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Forever Wild

The End of Arbitrary Powers to Dam Adirondack Rivers

June 15, 2021 by David Gibson 4 Comments

Assemblyman John Ostrander, chairman of the Joint Legislative Committee on River Regulation, left, with Paul Schaefer, center, representing Friends of the Forest Preserve and the Adirondack Moose River CommitteeThe State Legislature has just adjourned, but on a good many nights this past month I grew sleepy watching legislative TV or legislative proceedings on the internet. For the non-debate pieces of legislation, meaning when the legislative majority is not allowing minority debate on bills, the viewer is treated to the following exchanges in a monotone, one after the other:

The speaker or his representative, or the Senate president or her representative: “The clerk will read the bill.”  The clerk: “a bill to” …whatever it does.  The speaker or his representative: “The clerk will read the final section.” The clerk: “this act shall take effect immediately.” The speaker, president or their representative: “The vote: 63 in favor. The bill is passed.” All of that has taken less than ten seconds. Next. [Read more…] about The End of Arbitrary Powers to Dam Adirondack Rivers

Filed Under: Adirondacks & NNY, History, Nature Tagged With: Adirondack Dams, Adirondack Park, Article 14, Environmental History, Forever Wild, nature, Political History, wilderness

An Interview With Brad Edmondson On Adirondack History

June 15, 2021 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

wild ideaThe most recent episode of “Empire State Engagements” features a conversation with author Brad Edmondson about his book A Wild Idea: How the Environmental Movement Tamed the Adirondacks (Three Hills/Cornell University Press, 2021).  [Read more…] about An Interview With Brad Edmondson On Adirondack History

Filed Under: Adirondacks & NNY, History, Nature Tagged With: Adirondack Park, Books, Forever Wild, Podcasts

Ed Zahniser On American Wilderness History

April 3, 2021 by Edward Zahniser 1 Comment

Article 14, Section 1 New York State Constitution Forever Wild clauseThe history of achieving the 1964 Wilderness Act in the U.S. Congress is commonly seen as an eight-year legislative struggle. The first wilderness bills were introduced in Congress in 1956 — in the House of Representatives by John P. Saylor of Pennsylvania and in the Senate by Hubert H. Humphrey of Minnesota.

The Wilderness Act was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson on September 3rd, 1964. My father, Howard Zahniser, primary author of the Act, had died in May 1964. My mother, Alice, attended the White House signing, and President Johnson gave her a pen he used. Three years later President Johnson sent me a letter telling me I was being drafted for two years of US Army service. [Read more…] about Ed Zahniser On American Wilderness History

Filed Under: Adirondacks & NNY, History, Nature, Recreation Tagged With: Forever Wild, nature, wilderness, Wildlife

The First Adirondack Conservation Easement

March 9, 2021 by David Gibson Leave a Comment

Elk Lake by Ken Rimany DEC and APA websites reveal that 777,206 acres of private land in the Adirondack Park are protected in some fashion by a state-owned conservation easement.

During the Adirondack Park Centennial year of 1992 there were 93,000 acres of private lands under state-owned easement in the Park. [Read more…] about The First Adirondack Conservation Easement

Filed Under: Adirondacks & NNY, Capital-Saratoga, History, Hudson Valley - Catskills, Nature Tagged With: Adirondack Park, conservation, Conservation Department, Easements, Elk Lake, Environmental History, Forever Wild, Mario Cuomo, Paul Schaefer, Political History, wilderness

DEC’s Efforts To Lobby For A Mine In Adirondack Wilderness

July 6, 2020 by Peter Bauer 1 Comment

NYCO MinesThis is the last article in a 5-part series on possible amendments in 2020 to Article 14, Section 1, of the NYS Constitution, the famed forever wild provision.

