Adirondack Council Inc

SEE PART III, LINE 1

THE ADIRONDACK COUNCIL CONDUCTED RESEARCH, EDUCATION, ADVOCACY AND AS NECESSARY, LEGAL ACTION TO ENHANCE THE PRESERVATION OF CLEAN WATER AND AIR, WILDERNESS, WORKING FARMS AND FORESTS AND TO FOSTER MORE VIBRANT DIVERSE COMMUNITIES IN THE ADIRONDACK PARK. SUCCESSES FIGHTING FOR CLEAN WATER AND CLEAN AIR; COMBATING INVASIVE SPECIES AND CLIMATE CHANGE INCLUDED NEW INVESTMENTS IN CLEAN WATER INFRASTRUCTURE. SEVEN PARK COMMUNITIES, INCLUDING PERU AND TICONDEROGA, RECEIVED CLEAN WATER GRANTS OF OVER $28 MILLION. OVER THE COURSE OF FIVE YEARS, THE NYS CLEAN WATER STATE REVOLVING FUND, WHICH THE ADIRONDACK COUNCIL HELPED SECURE CREATION OF, HAS AWARDED $88 MILLION TO PARK COMMUNITIES TO KEEP POLLUTION OUT OF ADIRONDACK WATERS. THE COUNCIL SECURED A STATE ADDITION OF $500 MILLION TO THE FUND THIS YEAR. A ROAD SALT TASK FORCE STARTED MEETING AND WRITING RECOMMENDATIONS AND A PILOT PROGRAM. THE COUNCIL SECURED STATE ACTION TO IMPLEMENT THE NEW MANDATORY INSPECTION OF BOATS FOR INVASIVES LAW ADOPTED LAST YEAR. NEW WETLANDS PROTECTIONS WERE APPROVED IN EXPANDED STATE LAW. $500,000 IN STATE FUNDING WAS SECURED FOR CRITICAL RESEARCH, MONITORING AND A SURVEY OF CLIMATE AND ADIRONDACK LAKE ECOSYSTEMS.SUCCESSES ADVOCATING FOR WILDERNESS AND PROTECTION OF THE WILD CHARACTER AND ECOLOGICAL INTEGRITY OF THE ADIRONDACK PARK INCLUDED IMPROVED WILDERNESS PRESERVATION AND ACCESS FOR CURRENT AND FUTURE GENERATIONS. FOR OVER FIVE YEARS THE STATE AND KEY PARTNERS HAD STUDIED THE PROBLEM, TESTED IDEAS AND FINALIZED A REPORT WRITTEN WITH ASSISTANCE FROM THE COUNCIL. THIS YEAR, THE STATE EXPANDED FUNDING AND IMPLEMENTED MORE RECOMMENDATIONS; $8.6 MILLION WAS APPROVED FOR WILDERNESS OVERUSE, EDUCATION, STEWARDS, SUSTAINABLE TRAILS, IMPROVED TRAILHEADS AND ACCESS, AND A SMALL PILOT PERMIT SYSTEM; AND $600,000 WAS DEDICATED FOR THIRD PARTY VISITOR USE MANAGEMENT EXPERTISE. THE COUNCIL ALSO SECURED STATE ACTION TO START A NEW FOREST RANGER ACADEMY AND THE HIRING OF MORE ASSISTANT FOREST RANGERS. $400 MILLION WAS SECURED FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION FUND WITH $40 MILLION FOR OPEN SPACE. FUNDS FOR FAIR MARKET VALUE ACQUISITIONS OR CONSERVATION EASEMENTS INCREASED BY $10 MILLION. STATE FOREVER WILD ARTICLE XIV CONSTITUTIONAL PROTECTIONS WERE, AGAIN, SUCCESSFULLY DEFENDED.SUCCESSES FOSTERING A MORE RESILIENT, SUSTAINABLE ADIRONDACK PARK WITH MORE VIBRANT COMMUNITIES AND MORE AND BETTER JOBS INCLUDED THE COUNCIL'S FOREVER ADIRONDACKS CAMPAIGN ADVOCACY CREATING A $2.1 MILLION TIMBUCTOO SUMMER CLIMATE AND CAREERS INSTITUTE FOR CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK STUDENTS AND OTHERS WITH THE SUNY COLLEGE OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND FORESTRY IN NEWCOMB. THE INSTITUTE WILL BE A NEW JOBS PIPELINE TO THE PARK. THE COUNCIL SECURED OVER $1 BILLION IN FUNDING FOR AND EXPANDED AVAILABILITY OF BROADBAND, A LOCAL COMMUNITY PRIORITY, WHICH SUPPORTS PARK JOBS. THE COUNCIL ALSO HELPED ELIMINATE THE UTILITY FEE BARRIER TO LAST MILE CONNECTIONS, TO HELP EXPAND PARK BROADBAND CONNECTIVITY. INCREASED FUNDING FOR THE ADIRONDACK DIVERSITY INITIATIVE AND VISITOR INTERPRETIVE CENTERS IN NEWCOMB AND PAUL SMITHS, DIVERSITY AND EDUCATION WAS SECURED.SUCCESSES WORKING TO PRESERVE OPEN SPACE AND SUPPORTING WORKING FORESTS AND FARMS INCLUDED ADIRONDACK COUNCIL ESSEX FARM INSTITUTE GRANTS TO CHAMPLAIN VALLEY FARMS AND FARMERS. 15 MICRO-GRANTS TOTALING $32,000 WERE AWARDED TO FARMERS AND VALUE-ADDED FOOD PRODUCERS FOR CLIMATE-FRIENDLY FARMING. SUCCESSES BEING A LEADER IN PROTECTION OF THE ADIRONDACKS INCLUDED SUCCESSFULLY EXPANDING AND DIVERSIFYING THE PARK'S CONSTITUENCY AND PUBLISHING ADIRONDACK VISION 2050, A LONG-RANGE VISION FOR THE PARK. THE REPORT WAS INFORMED BY THREE YEARS OF INPUT FROM OVER 100 LOCAL, REGIONAL AND NATIONAL STAKEHOLDERS, AND SCIENTISTS. IT RESPONDS TO THREATS AND OPPORTUNITIES WITH 250 RECOMMENDATIONS TO PRESERVE ECOLOGY, SUSTAIN COMMUNITIES AND IMPROVE PARK MANAGEMENT. THE ADIRONDACK COUNCIL HOSTED THE BLACK, PUERTO RICAN, HISPANIC & ASIAN STATE LEGISLATIVE CAUCUS IN THE ADIRONDACKS. THE CAUCUS MEMBERS EXPERIENCED THE PARK, LEARNED ABOUT ITS HISTORY WITH THE ABOLITIONIST AND SUFFRAGE MOVEMENTS, AND CONSERVATION. THE CAUCUS ADOPTED AN AGENDA INCLUDING PARK NEEDS, NEEDS OF BIPOC AND OTHER COMMUNITIES, AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE. THE COUNCIL ADVOCATED FOR A CLEAN WATER, CLEAN AIR AND GREEN JOBS BOND ACT. GOVERNOR HOCHUL AND THE LEGISLATURE APPROVED A $4.2 BILLION PROPOSAL FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT CURB GREENHOUSE GASSES AND COMBATS CLIMATE CHANGE. WILDERNESS PROTECTION, GREEN ENERGY, AND ENERGY CONSERVATION BENEFIT THE PARK'S ECOLOGY, ECONOMY AND PUBLIC HEALTH.