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President Trump Nominates Rep. Elise Stefanik to be U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations


Rep. Elise Stefanik with President-elect Donald Trump (Photo Credit: Rep. Elise Stefanik Facebook page.)

President Trump in a statement to the NY Post said: “I am honored to nominate Chairwoman Elise Stefanik to serve in my Cabinet as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. Elise is an incredibly strong, tough, and smart America First fighter.”

House Republican Conference Chair, Elise Stefanik, released the following statement:

“I am truly honored to earn President Trump’s nomination to serve in his Cabinet as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. During my conversation with President Trump, I shared how deeply humbled I am to accept his nomination and that I look forward to earning the support of my colleagues in the United States Senate.

President Trump’s historic landslide election has given hope to the American people and is a reminder that brighter days are ahead — both at home and abroad. America continues to be the beacon of the world, but we expect and must demand that our friends and allies be strong partners in the peace we seek.

The work ahead is immense as we see antisemitism skyrocketing coupled with four years of catastrophically weak U.S. leadership that significantly weakened our national security and diminished our standing in the eyes of both allies and adversaries.

I stand ready to advance President Donald J. Trump’s restoration of America First peace through strength leadership on the world stage on Day One at the United Nations.

I will forever be grateful to my beloved constituents in New York’s 21st Congressional District for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to work my very hardest to serve and give them a voice at the highest levels of Congress.

Ten years ago, Upstate and North Country voters took a chance on a young, first-time, unknown candidate who very few believed could win. I was proud to be the youngest woman elected to Congress at the time and to earn their overwhelming vote of confidence in six general elections.

Thank you to my colleagues in the House for entrusting me to serve as House Republican Conference Chair as a part of your leadership team.

I am proud of my strong record as a senior Member of the House Armed Services Committee, the House Intelligence Committee, and the Education and Workforce Committee, as well as the legislative and constituent services results my office successfully delivered to our district.

Thank you to the hardworking families, small businesses, farms, law enforcement officers, military families, veterans, seniors, and local elected officials whom I have worked so closely with on behalf of our communities. And most especially, thank you to my extraordinarily dedicated staff in the District and Washington offices for serving our constituents tirelessly for the past decade.

My family and I are excited for this next chapter in New York and Washington to work hard to serve our country on President Donald Trump’s team. No matter where this journey takes us, Upstate New York — the cradle of the American Revolution — will always be my heart and home.”

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DEC Forest Rangers in the News

Town of Dresden
Washington County
Wilderness Rescue: On Oct. 20 at 2:18 p.m., Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from the leader of a YMCA hiking group to report one of six hikers was suffering from muscle exhaustion and couldn’t continue hiking Black Mountain on his own. Rangers Carabetta and Kabrehl hiked in and escorted the 70-year-old from Ballston Spa down the mountain to the parking lot where he refused further medical attention. Resources were clear at 4:34 p.m.

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Autumn 2024

Autumn
By Alice Cary

Shorter and shorter now the twilight clips
The days, as though the sunset gates they crowd,
And Summer from her golden collar slips
And strays through stubble-fields, and moans aloud,

Save when by fits the warmer air deceives,
And, stealing hopeful to some sheltered bower,
She lies on pillows of the yellow leaves,
And tries the old tunes over for an hour.

The wind, whose tender whisper in the May
Set all the young blooms listening through th’ grove,
Sits rustling in the faded boughs to-day
And makes his cold and unsuccessful love.

The rose has taken off her tire of red—
The mullein-stalk its yellow stars have lost,
And the proud meadow-pink hangs down her head
Against earth’s chilly bosom, witched with frost.

The robin, that was busy all the June,
Before the sun had kissed the topmost bough,
Catching our hearts up in his golden tune,
Has given place to the brown cricket now.

The very cock crows lonesomely at morn—
Each flag and fern the shrinking stream divides—
Uneasy cattle low, and lambs forlorn
Creep to their strawy sheds with nettled sides.

