Randolph, NY, Jun 22, 2009 — Last week, New York's Conservation Department announced that yet another invasive species has arrived in the state. This one, the Emerald ash borer, could be devastating. Millions of trees have already been ravaged by the tiny, green beetle, from Michigan to southern Canada. Brian Mann spoke with Robert Davies, head of the DEC Division of Lands and Forests.  Go to full article

Mar 31, 2009 — The Adirondack Nature Conservancy yesterday unveiled one of the largest timber sales in North Country history. The green group, based in Keene Valley, is selling 92 thousand acres of timber land to ATP, a Danish pension fund. 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

Dec 30, 2008 — New York state has purchased conservation easements on another huge swath of timberland in the northeastern Adirondacks. The $10.8 million deal was completed last week. Brian Mann has details.  Go to full article

Aug 05, 2008 — In the deepest valleys of the Adirondack Mountains, scientists are exploring forests and wetlands that have been hidden away for decades. Researchers with New York state and the Nature Conservancy are surveying tens of thousands of acres of land acquired last year as part of the massive Finch-Pruyn deal. Discoveries made this summer will shape conservation and timber harvesting in the Adirondacks for decades. Here's part one of Brian Mann's two-part report.  Go to full article

Jul 02, 2008 — Two Washington county residents have been accused of logging more than $30,000 worth of trees from land they don't own. Brian Mann has details.  Go to full article

May 27, 2008 — Wildlife biologists say that New York state is home to more than 500 moose. Their population has surged in recent years. Researchers would like to know a lot more about the animals: what they're eating, where they're going, and why their numbers are growing so rapidly. A new project organized by the Wildlife Conservation Society aims to gather some of that data using trained tracking dogs. Brian Mann spent a day with a research team in the northern Adirondacks and has our story.  Go to full article

Feb 15, 2008 — State environment officials and the Nature Conservancy say they've struck a deal that will protect more than 134,000 acres of timberland in the Adirondacks. The plan, unveiled late Thursday, was described as historic by DEC commissioner Pete Grannis. It will affect most of the former Finch, Pruyn lands, which the Nature Conservancy purchased last year for $110 million. 57,000 acres will be added to the state forest preserve. Another 73,000 acres will continue to be logged, but all other forms of development will be blocked by conservation easements. Most of the land lies in the towns of Newcomb, Minerva, Long Lake, Indian Lake, and North Hudson. State officials say it's not clear how much taxpayers will pay for the massive preservation deal. Local government leaders have raised concerns about the impact on local economies and the lack of public hearings for the project. But backers of the plan say it strikes a balance between the needs of local communities and the environment.

Brian Mann spoke with Mike Carr, head of the Adirondack Nature Conservancy, and with DEC Commissioner Pete Grannis.  Go to full article

Feb 15, 2008 — Martha Foley talks with NCPR Adirondack Bureau Chief Brian Mann a little more about the land deal unveiled yesterday.  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