The only independent, nonprofit news organization solely dedicated to reporting on the Adirondack Park.
By Phil Brown
A sure sign of spring is when the state Department of Environmental Conservation closes rock-climbing routes in the Adirondacks to protect the nesting sites of peregrine falcons. Each spring, DEC bans climbing on routes on Poke-o-Moonshine Mountain, Upper and Lower Washbowl Cliffs, and Moss Cliff. Once biologists ascertain where falcons are nesting, some routes are…
By Phil Brown
A snowmobile that sank in Lake Flower after its driver intentionally drove it over open water has been removed and apparently did not contaminate the water, according to a spokesman for the state Department of Environmental Conservation. David Winchell, the spokesman, said the snowmobile was pulled out of the lake Friday evening, hours after the…
By Phil Brown
Following is the state Department of Environmental Conservation Region 5’s report of searches and rescues from August and September. Region 5 includes the eastern two-thirds of the Adirondack Park. Essex County Town of North Elba, High Peaks Wilderness Area On Tuesday, August 14, 2012, at approximately 9:53 p.m., DEC Dispatch in Ray Brook received a…
By Phil Brown
State officials felt they had no choice but to kill an injured moose that had been hanging out in the Ausable River in Wilmington Notch, according to David Winchell, a spokesman for the Department of Environmental Conservation. “The primary factor was its deteriorating condition,” Winchell said this morning. “It was not able to move out…
By Phil Brown
Following is the Forest Ranger report for June and July. DEC REGION 5 FOREST RANGER’S JUNE/JULY SEARCH AND RESCUE REPORT ESSEX COUNTY Town of North Elba, High Peaks Wilderness Area On Thursday, June 7, 2012, at about 9:11 am, DEC Dispatch in Ray Brook received a call reporting an injured hiker at Marcy Dam. Melis…
By Phil Brown
Changes in the state’s fishing regulations will take effect October 12, as a result of an evaluation of biological data and input from anglers, according to the state Department of Environmental Conservation. Several of the changes affect waters in the Adirondacks. These regulations will: Walleye. Prohibit fishing in the Lake Pleasant outlet to the mouth…
By Phil Brown
The spiny water flea, an invasive species, has been found in Lake George, just weeks after its discovery in the Champlain Canal, according to the state Department of Environmental Conservation. A native of Eurasia, the flea feeds on crustaceans and other zooplankton, putting the invader in direct competition with native fish and other aquatic organisms.…
By Phil Brown
Protect the Adirondacks, the Adirondack Mountain Club, the Adirondack Council, and other green groups have started an online petition to encourage the state not to back out of an agreement to purchase sixty-five thousand acres of former Finch, Pruyn lands for the Forest Preserve. In its petition, the environmentalists contend that “a small but vocal…
By Phil Brown
New York State has added 156 acres on southern Lake Champlain to the forever-wild Forest Preserve, the state Department of Environmental Conservation announced today. Known as Chubbs Dock property, the tract includes 2,140 feet of shoreline and seventy acres of wetlands in the town of Dresden. It is in a wildlife travel corridor connecting the…
By Phil Brown
The state Department of Environmental Conservation hopes to reconstruct this fall the popular boat launch at Second Pond, which gives boaters access to the Saranac Lakes State Campground. DEC plans to replace the existing boat ramp, build a separate facility for canoes and kayaks, and provide additional parking. It also wants to change the boundaries…