Feb 18, 2013 — A multimillion dollar legal battle that simmered for half a decade in the North Country is finally winding to a close.

Four counties - including Albany, Rensselaer, Warren, and Washington - have agreed to settle a dispute with the Hudson River Black River Regulating district over who should pay for flood control efforts.  Go to full article

Jun 13, 2012 — New York state officials have decided to drop their appeal of a lawsuit filed by environmental groups over the management of Lows Lake, a popular paddling destination in the Adirondack Park. The Adirondack Mountain Club and Protect the Adirondacks have fought for years to have the lake itself, including the water and lake bed, classified as wilderness.

Earlier this month, the Adirondack Park Agency and the Department of Environmental Conservation decided to accept that designation. As Brian Mann reports, it's unclear how this legal victory for environmentalists will affect other lakes and rivers in the Adirondacks.  Go to full article

Saranac Lake, NY, Mar 26, 2012 — During this membership drive week, we'll be looking back at the one big story that shaped much of our news coverage over the last twelve months, a series we're calling The Year of the Floods.

It's a story with two major chapters. Communities are still picking up the pieces from horrific flash floods in late August. But all that came AFTER what was the first record-setting flooding of 2011.

Beginning in April, torrential rains combined with heavy snowmelt, sparking weeks of flooding that caused tens of millions of dollars worth of damages. In part one of our series, Brian Mann looks at the historic rise of rivers last spring that triggered emergencies from Potsdam to Port Henry.  Go to full article

Mar 07, 2012 — Yesterday, we reported on New York's growing reliance on electricity produced Canada. A new project now in the works would pipe enough energy from hydro dams in Quebec to power a million homes in New York City.

The North Country has also seen a boom in energy production in recent years, with new wind farms, wood pellet plants, and biomass. But with more and more competition, and the lingering economic downturn, electric rates have plummeted.

That's putting pressure on small-scale producers of electricity, including companies trying to generate green, carbon-free energy. A biomass plant in Chateaugay, in Clinton County, laid off 13 workers last month. And many of the region's small hydro dams are also struggling.

This morning, Brian Mann profiles one dam operator in the Adirondacks who says without big regulatory changes, some green energy producers won't survive.  Go to full article

Dec 28, 2011 — It's been a wet, warm December and that's tough news for skiers and snowshoers. But the long autumn has extended the hiking season. So Brian Mann set off last week to explore the trail to Roaring Brook Falls just outside of Keene Valley.

It's one of the shortest, easiest hiking trails in the Adirondacks, and the pay-off in views and scenery may be one of the most spectacular. Here's Brian's audio postcard.  Go to full article

Mar 07, 2011 — Northeast states are increasingly looking to Canada to meet a growing demand for low cost hydro electricity from renewable sources.

But the energy imports are stirring controversy. In northern New Hampshire, local activists are fighting a power line that would send the electricity south. And questions are being raised about whether big hydro is really green.

As part of a collaboration of Northeast stations John Dillon of Vermont Public Radio reports.

Northeast environmental reporting is made possible, in part, by a grant from United Technologies. Northeast environmental coverage is part of NPR's Local News Initiative.  Go to full article

Ray Brook, NY, Dec 24, 2010 — With winter in full swing, officials with the state Department of Environmental Conservation are reminding outdoor enthusiasts to be cautious on lakes and rivers.

Hiking, snowshoeing, skiing, and snowmobiling on frozen lakes and ponds are among the many winter delights enjoyed by residents and visitors of the Adirondack Park. Chris Morris offers some tips on how to be safe on the ice this winter.  Go to full article

Aug 24, 2010 — The head of one of the most embattled state organizations in the North Country has stepped down. Glenn LaFave, who ran the Hudson River Black River Regulating District, left the organization last Wednesday after four years on the job.

As Brian Mann reports, he departs as the District's future is in doubt because of a debt crisis and a series of court challenges.  Go to full article

Burlington, VT, Jun 09, 2010 — Researchers say the invasive algae didymo, widely called "rock snot," is spreading throughout Vermont and the Lake Champlain basin. Found last week east of Burlington, the algae could make its way into Adirondack waterways, and once it establishes a presence, it's just about impossible to control or eradicate. Scientists say the algae forms large mats along the bottom of waterways and chokes out native plants. Martha Foley has more.  Go to full article

Colton, NY, Oct 27, 2009 — For those of us in the North Country the St. Lawrence River is a summer playground or the wide water below us when we take the bridge to Canada. For author Margaret Wooster, the giant river is part of the Great Lakes watershed, and an ecosystem in danger. Betsy Kepes reviews Wooster's book Living Waters, Reading the Rivers of the Lower Great Lakes.  Go to full article