Protecting New York's Mountains From Capitol Hill

Newly appointed governor, Elliot Spitzer, and newly appointed DEC Commissioner, Alexander "Pete" Grannis, aim to protect the Adirondacks while boosting the upstate economy

Story by John Coleman

New York State's economy relies heavily on the money generated from upstate recreation. According to the governors office, nationwide, fishing and boating alone generates $100 billion annually and employs 2.6 million people. For this reason , New York's officials who reside in Washington D.C. and Albany have added responsibility to the state to help protect and preserve the state-owned Adirondack Park and emphasize the recreation opportunities upstate.

Newly appointed governor, Eliot Spitzer, plans on not only adding acreage to the park but also expanding the opportunity for all New Yorker's to enjoy the state's outdoor recreation.

One of Spitzer's top priorities after taking office in January was to appoint former state assembly member Alexander "Pete" Grannis as commissioner of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC).

"[Grannis] is one of the most qualified candidates to ever be proposed for the position as DEC Commissioner...He understands the Adirondack Park is a special place that requires special attention" said John Sheehan, spokesman for the non-profit Adirondack Council.

Grannis has past experience working for the DEC, has authored legislation to preserve the Adirondack Park and was one of the founders of the Environmental Protection Fund developed in 1992, according to Sheehan.

"[Grannis] has been willing to come to the Adirondack's to fish – I know because I've seen him personally," Sheehan said.

According to Spitzer's official spokesman, Marc Violette, the governor understands the importance of the DEC and their role as a regulatory agency whose job is to enforce laws and protect the rich natural resources of upstate New York such as the Adirondack Park and the many rivers and lakes that the state depends on as economic resources.

"The DEC will play a very appropriate environmental regulatory role and will work closely with local communities as well as businesses and industry to enforce environmental laws," Violette said.

In his recent budget negotiations, Spitzer secured 109 new DEC staff positions including a 12-member Global Warming department within the DEC that will focus on climate change issues and work to reverse the global warming trend.

"[Grannis] has been willing to come to the Adirondack's to fish – I know because I've seen him personally."

Spitzer replaces 10-year governor, George Pataki, whose presence was felt upstate in a big way. In his tenure, Pataki generated $95 million for expansion and improvement of Lake Placid Olympic Region facilities such as Whiteface Mountain and Mt. Van Hoevenberg facilities. Pataki also expanded the Environmental Protection Fund from $25 million to $150 million and provided $1.4 billion for environmental spending.

According to Violette and a March press release from the governor, Spitzer's outdoor agenda also includes plans to create new fishing sites, boat launches and hiking trails, upgrade existing fish hatcheries, reverse the trend of declining hunting and fishing license sales, upgrade DEC campgrounds and summer camps, and focus the 'I Love New York' campaign to effectively promote outdoor activities such as hunting, fishing, and skiing.

"The governor wants to work to increase the opportunity for people in much more urban areas to enjoy outdoor recreation," Violette said.

In addition to expanding outdoor recreation opportunities, Violette also expects the governor to push for greener, more renewable energy sources, such as wind energy, while in office.

Will Spitzer give Upstate New York the attention it needs? Let us know!

Global Warming in the Adirondacks?

According to John Sheehan, official spokesman of the non-profit Adirondack Council, alpine summits such as those found atop many of the 46 Adirondack peaks that rise above 3,000 feet, are the second most effected regions by global warming behind coastal regions.

Alpine Zones

Organizations such as the Adirondack Mountain Club, Adirondack Park Agency, and the Adirondack Council work hard to raise awareness of the fragility and importance of these "Alpine Zones." In these regions located above 3,000 there grows many rare species of plants, moss, and lichens classified as "arctic-alpine." Hikers often mistake this as deciduous vegetation and assume they can walk on it; however, these species are so fragile that once disturbed it could take years for them to grow back or recover at all.

How will these areas be affected by global warming?

Warming of temperatures would push the deciduous forest that thrive in milder temperatures toward the summits enveloping the arctic-alpine vegetation in place of deciduous vegetation creating a loss of entire species of birds and species that depend on the alpine summit habitat for survival.

Threatened Species

One of the species threatened most by global warming is a species of bird known as the Bicknell's Thrush, a bird which only nests in trees above 3,000 feet.

According to Sheehan, there are less than 50,000 Bicknell's Thrush remaining and the Adirondack Park has one of the most concentrated populations of the bird.

The dwarfed red spruce tree is another species found exclusively in an alpine summit habitat. The red spruce, according to Sheehan, is not only threatened by Global Warming but also by acid rain.

Of course, acid rain in the Adirondacks is another problem in itself.

According to Sheehan, acid rain is a problem with the ability to "wreak more immediate havoc" on the Adirondacks than global warming; however, the Clean Air Act enacted in 1990 is expected to help reduce acid rain in the Adirondacks by 80 percent by the year 2015, according to Sheehan.

Eventually some Adirondack lakes and ponds could be deemed "dead" due to acid rain. The high ph level could return to normal and, gradually, animal and plant life would return to these waters.