New York Almanack

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Adirondack Council

Adirondack Council Lauds Climate Bill

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US Capitol Building SouthAdirondack conservation advocates the Adirondack Council today celebrated the U.S. Senate’s approval of landmark climate legislation, applauding a bill that invests hundreds of billions of dollars into programs designed to speed the nation’s transition away from fossil fuels and toward cleaner energy sources.

The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 will also reduce the fossil fuel-fired emissions that cause acid rain and smog, while increasing employment and boosting domestic manufacturing.  The bill is expected to pass the House of Representatives later this week and be signed into law by President Joe Biden. [Read more…] about Adirondack Council Lauds Climate Bill

Adirondack Conservation News: 5 Things To Know

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Raquette Lake courtesy Adirondack CouncilAdirondack Advocates Push For Environmental Bond Act

The Adirondack Council, as part of a coalition of dozens of organizations across New York state, is encouraging New York voters to pass a bond act that will be on the ballot this coming November. The $4.2 billion Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act was delayed in 2020, but will provide much needed funding to improve wastewater treatment systems and support as many as 85,000 jobs around the state. [Read more…] about Adirondack Conservation News: 5 Things To Know

Adk Council: Manchin Harming Adirondacks, Local Green Jobs

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Adirondack CouncilWest Virginia Senator Joe Manchin’s refusal to negotiate legislation to curb climate change will harm New York’s Adirondack Park as well as the growing clean-manufacturing economy in nearby Plattsburgh, according to the Adirondack Council.

The Council called on New York State government to intensify its efforts to reduce carbon emissions, and called on the state’s voters to approve the Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Bond Act on the ballot November 8th. [Read more…] about Adk Council: Manchin Harming Adirondacks, Local Green Jobs

The Adirondack Park & The NYS Legislative Session

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The closing hours of the NYS Legislative Session saw three Adirondack Park Agency appointees confirmed by the Senate, including the first Black appointee, Benita Law-Diao.

The Legislature also approved policy advances to curb the impacts of climate change, such as the commitment to protect 30% of New York’s forests by 2030. None of the several proposed amendments to the NYS Constitution’s “forever wild” clause were approved. [Read more…] about The Adirondack Park & The NYS Legislative Session

Wild Center Climate Program’s Jen Kretser Named Conservationist of the Year

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Adirondack Youth Climate Program - PICTUREThe Adirondack Council will present its Conservationist of the Year Award to climate change educator and activist Jen Kretser and The Wild Center’s Youth Climate Program during the Council’s Forever Wild Day celebration on July 9th at Paul Smith’s College, near Saranac Lake. [Read more…] about Wild Center Climate Program’s Jen Kretser Named Conservationist of the Year

Recent Adirondack Conservation News

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Governor Kathy Hochul unveiled new water infrastructure in Lake Placid The North Country to receive $40 million for water infrastructure projects

New York State and the Adirondacks, in particular, will soon benefit from a large round of funding from the Water Infrastructure Improvement Act to help keep waterways and drinking water cleaner. Seven communities in the Adirondack Park – notably Lyon Mountain, Schroon Lake, and Indian Lake – will receive about $8 million in clean water project funding. This funding will relieve some of the burden on taxpayers in these tiny rural towns. Waterways do not follow political boundaries so improvements to water quality in the Adirondacks will also benefit nature and communities far beyond the Park’s borders. [Read more…] about Recent Adirondack Conservation News

Essex Farm Institute Awards $32k in Microgrants for Sustainable Farming

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Adirondack CouncilAdirondack Council’s Essex Farm Institute has awarded 15 micro-grants totaling $32,000 to local farmers and value-added food producers, in an effort to build a climate-friendly local economy in the Adirondack Park. [Read more…] about Essex Farm Institute Awards $32k in Microgrants for Sustainable Farming

NYS Awards $8M in Clean Water Project Grants to Adirondack Communities

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Entering Adirondack Park signThe NYS Environmental Facilities Corporation (EFC) has awarded $638 million in grants to municipalities statewide for water infrastructure projects and Town of Indian Lake in Hamilton County was the biggest winner among Adirondack communities. [Read more…] about NYS Awards $8M in Clean Water Project Grants to Adirondack Communities

Forever Adirondacks Campaign Celebrates Budget Victories

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The coalition supporting the new Forever Adirondacks Campaign for clean water, jobs and wilderness – led by the Adirondack Council’s Aaron Mair – declared victory as state government moved to approve a budget that includes funding for a series of top campaign priorities.

The Forever Adirondacks Campaign is a coalition of advocates, government officials, business leaders, educators, college administrators, grassroots activists and not-for-profit organizational partners seeking clean water, jobs and wilderness. [Read more…] about Forever Adirondacks Campaign Celebrates Budget Victories

Adks Conservation News: 5 Things You Need to Know

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St Regis Canoe AreaLarge-Scale Lakes Survey Tops Scientists’ Wish List

The Adirondack Council and other environmental groups are pushing the state legislature to include $6 million in funding over three years to conduct a large-scale study of Adirondack water-bodies. The study of 400 or so lakes and ponds would create baseline data on the impact of climate change, algal blooms, and changes to water oxygen levels. The study is needed to assess the impacts to native fish and plant populations of changing carbon cycles, and the remote locations of many of the water-bodies allow researchers to differentiate the effects of climate change from those of agriculture or land development. [Read more…] about Adks Conservation News: 5 Things You Need to Know