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Entries Tagged as 'News'

Lawsuits – The latest Adirondack process

January 13th, 2010 · 3 Comments · News

The Adirondacks - Our Great National PlaygroundFollowing the news of the Adirondack Council suing the Adirondack Park Agency (APA), I mentioned to someone that lawsuits are quickly becoming a norm in any regulatory process in the Adirondacks. Seems like there could be a better way to get things done. Two hostile parties rarely reach mutually satisfying results.

Well, another one just dropped into my mailbox:

Adirondack Groups Sue State to Protect Wilderness Lake

ALBANY, N.Y. — The Adirondacks’ leading conservation groups, the Adirondack Mountain Club (ADK) and Protect the Adirondacks! (PROTECT), filed a lawsuit Tuesday in state Supreme Court in Albany to force the Adirondack Park Agency (APA) to adhere to state law and classify a state-owned wilderness canoe route in the heart of the Adirondacks.

“We are forced to seek redress in the courts because, despite the best efforts of many different parties, our state agencies failed to settle some important matters regarding implementation of the State Land Master Plan,” said David Gibson, executive director of PROTECT “We go to court for all state-owned waters in the Forest Preserve, not merely to settle the classification of Lows Lake. Classification drives management direction. We seek better direction about how to manage wild waters in the Forest Preserve for the benefit of people in the central Adirondacks, visitors from all across the country and Canada and many more who may never paddle these waters, but who nonetheless appreciate the way they are managed for future generations.”

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Snowmobiles – DANGER!

January 11th, 2010 · 12 Comments · News

Snowmobile - DangerI normally don’t link to most accident or crime items, but the recent spate of snowmobile incidents in the Adirondacks and vicinity are notable.

Lewis County woman hospitalized following snowmobile crash

Police investigating fatal snowmobile accident

“The faster he could go, the better,” said Waller, adding that Gullis had recently spoken about adding nitrous oxide to his snowmobile to make it go faster. “He couldn’t wait to get out there.”

Morrisonville man killed in Waverly snowmobile crash

Man in critical following snowmobile crash

3 die when snowmobiles go through ice on Vt. lake

Luke noted over the weekend an advertisement he found in a local weekly. It featured a snowmobiler “Gunning it, flying through the air”. Obvious questions about promotional imagery and safety. (Not-so-obvious question about advertising rationale.)

Portrayals of cyclists are frequently criticized if they are shown lacking head protection. Heck, we ban cigarette and liquor ads altogether. When does the harm caused by an activity outweigh its economic benefit? Unfortunately, these days that point is only reached when the economic cost exceeds the benefit.

I’m sort of happy to say that we moderated our video to make it less “snowmobile-aggressive” and to include a variety of other Winter activities.  Hope this is the last we hear of accidents this season.

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Lake Champlain Bridge R.I.P.

December 22nd, 2009 · 1 Comment · News

August 27, 1929 – December 28, 2009

Lake Champlain Bridge - Plaque

NYSDOT | Lake Champlain Bridge

Update: Bridge Demolition Delayed Until Monday

It’s Gone: Lake Champlain Bridge Demolition Video


(via The In Box)

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