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ADK Today

Vol. 2, No. 3: Monday, March 9, 2009

 JBL Work Weekend 

Friday-Sunday, May 8-10. Yes, this is indeed Mother's Day weekend, but it is socially acceptable to bring Mom along. We can use every conceivable skill: Carpenters, trail workers, decorators, landscapers, domestics and laborers will all be put to use. The event includes a 3.5 mile (750 foot elevation gain) hike from the Garden in Keene Valley to JBL, and participants will carry in a share of the food. A bunk with two wool blankets will be provided, but you should bring a three-season sleeping bag as well. We cannot control the weather, so bring long johns, shorts, rain gear and bug dope. Advance notice is required by Monday, May 4. Contact Bob Grimm at (518) 842-7436 evenings after 7 PM or send an e-mail. 

Supreme Court Victory

The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected an attempt by polluters to reinstate a mercury-control regulation that would have had devastating impacts on the Adirondacks and Catskills. Last year, ADK won a major victory when an appeals court threw out the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Air Mercury Rule. CAMR, a cap-and-trade program, resulted in regional mercury “hot spots.” The Bush administration and the utility industry appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. Although the Obama administration withdrew the federal government’s appeal, the industry continued to pursue the case. Read ADK’s press release and the press release from the national coalition of environmental and health organizations that challenged CAMR. Here are some news stories on the court victory:

 

Black Fly Affair

“Black Fly Affair: A Hiker’s Ball” will be held 7 p.m. to midnight, Saturday, May 30 at the Fort William Henry Conference Center, Lake George. Silent and live auction, food and drink, dancing all night long. Black tie optional; hiking boots mandatory. If you are interested in being a sponsor or donating items to the auction, call Deb Zack at (800) 395-8080 ext. 42. Watch the ADK Web site for details.

Spring Outing

Outing schedules and registration information is available for the ADK’s 2009 Spring Outing, “The Undiscovered Island Revisited,” hosted by the Long Island Chapter. (June 26-28) More details here. To view a registration booklet, including an updated list of outings click here. (Both are pdfs.)

 

Allegany State Park

The Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation plans to revise its Master Plan for Allegany State Park. The wood-products industry is expected to push for the cutting of some of the park’s mature hardwood trees. The ADK Public Affairs Office is already gathering information to be used in opposing logging in the park.

Sterling Forest

The Final Sterling Forest State Park Comprehensive Trails Plan and Environmental Assessment has been adopted by the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) and the Palisades Interstate Park Commission (PIPC).  The plan addresses a range of trail issues in the park and provides for a variety of recreational experiences balanced with the protection of significant natural resources. ADK, in conjunction with the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference, participated in the planning process. A copy of the final plan is available here.

Clearing the Air

In its first month, the Obama administration launched lawsuits against operators of coal-fired power plants in Louisiana and Kansas. Both cases are based on New Source Review (NSR) provisions of the Clean Air Act, a section of the law that the Bush administration attempted to derail. ADK intervened in two cases, both of which went to the U.S. Supreme Court, to ensure NSR could continue to be used as a tool to clean up dirty power plants. Under NSR, power plants that are modified and increase their emissions must install the latest pollution-control technology. The two new lawsuits are a strong signal that the new administration is willing to take on polluters whose emissions contribute to acid rain in the Adirondacks and Catskills. News reports about the lawsuits are available here and here.

Wilderness Weekends

The Niagara Frontier Chapter is updating Wilderness Weekends – the chapter’s handy, pocket-sized guide to hikes and outings in Western New York. The chapter’s new publicity chair, Cindy Mantai, a professional editor for nearly 20 years, has volunteered to lead the project. Anyone who wants to contribute information about hiking in the region should call Cindy at (716) 870-2394 or send her an e-mail.

Alpine Stewardship Conference

The Adirondack High Peaks Summit Steward Program (a partnership of the ADK, The Nature Conservancy and the Department of Environmental Conservation) is hosting the next Northeastern Alpine Stewardship Gathering, May 29-30, at the Crowne Plaza Resort in Lake Placid. This is the first time that ADK has hosted this prestigious event, which brings together alpine stewardship professionals from throughout the Northeast every two years.

Art Exhibit

A selection of works in watercolor, pastels and gouache by visual artist Diane Swanson is on display at ADK headquarters in Lake George through April 30.  Wildlife, local landscapes and other natural subjects are frequent motifs in her work.

New Employee

Allison “Alli” Rose of North River has joined the ADK staff as a membership and development associate. Alli will be working in the Membership and Development office assisting with member acquisition and retention initiatives, including trade shows, and fund-raising efforts. Alli will work full-time through August and part-time while she attends law school. Alli comes to ADK with an extensive background in public affairs and communications, most recently with Noble Environmental Power, a wind energy development firm, and before that with the Fund for Lake George. She is currently teaching an introductory course on Wind Energy at Clinton Community College in Plattsburgh, a brand new course she designed and developed.

Lows Lake

The Adirondack Park Agency (APA) won’t take up the issue of floatplanes on Lows Lake at its March 12-13 meeting. The agency has postponed consideration of DEC’s proposed amendment to the Bog River Complex Unit Management Plan until its April meeting. The amendment would allow floatplanes to use the lake under a permit system through 2012. More about the issue here.

APA Annual Report

The Adirondack Park Agency has issued its 2008 annual report. You can download a pdf version here.

ADK in the News

 

Other News

 

Four-Color Advertising Available in Adirondac Magazine

Now you can purchase four-color ads for your chapter or business throughout Adirondac magazine. For a limited time, color pricing is the same as black and white. For more information download ADK’s media kit or contact adirondac@adk.org.

ADK Today is an occasional compendium of news and views of interest to members of the Adirondack Mountain Club (ADK). It is  produced and distributed by the ADK Communications Department, 301 Hamilton Street, Albany, NY 12210. Comments, questions or concerns about the content of this newsletter? Want to be added to or dropped from our distribution list? Send us an e-mail.