Shut up the door: who loves me must not look
Upon the withered world, but haste to bring
His lighted candle, and his story-book,
And live with me the poetry of Spring.

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DEC Forest Rangers in the News

Town of Ticonderoga
Essex County
Wilderness Search: On Aug. 26 at 10:10 p.m., Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from two hikers unable to follow the trail down Cook Mountain. Forest Ranger Quinn attempted to talk the hikers back onto the trail, but they lost it again. At 11:20 p.m., Ranger Quinn located the 47-year-old and 11-year-old from Ticonderoga and helped them back to the trailhead. Resources were clear at 12:15 a.m.

Village of Fort Ann
Washington County
Wilderness Rescue: On Aug. 29 at 9:15 p.m., Forest Ranger Donegan responded to a call for a hiker with a lower leg injury approximately one mile up on Buck Mountain. When Ranger Donegan arrived, the 36-year-old from Hudson Falls was unable to walk. Ranger Donegan stabilized the hiker’s leg. Pilot Knob Fire Department drove the subject down on an ATV to a Queensbury ambulance.

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Lake George Land Conservancy Protects 73 Acres in the South Basin


View from Truesdale Hill Uplands

The Lake George Land Conservancy (LGLC) has permanently protected 73 acres of forested land in the Town of Lake George. These scenic uplands contain 1,545 feet of streams, including the headwaters of a tributary that enters into Lake George by residences and businesses that rely on the lake as a source of drinking water.

“We are thrilled to protect this forested ridgeline property that protects Lake George in so many ways,” said LGLC Executive Director Mike Horn, “benefitting water quality, natural habitat, and the scenic backdrop that we all enjoy so much.”

The property is located on Truesdale Hill Road, in the southwest region of the Lake George watershed. The lake’s south basin is facing particularly high development pressure. This region is also especially important for the lake’s water quality. Because these headwaters persist in Lake George for so long, they can have the greatest impact on the water quality of the entire lake.

The protection of these waters, and the land that surrounds them, is therefore a very important conservation priority for the health of the entire Lake George watershed. In acquiring this 73-acre property, the LGLC will provide permanent protection of its steep slopes, healthy forests, and vegetated stream buffers, all of which will further safeguard the water quality of Lake George. This land also provides important wildlife habitat and preserves the scenic beauty of an undeveloped ridgeline that is visible throughout the south basin.

The purchase of these 73 acres was funded in part by The Makowski Trust, and a $641,424 grant received from the Water Quality Improvement Project (WQIP) grant program administered by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. An additional $115,000 is needed to reach the total estimated purchase price and provide the required match for the grant.

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Lake George Land Conservancy Closes on Wiawaka Conservation Easement


The Wiawaka Uplands Conservation Easement protects more than 1,500 feet of streams that flow into Lake George.

On July 10, the Lake George Land Conservancy (LGLC) permanently protected 42 acres of forested land in the Town of Lake George through the purchase of a conservation easement from the Wiawaka Center for Women (Wiawaka).

Under this conservation easement (CE), the land continues to be privately owned by Wiawaka, and the LGLC will ensure the land’s permanent protection and assist with its stewardship. Though currently open for recreation only to Wiawaka’s guests, the conservation easement allows for sustainable public recreation in the future.

The upland property contains over 1,500 feet of stream corridor and five acres of forested wetland within the southern basin of Lake George. Town zoning would have allowed for residential and commercial development on the site, which would be visible from the lake and surrounding lands. In its natural and undeveloped state, the land will continue to slowly filter and clean rainwater and runoff from upland storm events, before the water reaches the lake, as well as protect precious wildlife habitat and scenic views.

LGLC Executive Director Michael Horn said, “The Wiawaka Center for Women is a gem within our Lake George community, carrying forward an important mission and incredibly rich history. I want to thank Doreen Kelly and the Wiawaka Board of Directors for allowing us the opportunity to permanently protect their forested uplands.”

