The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has released a proposal to potentially expand deer hunting opportunities in the Southern Zone in the future. The proposed regulations would create additional bowhunting and muzzleloader hunting opportunities from Dec. 26 through Jan.1, and would only apply to New York’s Southern Zone. [Read more…] about DEC Proposes Expanded Deer Hunting for Southern Zone
Nature
250 Acres, More Than A Mile Of Lake George Shoreline Infected With Hemlock Pest
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), which confirmed an invasive Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (HWA) infestation at Lake George in August, says that the infestation affects nearly 250 acres and 1.5 miles of shoreline on Forest Preserve lands in the towns of Dresden and Fort Ann, Washington County.
The affected hemlocks are located along in the busy Glen Island Campground area of the Narrows, including Glen Island and camping areas on the eastern shoreline. This is the second known infestation of HWA in the Adirondacks; an earlier infestation is believed to have been brought under control at the summit of Prospect Mountain, reached by the Prospect Mountain Veteran Memorial Highway, just outside Lake George Village.
[Read more…] about 250 Acres, More Than A Mile Of Lake George Shoreline Infected With Hemlock Pest
Changes For Opening Day of Northeast Zone Waterfowl Hunting
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is advising waterfowl hunters that hours and sign-in procedures have changed at two Region 6 wildlife management areas (WMAs) to minimize the potential spread of COVID-19.
Hunting hours at Perch River WMA (Jefferson County) and Wilson Hill WMA (St Lawrence County) will be from one-half-hour before sunrise until noon. Hunters must leave the restricted areas by 2 pm. [Read more…] about Changes For Opening Day of Northeast Zone Waterfowl Hunting
Are Brighter Monarchs Better Flyers?
The September before my daughter was born, my husband and I went for our last pre-baby hike around Camel’s Hump in the Green Mountains of Vermont. We stopped for a snack on the ridgeline, and as we sat munching granola bars we were surprised to see a monarch butterfly flap past, battling the turbulence at this higher elevation.
We watched it disappear southwards, then turned to see a second monarch, then another, fly after the first. It felt like we had stumbled on an aerial herd path as we watched half a dozen orange butterflies flutter southwards along the mountain at treetop height. [Read more…] about Are Brighter Monarchs Better Flyers?
New Anthology Considers Rewilding Movement
Rewilding Earth: Best of 2019 (Essex Editions, 2020), edited by John Davis and Susan Morgan, features essays, poems, and art by advocates for the rewilding movement. [Read more…] about New Anthology Considers Rewilding Movement
2020 State of the Adirondack Park Report Issued
The Adirondack Council released its 2020-21 State of the Park report subtitled “Landscape of Hope,” noting that the park has become a place of refuge during the COVID-19 crisis, which has only increased the park’s popularity.
The report also notes that the state is beginning to make progress on addressing the overused trails and campsites of the High Peaks Wilderness Area, detailing what has been accomplished and what remains to be done. A third major focus of the report – taking up its entire center spread – is the pending sale of the 36,000-acre Whitney Estate in Long Lake, Hamilton County. [Read more…] about 2020 State of the Adirondack Park Report Issued
Early Bear Hunting Seasons Open This Weekend
Black bear hunting seasons open this weekend in the southeastern part of New York State and next weekend in the north country. [Read more…] about Early Bear Hunting Seasons Open This Weekend
Summit Area of Prospect Mountain Highway Reopens
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced that work on improvements to the summit area of Prospect Mountain Veterans Memorial Highway Day Use Area is complete.
DEC has reopened the summit area and the hiking trail from the village of Lake George to the summit. [Read more…] about Summit Area of Prospect Mountain Highway Reopens
Viral Deer Disease Confirmed in Putnam, Orange Counties
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has confirmed that several white-tailed deer in the towns of Nelsonville and Cold Spring in Putnam County, and near Goshen in Orange County, died after contracting Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD).
EHD is a viral disease of white-tailed deer that cannot be contracted by humans. [Read more…] about Viral Deer Disease Confirmed in Putnam, Orange Counties
Migrating Red-Winged Blackbirds
Autumn heralds its arrival with all manner of colorful cues: Tree leaves explode into brilliance; gray squirrels feverishly hoard food supplies; yellow school buses come out of hibernation, and most remarkably, blackbird flocks practice their aerial gymnastic routines. [Read more…] about Migrating Red-Winged Blackbirds