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Van Ho trees were cut on Forest Preserve, too | News, Sports, Jobs – Adirondack Daily Enterprise

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Van Ho trees were cut on Forest Preserve, too | News, Sports, Jobs – Adirondack Daily Enterprise

Tree cutting to make way for new amenities at the Mount Van Hoevenberg Olympic Sports Complex has not only happened on town land but also on the state Forest Preserve.

The state constitution says the Forest Preserve must be forever wild and that timber may not be sold, removed or destroyed, but a court interpretation from 1930 gives state agencies leeway for some exceptions.

The cutting was later pared down to 1,500 trees, a number that both Protect and the Adirondack Council still opposed. But both organizations agreed not to sue the state as long as the DEC and ORDA would help to prepare, and support, a constitutional amendment.

A constitutional amendment requires approval by the state legislature twice, with an election in between, and then by a majority of all voters in a statewide referendum.

The proposed amendment would essentially authorize certain activities at Mount Van Hoevenberg similar to those already allowed at Gore and Whiteface downhill ski areas, according to Bauer.

A Declining Species –

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A Declining Species –

Amphibians are among the most imperiled animals on earth, with almost half of all species declining, and, according to a new UN report, about 40% are now at risk of extinction. Some estimates are that the current rate of amphibian extinctions range anywhere from 211 to over 45,000 times faster than what is considered “normal” in the 300 million years amphibians have existed. The reasons for these extinctions vary, with habitat destruction and the spread of chytrid fungus, as well as other pathogens being major factors. Here in the Great Northern Forests, we are very fortunate in that none of our reptile or amphibian species have gone completely extinct in recent centuries (so far as anybody knows). But there have been extirpations (localized extinctions), and plenty of species are losing numbers and territory. While most of Vermont’s 22 species of frog and salamander remain common, there is good reason to believe we have lost at least one species so far, and it was practically gone before we even knew it existed here.

State appeals ruling barring tree cutting for trails – Adirondack Explorer

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State appeals ruling barring tree cutting for trails – Adirondack Explorer

The New York Department of Environmental Conservation and the Adirondack Park Agency on Friday announced they have filed an appeal of a ruling blocking tree cutting for construction of “community-connector” snowmobile trails in the Adirondacks.

The Appellate Division of State Supreme Court ruled last month that the state’s trail construction cut too many trees to fit with constitutional protections mandating that the Adirondack Forest Preserve will remain “forever wild.” The ruling hinged on an interpretation of the word “timber.” A lawsuit brought by Protect the Adirondacks successfully argued that timber protections must apply to small trees and not just those that could yield marketable logs.

Forest Preserve

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Is forest preserve 🌲a good idea 💡?

There was a time not that long ago when the thought was the only way to preserve the land was to lock it up at wilderness. By the turn of the century that approach had some significant criticism with the benefits of scientific forestry becoming well known.

With scientific forestry, public lands are maintained for multiple purposes including timber and in some cases mineral production and grazing. Mixed forests with some young sections and pasture land often provides a better habit for wildlife and increased revenue for recreation purposes.

Sometimes commercial purposes can conflict with recreational and ecological goals. But at the same time, I’m not really sure if closing off the forest preserve to all timber production or creation of infrastructure is appropriate either.