Wiawaka Executive Director Doreen Kelly said, “We are incredibly proud to be closing on the easement with the LGLC. It is a historical moment in our 121st year of operation that protects the watershed and the land around Wiawaka for generations to come.”

The purchase of the Wiawaka Uplands Conservation Easement was supported by a $350,000 grant from the 2022 Forest Conservation Easements for Land Trusts Program (FCELT), and New York’s Environmental Protection Fund. FCELT is administered by the Land Trust Alliance, in coordination with the State department of Environmental Conservation. The LGLC is one of just four land trusts to have been awarded an FCELT grant in its inaugural year, and is the first to close on an FCELT-supported project.

Wiawaka is a nonprofit organization and the longest continually operating women’s retreat center in the country. The center was founded in 1903 as a destination for women working in the factories of Troy, NY, to escape the city and enjoy an affordable vacation. Today, Wiawaka continues to offer affordable accommodations and weekly programming, retreats, and evening lectures from mid-June to early September.

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DEC Forest Rangers in the News

Town of Dresden
Washington County
Wilderness Search: On June 27, at 6:07 p.m., Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from two hikers at a trail junction near Black Mountain who were unsure of how to get back to their vehicle. At 9:18 p.m., Forest Ranger Kabrehl located the 65-year-old and 70-year-old from Long Island and escorted them back to their vehicle.

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LGPC Moves Forward with Test of Aquatic Herbicide ProcellaCOR


A well-attended rally in opposition to the application of ProcellaCOR in Lake George was held at 8:30 am on Tuesday, May 28, 2024 outside the office of the Lake George Association. The Lake George Association has opposed the use of ProcellaCOR in Lake George.


Later in the day on Tuesday, the Lake George Park Commission rejected the Lake George Associations’ offer to pay the full cost of hand-harvesting in the two areas where the state wants to apply ProcellaCOR this year. Both sites are in the northern Lake George basin. One site is off of Huletts Landing.

News Channel 13 of Albany covered the Lake George Park Commission hearing here.

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Lake George Land Conservancy Receives $86k Grant to Manage Invasive Hemlock Woolly Adelgid on Protected Land in Putnam


An infested hemlock branch showing the woolly masses of hemlock woolly adelgid, found at the LGLC’s protected Clark Hollow Bay Preserve in Putnam.

The Lake George Land Conservancy (LGLC) is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a grant of $86,215 to support the LGLC’s rapid response and management efforts to control the invasive hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA) on its Clark Hollow Bay Preserve in the Town of Putnam. The LGLC’s Land Steward discovered an infestation of HWA at its recently acquired 60-acre Clark Hollow Bay property in the spring of 2023. This was the first time HWA had been found on LGLC protected property, and is at the northern frontier of the HWA infestation at Lake George and in the Adirondack Park.

Hemlock trees play an important role in the forests where they grow, preventing soil erosion and providing habitat for both terrestrial and aquatic wildlife. Left alone, HWA will kill hemlocks within five to ten years, making early detection critical to effective management.

Hemlocks are a dominant tree species in much of the forest surrounding Lake George, making HWA especially dangerous for the preservation of water quality and health of the whole lake ecosystem.

This summer, LGLC staff identified 108 trees with known HWA infestations on the Clark Hollow Bay Preserve; the actual number of infested trees is estimated to be at least doubled, when taking into account those trees that were inaccessible for evaluation.


Dr. Mark Whitmore of the New York State Hemlock Initiative joined LGLC staff in 2023 to confirm the presence of hemlock woolly adelgid at the Clark Hollow Bay Preserve.

The LGLC’s HWA management plan for the Clark Hollow Bay Preserve includes the use of both biological controls for long-term management, and chemical controls in the short-term. In partnership with the New York State Hemlock Initiative (NYSHI), the LGLC released Laricobius nigrinus beetles on the property in fall of 2023. The beetle is native to the Pacific Northwest and preys exclusively upon HWA. Highly controlled chemical application was also conducted on the property with help from the Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program (APIPP).

