taxpayer in the town, claimed that the project was too costly. Brian Mann reports.  Go to full article