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News
Conservation
Members
Director Report
Welcome to the summer season. Once again our world is transformed as if by magic. We are entering a time of hiking, paddling, fishing, and just plain enjoying sitting outdoors.
As you look at the summer outing schedule, notice that coming right up is an outing by Ken and Barb Adams. This is a trip to the Twin Valley lands owned by the State University of New York at Plattsburgh where Ken is a professor. The Twin Valley area is located near Essex in the south eastern part of the Park. The university owns cabins and a main hall for dinning. Tenting is also permitted. Ken has suggested that some people might like to come overnight and some for a day. There are miles of trails and Ken will lead hikes and enlighten us as to the flora and fauna of the area. It is close to the Bouquet River and Lake Champlain for paddling. This is a wonderful opportunity for Shatagee Woods ADK members, so contact Ken and Barb to sign up and get further information.
The summer schedule features Wednesday hikes with Chuck and Ann Hadden. They want to do lots of things with their grandchildren this summer, so please consider bringing children or grandchildren on these outings. Last summer I climbed Azure Mountain with them and it was a most delightful time.
The annual canoe camping trip co-lead by the Stamps and Humistons will be in the beautiful Little Tupper Lake and Round Lake area. There will be a planning meeting before the trip. Be sure to sign up will in advance.
The most impressive conservation news is the installation of the large wind farm in the area just above the Park blue line in our North Country. This is not to be missed and can be seen by driving the side roads off Route 11 east of Chateaugay. This wind energy will provide a much needed alternative energy. Wind energy is better for the environment than flooding acres of land in Canada (Hydro Quebec) for hydro power or removing whole mountains in West Virginia for coal power. We need more wind, solar and other non polluting energy sources. All the work that has been done to conserve the Adirondacks will mean nothing if Global Warming is allowed to continue.
In the name of using less fossil fuel, we will want to be sure to car pool to outings and to chip in for gas for the driver.
On the invasive plant front, The Adirondack Invasive Plant Partnership (APIPP) has now become part of a statewide effort to control invasive species. APIPP will now extend it's jurisdiction to include the lands north of the blue line to the Canadian border. Work to identify and manage non-native invasives continues. Now APIPP surveys state lands for invasives when they come up for Unit Management Plan reviews. In our own area, APIPP will survey the lands from the Blue line north to Canada for invasives. If you are aware of invasives please call me. We continue to be on high alert for ornamental Jewelweed (purple flower) Impatiens glandulifrea. It was spotted on the west side of the Chateaugay Lakes in a ditch last year and removed. Other plants to look for and remove are Purple Loosestrife and honeysuckle bushes. Any non-native plant that is removed means a reduction in the seed source to reduce it's spread. Lists of invasive plants and more information can be found at www.adkinvasives.com
When buying new plants for landscaping, be sure to ask for native, non-invasive plants at the garden nursery. Believe it or not, invasive plants are sold! Native plants fit our environmental web offering food and shelter for our local creatures.
The other non-natives to consider are forest pests and fish diseases. The advice to prevent the spread of forest pests is to not move firewood around. Don't bring wood to your camping situation from more than 50 miles away. It is better to buy local wood. There are several serious threats to trees that could spread to our area. I'm sure that serious fishermen are aware that there are several serious fish diseases that threaten us. There are also the ubiquitous aquatic invasive plants and non-native baitfish to deal with. The advice in the fishing department is to clean all equipment after leaving a stream or lake in a weak bleach solution and hot water (if possible). This includes waders and other stream equipment to boats and trailers. Don't dump leftover bait in the water where these creatures might survive. We didn't have to do this in the past, but times change and it is necessary to change our practices too.
There is a new forester assigned to the Chary Highlands Unit. Sean Reynolds replaces Steve Guglielmi out of the Ray Brook office. I understand that there is an interim recreation plan that has been written by DEC for the Domtar Lands that have come into conservation in our areal. When the State of New York pays The Nature Conservancy for the Domtar Lands, this interim recreation plan will be made public as the State of New York will open up state purchase and easement lands for use. Following these events Forester Sean Reynolds will work on a Unit Management Plan and public hearings will be held before it is final. Our Shatagee Woods Chapter has made our desires for specific trails known to the DEC and the ADK so hopefully they will be included in the plan
This year I lost a friend from the Conservation Committee. Betty Lou Bailey who made sure that paddlers had access to water around dams died suddenly on an ADK bike trip. I will miss Betty Lou very much.
New members, Kent and Denise Goodrow, St Regis Falls, NY joined us for several cross country ski events this winter. They own Siberian Huskies and enjoyed sled dogging. Miriam Goulding and Wallace Westfeldt are also new members. Miriam enjoys hiking, paddling, and XC skiing.
Ken Humiston has attended the Director's Meetings at the Lake George Service Center. The major concern is that expenses are exceeding revenues by 3%. This is an obvious problem. Ken and the other directors discussed different options to increase income. Presently ADK is the leading conservation organization in the state. ADK welcomes suggestions concerning this financial problem.