This article looks back at the amendment for NYCO Minerals, Inc., in 2013, that authorized exploratory drilling on 200 acres in Lewis Lot 8 in the Forest Preserve in the Jay Mountain Wilderness. This amendment was barely approved, passing by the narrowest margin of any successful Article 14 amendment. The NYCO Amendment was different from all other amendments to Article 14 because it marked the first time that a private corporation used the amendment process to seek and obtain Forest Preserve lands for no other purpose than benefiting its bottom line. Every other amendment had a public benefit and purpose. The NYCO Amendment did not. [Read more…] about DEC’s Efforts To Lobby For A Mine In Adirondack Wilderness

Filed Under: Adirondacks & NNY, Capital-Saratoga, History, Nature Tagged With: Adirondack Park, Article 14, DEC, Environmental History, Forest Preserve, Forever Wild, Political History, Protect the Adirondacks, wilderness

Hamilton County’s Tower Plans For Cathead Mountain

July 6, 2020 by Peter Bauer Leave a Comment

Cathead Mountain communications towerThis is the fourth article in a series that looks at three possible constitutional amendments to Article 14, Section 1 that are being debated in 2020.

This article looks at the issue of utilizing Forest Preserve lands around Cathead Mountain, in the south edge of the Silver Lake Wilderness area, in the Adirondack Park in Hamilton County, to locate a new emergency communications tower, similar to such towers on Blue Mountain and East Mountain. [Read more…] about Hamilton County’s Tower Plans For Cathead Mountain

Filed Under: Adirondacks & NNY, Capital-Saratoga, Mohawk Valley, Nature, Recreation Tagged With: Adirondacks, Article 14, DEC, development, Fire Towers, Forever Wild, Hamilton County, Protect the Adirondacks, Silver Lake Wilderness, State Land Master Plan, wilderness

The Mt. Van Hoevenberg Olympic Facility and Forever Wild

June 21, 2020 by Peter Bauer Leave a Comment

Mt. Van Hoevenberg courtesy PROTECTThis is the second article in a 5-part series that looks at amendments to Article 14, Section 1, the famed forever wild provision, of the State Constitution. This article looks the Mt. Van Hoevenberg Olympic Winter Sports Complex in the Adirondack Park, managed by the Olympic Regional Development Authority. The first piece looked at the recent history of Article 14 amendments.

Protect the Adirondacks has long believed that an amendment to Article 14, Section 1 is needed for the Mt. Van Hoevenberg Winter Olympic Sports Complex currently managed by the Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA). At Mt. Van Hoevenberg, ORDA currently manages 1,220 acres +/- of Forest Preserve classified as Intensive Use by the Adirondack Park Agency (APA). Abutting these lands is 319 acres of lands owned by the Town of North Elba, Essex County. This complex houses the Olympic bobsled and luge track, cross-country skiing and biathlon trails, and associated facilities. [Read more…] about The Mt. Van Hoevenberg Olympic Facility and Forever Wild

Filed Under: Adirondacks & NNY, Capital-Saratoga, History, Nature, Recreation Tagged With: APA, Article 14, DEC, Forever Wild, Mt Van Hoevenberg, NYS Constitution, Olympic History, ORDA, Political History, PROTECT, Protect the Adirondacks, wilderness

Forever Wild: New Constitutional Amendments Being Considered

June 18, 2020 by Peter Bauer Leave a Comment

Article 14, Section 1 New York State Constitution Forever Wild clauseArticle 14, Section 1, of the New York Constitution, the famed “forever wild” provision, has been amended 16 times since 1938.

It has been amended five times since 2007, making this period the most active and intensive in Forest Preserve history for amendments.

Several Article 14, Section 1 proposed amendments are being currently being drafted and organized by the Department of Environmental Conservation and administration of Gov. Andrew Cuomo. [Read more…] about Forever Wild: New Constitutional Amendments Being Considered

Filed Under: Adirondacks & NNY, Capital-Saratoga, History, Hudson Valley - Catskills, Nature, Recreation Tagged With: Article 14, DEC, Forest Preserve, Forever Wild, Legal History, NYS Constitution, Political History, wilderness

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