History, Natural History & the Arts
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Forest Rangers respond to wildfires, and search and rescue incidents throughout New York State locating and extracting lost, injured or distressed people and policing state lands.
This report of recent missions carried out by Forest Rangers was prepared by DEC: [Read more…] about Rangers Fight Wildfires Sparked by Train, Burning; Make Catskills Hiker Rescue
Known for its rolling hardwood forests, diverse wildlife, and scenic overlooks, Sugar Hill State Forest offers an inviting gateway to the natural landscapes of the Finger Lakes region.
Located just outside Watkins Glen, this state forest stands out in the area for its unique blend of hidden ponds and waterfalls, mountainous hills, and a noteworthy fire tower that rewards visitors with 15 miles of panoramic views. [Read more…] about Watchable Wildlife: Sugar Hill State Forest
On January 14, 1963, after being overwhelmingly elected by white Alabama voters, George Wallace (1919-1998), the infamous segregationist and white supremacist, delivered his inaugural address and called for “Segregation now! Segregation tomorrow! Segregation forever!” Throughout his speech he condemned integration and criticized federal intervention in state affairs.
Running for office almost a decade after Brown v. Board of Education, Wallace’s 1962 campaign used the slogan “Stand up for Alabama,” and he vowed to fight integration at the University of Alabama. [Read more…] about White Supremacist George Wallace & New York State
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Forest Rangers respond to search and rescue incidents throughout New York State locating and extracting lost, injured or distressed people and policing state lands.
This report of recent missions carried out by Forest Rangers was prepared by DEC: [Read more…] about Ranger Recover Two Bodies, Make Overnight Rescue of Teen, Find 86-Year-Old, More
The Finger Lakes National Forest is New York’s only National Forest. “Whether to hike, ski, or admire the fall foliage, diverse recreation opportunities draw in visitors year-round,” says the U.S. Forest Service website.
The Trump regime is planning to cut down more of the Finger Lakes National Forest in order to reach a goal of increasing United States timber production by 25%. “All relevant agencies shall eliminate, to the maximum extent permissible by law, all undue delays within their respective permitting processes related to timber production,” Trump’s Executive Order says. [Read more…] about Trump Seeks Increased Logging of Finger Lakes National Forest
There are many former race tracks across the Empire State, and one of them is an old race track in Watkins Glen, the county seat of Schuyler County, NY. Not a flat for thoroughbreds or an oval for trotters, but the original “open-circuit” Grand Prix track.
As the victors of the Second World War settled down after a few seasons at home they looked for some new entertainment. An early autumn festival in the marvelous Finger Lakes Region seemed like a siren’s call that extended the waning summer; the final rose of the season. [Read more…] about Racing Through The Streets of Watkins Glen
The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (State Parks) has announced the nominations of 24 properties and districts to the State and National Registers of Historic Places. The nominations include bank buildings, factories, historic district updates, and more. [Read more…] about 24 Nominations for State and National Registers of Historic Places
In 1904, the New York State legislature passed a bill to create the New York State College at Cornell. The bill created a land-grant college with an agriculture focus within Cornell and guaranteed fields of study related to agriculture would receive significant public funding. [Read more…] about Finger Lakes Technology: From Agriculture to Auto Racing
The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced Environmental Protection Fund grant awards totaling $978,820 for urban forest assessment and planning projects across the state. [Read more…] about Nearly $1 Million in Urban Forestry Grants Awarded
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced $350,000 in grant awards to help partners in the Finger Lakes watershed restore and protect water quality.
The eight projects funded though DEC’s Finger Lakes Watershed Grants Program complement federal, private, and DEC grant programs, as well as achieve the goals outlined in the Great Lakes Action Agenda and aid the implementation of clean water plans in the Finger Lakes. [Read more…] about $350k in Grants Awarded to Finger Lakes Watershed Projects
Established in 1893, New York State’s Bath Fish Hatchery in Steuben County and is one of the state’s oldest hatcheries and the only hatchery raising wild Finger Lakes strain rainbow trout. [Read more…] about Bath Fish Hatchery: Home to Wild Finger Lakes Strain Trout
As the population of interior New York increased, developers pushed for a faster method of transportation between the area and developed population centers like the city of New York.
The Erie Canal, completed in 1825, revolutionized inland travel and ushered in a broader era of canal construction across the state, connecting the state capital of Albany on the Hudson River to Western New York and the Great Lakes. [Read more…] about The Canal Era in the Finger Lakes
The Treaty of Paris of 1783 officially ended hostilities between the British and Americans; however, the treaty did not include the allied Indian Nations, leaving their legacy treaties with the Europeans unresolved and their future to be resolved through separate treaties with the new American government. [Read more…] about Euro-American Expansion Into The Finger Lakes Region
According to archeological records, groups of nomadic Paleo-Indians traveled through the Finger Lakes region approximately 8,000 to 9,000 years ago. Small bands of these hunters and gatherers followed large game during the last stages of the Ice Age when the glaciers that formed the area’s notable lakes were receding.
Somewhat more recent early archaic archeological sites scattered across Western New York reflect a culture that was highly mobile and left little in terms of an archeological record. [Read more…] about Early Inhabitants of the Finger Lakes Region
Approximately 600 million years ago, during the Neoproterozoic Era, the Earth’s supercontinent began to break apart, and an ocean formed between land masses that roughly correlate to Europe and North America today. For the next 100 million years, this ocean continued to widen until the continents changed course and began to move back towards each other.
The eventual collision of these land masses formed a tall mountain range now known as North America’s Appalachians. [Read more…] about Geologic Formation of the Finger Lakes
On Tuesday, July 18th, the National Park Service delivered the Finger Lakes National Heritage Area Feasibility Study to Congress. The feasibility study determined that the study area in the Finger Lakes region of New York state meets the criteria to be eligible for inclusion as part of the National Heritage Area System. [Read more…] about National Park Service Declares Finger Lakes Eligble For National Heritage Designation
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) will host an open house to share details about a recently completed habitat management plan for Catharine Creek Wildlife Management Area, on Tuesday, November 1st.
The primary purposes of Catharine Creek Wildlife Management Area (WMA) are wildlife management, wildlife habitat management, and wildlife-dependent recreation. At the southern end of Seneca Lake, between Watkins Glen and Montour Falls, an unusual natural area has evolved. [Read more…] about Catharine Creek Wildlife Area Meeting Planned
Connecticut Hill Wildlife Management Area is New York State’s largest Wildlife Management Area (WMA) at 11,237 acres and lies within two counties — Schuyler and Tompkins.
A diversity of habitats, including streams and ponds, small fields, and some regenerating hardwood forests, can also be found across the property. [Read more…] about Featured Natural Area: Connecticut Hill Wildlife Area
The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation has announced the recipients of the 2010 New York State Historic Preservation Awards. Established in 1980, the State Historic Preservation Awards are given each year to honor excellence in the protection and rejuvenation of New York’s historic and cultural resources. [Read more…] about New York State Historic Preservation Awards Announced for 2010
On Thursday, the Finger Lakes Cultural & Natural History Museum Board of Trustees adopted a resolution to select Keuka Lake State Park in Yates County as the future home of the Finger Lakes Museum. The vote was unanimous with one abstention. [Read more…] about Finger Lakes Museum Selects Keuka Lake Site
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