The grant will fund three years of additional monitoring and management activity at the Clark Hollow Bay Preserve.

LGLC Executive Director Mike Horn said, “With this funding we are able to combat hemlock woolly adelgid on this important protected property. We are grateful to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, as well as the resources and expertise provided by NYSHI and APIPP, for making this work possible.”

This grant is part of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s Invasive Species Grant Program, which provides funding for aquatic and terrestrial invasive species spread prevention, early detection and rapid response, lake management planning, research, and education and outreach.

The Invasive Species Grant Program is supported by the State’s Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) and administered by the Bureau of Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health in DEC’s Division of Lands and Forests. For more information, please visit DEC’s website.

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From AI: Where Do Local Swallows Go in the Winter?

One of the best things about the spring and summer is to awake to the sounds of birds singing. There are lots of swallows around Huletts in the summer and they should always be left alone because all swallows are state and federally protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918.

I’ve always wondered exactly where our swallows “winter homes” are? One great thing about the new artificial intelligence, ChatGPT, is that you can get answers to questions you want to learn more about extremely quickly without doing any searching. So here is what ChatGPT gave me when I asked the question.

Question: Where do barn swallows from upstate New York go in the winter?

ChatGPT answer: “Barn swallows from upstate New York migrate to warmer regions for the winter. These migratory birds typically travel to Central and South America. Specifically, barn swallows are known to winter in countries such as Argentina, Brazil, and other parts of South America.

Migration is a common behavior among barn swallows and many other bird species to avoid harsh winter conditions and ensure a steady supply of food. They return to their breeding grounds in North America, including upstate New York, during the spring and summer months for nesting and raising their young.

The long-distance migration of barn swallows is an impressive feat, and these birds cover thousands of miles during their annual journeys.”

It seems our small swallows travel the farthest in winter!

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Recent DEC Forest Ranger Actions

Village of Fort Ann
Washington County
Wilderness Rescue: On July 5 at 4:24 p.m., Ray Brook Dispatch requested Forest Ranger assistance with a lost hiker near the summit of Buck Mountain. Ranger Poulton found the 23-year-old from Troy and helped her back to the trailhead. Resources were clear at 7:30 p.m.

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Stec Constitutional Amendment Facilitating Camp Gabriels Sale Passes Senate

A constitutional amendment sponsored by Senator Dan Stec (R,C-Queensbury) to facilitate the sale of Camp Gabriels in the Town of Brighton today passed the state Senate. Senate bill S27 would enable the property to be sold or leased while ensuring the funds from the sale go toward forest preserve acquisition in the Adirondack Park. This is third consecutive year Stec’s legislation has passed the Senate.

“Camp Gabriels has laid dormant far too long and it’s had a negative impact on our local economy and quality of life,” Stec said. “If we’re serious about repurposing closed prisons, passing this constitutional amendment removes this financial liability from the state and generate the jobs, revenue and economic activity we’ve needed in Franklin County since Camp Gabriels was closed in 2009.

“In addition to the economic potential of a sale, this amendment ensures we continue forest preservation in the Adirondack Park for years to come,” he continued. “I’m hopeful that the Assembly will also take action this year, so we can get one step closer to bringing this amendment to voters and ensure this site is used to better our region.”

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The Bacon Brothers Sing “My Adirondack Home”

“My Adirondack Home” performed by the Bacon Brothers, pays tribute to the summer home of Michael and Kevin Bacon and their families, as they have a family camp in the Adirondack Mountains of New York. The song features in the Emmy Award-Winning documentary “Songs to Keep: Treasures of an Adirondack Folk Collector.” The program showcases folk music collected by a historian named Marjorie Lansing Porter in the 1940s, ’50s and ’60s. Producer Paul Larson won the Emmy for outstanding documentary at the Boston/New England Regional Emmy Awards. “Songs to Keep: Treasures of an Adirondack Folk Collector” is a production of Mountain Lake PBS.