May 24, 2013 — State officials announced yesterday that they'll begin public hearings in June to decide how the former Finch Pruyn timberlands will be managed, now that they've been added to the Adirondack forest preserve.

The classification process will sort out what kinds of recreation and access will be allowed over a wide swath of the upper Hudson River that's being opened to the public for the first time in 150 years.

Environmentalists and local government leaders have very different visions.  Go to full article

Dec 03, 2012 — Governor Andrew Cuomo has committed New York state to buying nearly 70,000 acres of land that will be added to the Adirondack forest preserve over the next five years.

It's one of the largest conservation projects in the Park's history. But buying the land is only the first step in figuring out how it should be managed in the years ahead.

Town and county leaders hope the land around Newcomb and North Hudson will become a major tourist attraction, with new opportunities to paddle stretches of the Hudson River and fish wild trout-filled lakes.

But a growing number of environmental groups in the park say much of the land should be designated as wilderness, a classification that could sharply limit public access.  Go to full article

Sep 18, 2012 — State officials say they plan to buy the first big chunk of the former Finch timberlands by the end of the year.

Roughly 19,000 acres will be added to the "forever wild" forest preserve in the first phase of the project. State officials say they plan to buy the first big chunk of the former Finch timberlands by the end of the year. Roughly 19,000 acres will be added to the "forever wild" forest preserve in the first phase of the project. Supporters say these lands will open popular new areas for hiking, paddling, hunting and fishing.

The process is now underway to determine the kind of rules and guidelines that will shape public access, and state officials say they hope to avoid the kind of clashes that have marked past land classification efforts.  Go to full article

Aug 07, 2012 — A state funded watchdog group is blasting Governor Cuomo for his decision to purchase tens of thousands of acres of Adirondack land, to be added to the Park's forest preserve. The $47-milllion deal was unveiled on Sunday.

A group called the Adirondack Park Local Government Review board is calling the decision irresponsible. Brian Mann has details.  Go to full article

Long Lake, NY, Apr 27, 2012 — This week, the Cuomo administration paid out roughly $1.5 million to land trusts across the state. The money will mostly go to help with administration costs and to fund internships.

In the Adirondacks, much of the land conservation debate over the last few years has focused on historic large-scale deals orchestrated by the Adirondack Nature Conservancy.

The Finch Pruyn and F ollensby projects could lead to the expansion of the Park's forest preserve by tens of thousands of acres.

But while those projects draw the spotlight, and the controversy, green groups say they're worried that smaller but important parcels of land are going unprotected. Brian Mann has our story.  Go to full article

Schroon Lake, NY, Mar 22, 2011 — The Adirondack Nature Conservancy has emerged in recent years as one of the largest owners of timberland in the North Country.

The green group uses certified logging methods designed to protect rivers and other sensitive ecosystems.

But a landowner in Essex County is accusing the Conservancy's tree-cutters of damaging a certified trout stream.

As Brian Mann reports, state officials have opened an investigation.  Go to full article

Chester, NY, Mar 07, 2011 — A prominent pro-environment group has been pushing the Adirondack Park Local Government Review Board to stop commenting on the issue of state land-purchases in the Park.

The Adirondack Council argues that the state-funded Review Board doesn't have a mandate to weigh in on the issue.

But APA chairman Curt Stiles says Review Board is defending the Review Board's decision to issue a resolution opposing the Finch Pruyn and Follensby land deals.

Chris Morris has details.  Go to full article

Feb 18, 2011 — Yesterday, NCPR reported that local governments in the Adirondack Park are deeply divided over the future of the Finch conservation project.

That land deal would add roughly 60,000 acres to the "forever wild" forest preserve.

One reason that the project is still so controversial, four years after it was unveiled, is that many community leaders feel that they were strong-armed into accepting it.

Other town supervisors say they felt the negotiations were fair and productive.

In part two of his special report, Brian Mann looks at the politics and the backroom talks that shaped the Finch deal.  Go to full article

Keene Valley, NY, Apr 20, 2010 — This morning we begin a three-part series looking at the major land acquisitions that are reshaping the Adirondack Park. Hundreds of thousands of acres have changed hands in the Adirondacks, bought from private owners by New York State. This week we'll look at how those sometimes controversial deals are made, and who makes them.
Attorney General Andrew Cuomo and state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli announced earlier this month that they will investigate the 2008 purchase of 20,000 acres in Clinton County, and tomorrow we'll look at that current controversy.

Today, we start with the big picture.
Many of these big land deals have resulted from a close partnership between the state Department of Environmental Conservation and one environmental group: the Adirondack Nature Conservancy.
Supporters praise the partnership for facilitating protection of prized lakes, mountains and open space. Critics say the relationship is too close and warrants more scrutiny. Brian Mann has our story.  Go to full article

Keene Valley, NY, Jan 20, 2010 — Governor Paterson's budget plan would slash also tens of millions of dollars from environmental and land conservation programs. In the proposal unveiled yesterday, state officials say new land purchases in the Adirondack Park should be suspended at least through 2012. The news comes at a time when the Adirondack Nature Conservancy is hoping to sell more than 50,000 acres of timberland to the state. Martha Foley has details.  Go to full article