History, Natural History & the Arts
John Dillon Park, the Adirondacks‘ only completely accessible campground for people with disabilities, will not open for the summer 2026 season while required improvements to the park’s potable water system are undertaken.
The park has been plagued by closures over the years, reports North Country Public Radio (NCPR). [Read more…] about Accessible Adirondack Campground Plagued With Closures
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and State Department of Health (DOH) have issued an Air Quality Health Advisory for Tuesday, Aug. 5th. The alert covers the New York City Metro Area, the entire Hudson Valley and Northern, Central and Western New York, including the Eastern Lake Ontario region and the Adirondacks, due to the impact of smoke from Canadian wildfires. [Read more…] about Canadian Wildfires Trigger Air Quality Health Advisory
Nearly 65% of the ticks biting Warren County residents and visitors are blacklegged ticks, also known as deer ticks. A species yet to be reported in the region may, however, be on its way: the Asian longhorned tick (Haemaphysalis longicornis).
The invasive tick was found in 2018 in Westchester County. Thus far, the population has not advanced beyond Saugerties in Ulster County, but according to Dr. Holly Ahern, a professor of microbiology at SUNY Adirondack and a nationally recognized expert on tick-borne diseases, there is nothing to prevent its migration farther up the Hudson River Valley. [Read more…] about Upstate New York Braces for the Asian Longhorned Tick
The New York State Departments of Agriculture and Markets (AGM) and Environmental Conservation (DEC), in coordination with the State Department of Health (DOH), today announced a confirmed case of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in a facility in DEC’s Region 6 area, which includes St. Lawrence, Jefferson, Lewis, Oneida and Herkimer Counties.
A DEC announcement said the state is now implementing New York State’s interagency CWD Response Plan developed jointly by DEC and AGM. [Read more…] about Chronic Wasting Disease Discovered in New York State
A recent report reveals that nearly every major New York State agency is ignoring climate mandates, including four of the state’s best-funded departments.
The report, “Flouting the Law: Major State Agencies Are Ignoring New York’s Climate Mandates,” by New York Lawyers for the Public Interest (NYLPI) and the NY Renews Coalition, highlights these failures. [Read more…] about Report: State Agencies Ignoring New York’s Climate Mandates
A harmful algal bloom (HAB) was found on Northern Lake George in September, the Lake George Association (LGA) has announced. It is the first time that a HAB has been documented on the less-developed end of the lake, said Lake George Waterkeeper Chris Navitsky. [Read more…] about Harmful Algae Blooms Spread To Northern Lake George
New York State’s Adirondack Road Salt Reduction Task Force, established by the Randy Preston Road Salt Reduction Act in 2020, has been released. The Task Force was charged with conducting a comprehensive review of road salt contamination and roadway, parking lot, driveway, and sidewalk management best practices within the Adirondack Park, and making recommendations for enhancements. [Read more…] about Adirondack Road Salt Report Issued: Some Data & Recommendations
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and State Department of Health (DOH) have issued an Air Quality Health Advisory for the entire state of New York for Tuesday, July 20th. [Read more…] about Western Fires Spark Air Quality Health Advisory for All New York State
New York State is committing resources to perform and/or oversee an investigation of emerging contaminants, namely 1,4-dioxane and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), detected in groundwater near a complex of inactive landfills between State Route 149 and Mud Pond Road in the Town of Queensbury, Warren County.
The New York State Departments of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and Health (DOH) say the levels may be a concern for nearby private wells and with the property owners’ consent are conducting testing of those wells. The Departments say that to date, PFAS have not been detected in any private wells above New York State’s public drinking water standards although 1,4-dioxane has. [Read more…] about State Investigating Several Polluted Landfill Sites In Queensbury
The NYS Senate granted final legislative approval Thursday to a bi-partisan bill that is expected to help reduce road salt pollution and protect drinking water in the Adirondack Park. The Randy Preston Road Salt Reduction Act was passed in the NYS Assembly earlier this week and now heads to Governor Andrew Cuomo.
Governor Andrew Cuomo’s decision in December to ban the use of hydrofracking in New York State was politically astute. The governor asserted he is merely following the recommendations in a new report from the State Health Department, A Public Review of High Volume Hydraulic Fracturing for Shale Gas Development. [Read more…] about The Fracking Report In Historical Perspective
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