The most recent New York State Forest Rangers Report includes efforts to rescue more than a half dozen hikers lost or with knee or lower leg injuries in the Adirondacks and Catskills. [Read more…] about Rangers Report Multiple Rescues of Lost, Injured Hikers
Franklin
Campers Rescued from Violent Storm; Injured Cliff Jumper; Many More Rescues
New York State Forest Rangers spent a busy week rescuing numerous people from backcountry dangers, including: a 77-year-old rescued by helicopter in the Adirondack High Peaks; Lows Lake campers stranded by a violent storm; a teen medical emergency near Cranberry Lake; a capsized boat; an injured cliff jumper on the West Branch Ausable River which included a technical rope rescue; and dehydrated hikers and hikers with lower leg injuries in the Adirondacks and Catskills.
Be sure to eat before hiking and bring plenty of water and extra food that’s high in protein and calories. Read the Ten Hiking Essentials. [Read more…] about Campers Rescued from Violent Storm; Injured Cliff Jumper; Many More Rescues
600 Adirondack Acres Returning to Indigenous Stewardship
In one of the largest private land return initiatives in what is now New York State, a forested 600-acre property is returning to Indigenous care.
With assistance and funding from The Nature Conservancy, the Six Nations Iroquois Cultural Center (6NICC) purchased the land from Paul Smith’s College for $1.1 million. [Read more…] about 600 Adirondack Acres Returning to Indigenous Stewardship
Last Remnants of Prohibition May End in New York State
The 21st Amendment ended national Prohibition and the question of alcohol control and regulation was left to the individual states. Each state created its own unique regulations. According to the National Alcohol Beverage Control Association, 17 states, including New York retain direct control over wholesale or retail operations. [Read more…] about Last Remnants of Prohibition May End in New York State
Frederick Douglass & Oneonta’s Underground Railroad
On October 29, 1857 Frederick Douglass spoke in Oneonta, in southern Otsego County, NY.
The visit appears in few historical sources, no doubt because it was long-held belief that it was not wise to identify Underground Railroad agents or their locations as a precaution against pro-slavery advocates attacking them. [Read more…] about Frederick Douglass & Oneonta’s Underground Railroad
Debar Pond Lodge: History & Controversy
For the past 20 years – but increasingly over the past three years – state legislators, local and regional government officials, state agencies, environmental and economic development groups, and others have deliberated over the future of Debar Pond Lodge, which was built in about 1940.
The 10-bedroom lodge and support buildings are located on New York State “Forever Wild” Forest Preserve land in the Northern Adirondack Park town of Duane, Franklin County, and are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. [Read more…] about Debar Pond Lodge: History & Controversy
Ceremony To Celebrate Renaming Adirondack Stream in Honor of Black Settler
On Saturday, September 16th at noon there will be a public unveiling of a historic roadside marker to celebrate the recent naming of John Thomas Brook. The new name pays homage to 19th-century Black settler John Thomas.
Thomas escaped enslavement in Maryland and established a successful farm near the small stream in Vermontville that was formerly known pejoratively as “N***** Brook,” then as “Negro Brook.” Thomas, his wife Mary, and their son, Richard, are buried in Union Cemetery in Vermontville, in Franklin County, NY. [Read more…] about Ceremony To Celebrate Renaming Adirondack Stream in Honor of Black Settler
Saranac River Watershed Landowners Sought to Steward Rivers & Streams
Paul Smith’s College’s Adirondack Watershed Institute (AWI) is seeking landowners to assist in protecting and improving local rivers and streams by participating in Stream Wise. [Read more…] about Saranac River Watershed Landowners Sought to Steward Rivers & Streams
Man Dies In North Country Snowmobile Accident
Around 3 pm on Monday, February 6, 2023, New York State Police responded to Corridor 7, snowmobile trail in the town of Franklin, at the southern end of Franklin County, for a snowmobile accident.
According to responding officers, 25-year-old Jacob P. Merrill of Redford, in the town of Saranac in Clinton County, NY, was operating a 2020 Yamaha snowmobile northeast on the snowmobile trail when he struck a telephone pole. [Read more…] about Man Dies In North Country Snowmobile Accident
ATV Drivers Caught Riding on Forest Preserve Land
According to a press release issued by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, on December 1, 2022 Forest Ranger Praczkajlo said he followed ATV (all terrain vehicle) tracks in the town of Franklin in Franklin County and determined the operators were riding their ATVs illegally on Forest Preserve land in the Adirondack Park. [Read more…] about ATV Drivers Caught Riding on Forest Preserve Land