The purely economic decision by Finch Paper in Glens Falls, now part of a global company, to stop purchasing Adirondack regional trees for its pulp to paper operation and to instead acquire its pulp from far beyond New York’s borders is serious – and deserves the attention it’s getting at New York Almanack, and the worries from forest product industries, harvesters, truckers, suppliers, and landowners elsewhere. [Read more…] about Environmentalists Have Big Stake in Finch Pulp Mill Closure
Forest Products
Emerald Ash Borer: A Threat to Trees, Mohawk Traditions
Within the past several years, at least three terrestrial pests have invaded the forests of the Lake George watershed. Among them: emerald ash borer, which was first detected in Warren County in 2020, along the Schroon River near Chestertown.
That discovery was the first indication that the invasive species might have established itself in the southern Adirondacks. [Read more…] about Emerald Ash Borer: A Threat to Trees, Mohawk Traditions
Final Recreation Plans Announced for Hamilton County Easement Tracts
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced the final Recreation Management Plan (RMP) for the Speculator Tree Farm, Perkins Clearing and Burnham Mountain Conservation Easement Tracts in the Adirondack Park.
The RMP was developed in partnership with Lyme Adirondack Forest Company, the landowner. [Read more…] about Final Recreation Plans Announced for Hamilton County Easement Tracts
Sap to Syrup: Inside Adirondack Maple Season
For generations, maple sugaring has been a defining seasonal ritual across New York State, particularly in the Adirondacks, where families have long transformed sap into one of the region’s most iconic products.
This episode of the ADK Talks podcast features Randy Galusha, owner of Toad Hill Maple Farm in Thurman, exploring the deep roots of maple production in the Adirondacks and how the craft has evolved from traditional bucket collection to modern operations spanning more than 850 acres of sustainably managed forest. [Read more…] about Sap to Syrup: Inside Adirondack Maple Season
New Lichen Research Reveals How Habitat Loss Impacts Biodiversity
Lichens, the remarkable symbiotic partnerships between fungi and algae, are helping scientists unlock a new understanding of biodiversity in some of North America’s most sensitive forest ecosystems.
An ecological study spearheaded in part by the New York State Museum, spanning the southern Appalachian Mountains, has found that the diversity of native tree species is the strongest predictor of how many lichen species a forest can support. [Read more…] about New Lichen Research Reveals How Habitat Loss Impacts Biodiversity
Maple Decline: Reviewing the Various Factors
Maple decline affects primarily sugar maple (Acer saccharum), Norway maple (Acer platanoides) and red maple (Acer rubrum) in the Northeast. The problem is not a new one; stag-headed maples were described as early as 1917 in Massachusetts.
At that time, die-back was attributed mainly to drought and to the poor conditions for tree growth afforded by the urban environment. However, reports of the incidence and severity of maple decline have increased markedly in recent decades and now include trees in urban, sugar-bush, and forest environments. [Read more…] about Maple Decline: Reviewing the Various Factors
Wild Nuts: An Important Food Source
Fall is an especially good time to find all kinds of nuts on the forest floor, in a picnic area in the park, or maybe even in your neighborhood or back yard. Let’s take a look and learn how to identify some of these wild nuts.
In technical botanical terms, all of these “nuts” are called the “fruit.” The fruit is defined as the seed and the package which holds the seed. So, for example, the acorn is the fruit of an oak tree, and inside is the nut which is a type of seed. If you use plant keys you will see those terms, but for general use, it is OK to call them all nuts. [Read more…] about Wild Nuts: An Important Food Source
Black Locust: An Invasive with Historic Roots
The coming of autumn often makes trees harder to identify – but sometimes, it does the opposite. The black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) is a case in point.
In summer, its bluish-green, oval-shaped compound leaves could easily be confused with those of the honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos), a close cousin. [Read more…] about Black Locust: An Invasive with Historic Roots
New Maple Syrup Lab Established
Maple syrup production is a cornerstone of Vermont’s agricultural economy and cultural heritage. The success and continued growth of Vermont maple syrup in the global marketplace relies on the industry’s ability to consistently deliver a top-quality product.
Over the past four years, the University of Vermont Extension has identified that some of the maple syrup in retail doesn’t meet Vermont Grade A standards. [Read more…] about New Maple Syrup Lab Established
New Plans For Important Hamilton Co Conservation Easements
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is seeking public input on the Draft Recreation Management Plan for recreational access within the Speculator Tree Farm, Perkins Clearing, and Burnham Mountain Tracts in the Adirondack Park in Hamilton County, New York.
The tracts already include 36 miles of snowmobile trails and roads, several trailheads and parking areas – including Route 30, old Route 8 and “military roads” built at the time of the War of 1812. [Read more…] about New Plans For Important Hamilton Co Conservation Easements
Tickets Issued For Illegal Ginseng Harvest
On August 29, Environmental Conservation Officers (ECOs) Osborne and Doig received a trespassing complaint in the town of Tompkins in Delaware County, New York. The complainant told the ECOs that there were two people trespassing on a large tract of remote land, possibly harvesting ginseng ahead of season, which began on September 1st. [Read more…] about Tickets Issued For Illegal Ginseng Harvest
New York Forest Health Highlights Summary
Forests in New York cover 18.6 million acres of land making the State 61% forested. Whether it’s hiking, hunting, camping, or birdwatching, these forest lands provide recreational opportunities for millions of residents and others. [Read more…] about New York Forest Health Highlights Summary
Wintergreen Oil: Local Employer to Bootlegger’s Subterfuge
On a wintry walk in the woods, the glossy evergreen leaves and bright red berries of American Wintergreen make a pretty sight against fallen snow. Plentiful in the northern U.S. and Canada, the low-growing Gaultheria procumbens is known for the pungent aroma and mint-like taste of leaf and berry — pleasing but hard to define.
Native Americans used the leaves to treat pain and fever, and introduced colonists to the custom of drinking wintergreen tea. This “teaberry” carried them through the Revolutionary War, when British tea was scarce. [Read more…] about Wintergreen Oil: Local Employer to Bootlegger’s Subterfuge
Beech Tree Syrup Could Unlock Economic Potential
The farmer-driven Northern New York Agricultural Development Program has announced the results of research into the economic feasibility of producing syrup from American beech trees. Conducted by Adam D. Wild, director of the Uihlein Maple Research Forest in Lake Placid, the research examined the yield potential and economic feasibility of tapping beech trees for syrup production. [Read more…] about Beech Tree Syrup Could Unlock Economic Potential