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Latest news

A cyanobacteria bloom along the rocky shoreline

Water quality

Hot weather fuels harmful algal blooms on Lake Champlain

By Zachary Matson

Beaches along Lake Champlain close due to harmful cyanobacteria blooms

ncpr mix board

Government

Federal budget package pulls funding for local public media outlets

By Brenne Sheehan

Republican-backed rescissions package slashes millions from regional NPR, PBS affiliates

canadian flag on main street

Communities

Lake Placid drops protest permit law after petition gains 500 signatures

By North Country Public Radio

The law would have exempted 'spontaneous' assemblies responding to breaking news events

Smallmouth bass in a person's hands

Fishing

Summer smallmouth bass fishing in the Adirondacks: A fly angler’s guide to hot weather success

By Contributing Writer

When summer heat pushes Adirondack waters into the danger zone for trout, smallmouth bass become the perfect alternative target.

Debar Pond Lodge

Land use

DEC initiates process to remove Debar Pond Lodge in northern Adirondacks

By Zachary Matson

Public invited to comment on draft plan until Aug. 15 

Chestnuts grow on an American chestnut tree with a blue sky behind.

Environment

A revolutionary approach to saving chestnut trees from extinction

By Mike Lynch

Scientists seek federal approval to restore American chestnut trees wiped out 100 years ago

Summit vista looking out from side of mountain rock surface toward alpine trees and Adirondack mountains in the distance.

Hiking

Lake Placid hidden gem: Hiking Seymour Mountain

By Tim Rowland

Seymour Mountain near Lake Placid delivers spectacular Adirondack views with minimal crowds, making it the perfect hidden gem for hikers seeking solitude.

Wildfire in Chesterfield. DEC photo

search and rescue

Recent fires sparked by lightning, negligent campers

By Adirondack Explorer

Rangers put out campfire at Split Rock Falls, and a wildfire in Keeseville

Communities

New life for zombie houses: Essex County Land Bank fully up and running

By Brenne Sheehan

Organization grows from single condemned property to seven homes

Closed trail at junction point where hikers coming from Marcy Dam would normally continue toward Avalanche Lake.

Outdoor Recreation

Landslides close Avalanche Pass trail

By Brenne Sheehan

Several routes in the High Peaks around Mount Colden, Algonquin Peak and Mount Marcy have closed until further notice.

Migrant worker in yellow jacket carrying a bushel of apples in a back around his chest reaches up to pick apple from three

Government

Communities networks emerge as ICE enforcement intensifies

By Tim Rowland

Local volunteers coordinate legal aid and emergency response amid heightened immigration enforcement

Meg LeFevre Bobbin tests out "The Rig," a mobility device created by the company Not A Wheelchair, to ride into Camp Santanoni in August 2024 in Newcomb. Bobbin made the excursion with her husband Buck

Outdoor Recreation

Motorized wheelchairs return to remote Adirondack historic site

By David Escobar

A DEC program that helps people with disabilities access one of the Adirondacks’ most remote historic sites is returning for a second year.

Communities

Dewey Mountain meets the mix in Saranac Lake

By Brenne Sheehan

A free, all-day electronic music show at Dewey Mountain in Saranac Lake offers DJ sets and a range of all-age activities on Aug. 2 from 1-9 p.m.

DEC encountered the moose in the middle of the trail on July 10. Photo courtesy of DEC

Wildlife

Goodman Mountain moose might be sick, says DEC

By Mike Lynch

Biologists suspect neurological illness behind unusual behavior after the bull moose was spotted lying directly in the trail

The trail to Scarface Mountain is closed to the summit due to a unsafe bridge. Photo by Mike Lynch

Hiking

Scarface Mountain Trail in Ray Brook to reopen this fall after bridge replacement

By Mike Lynch

Work to restore access to a popular hiking trail to start in August.

Loon, hermit thrush, red-eyed vireo

Wildlife

The Bird Songs of Summer

By Contributing Writer

Readers and birding experts debate summer's best bird song: loon, hermit thrush, or red-eyed vireo?

Man on bridge with hiking poles and baseball cap

search and rescue

New York forest ranger found dead after 8 days missing: Petition demands safety reform 

By James Odato

The petition has drawn more than 5,828 signatures since it was posted July 7, the one-month anniversary of Jackson’s last contact with NYS Department of Environmental Conservation.

aerial photo of the Clifton-Fine Hospital

Communities

Rural healthcare program promises relief, Adirondack hospitals wary of Medicaid cuts

By Brenne Sheehan

About 215,000 people — 28% of the population — in New York’s 21st Congressional District, which includes the Adirondack Park, receive Medicaid, according to a report by the Healthcare Coalition of the North Country.

Marty Miller, the town supervisor of Potsdam, sits at his desk at Town Hall. Potsdam’s population declined by 1,523 residents between 2010 and 2024. Courtesy of Marty Miller

Communities

‘North of Albany doesn’t matter’: Local officials frustrated as towns shrink

By Times Union

Times Union research found that many communities across New York, especially upstate, are still experiencing serious population loss.

Environment

Scientists converge on remote preserve for climate research

By Zachary Matson

Scientists and students gather each summer at the remote Shingle Shanty Preserve and Research Station to study birds, bogs and black spruce.

Through its news reporting and analysis, the nonprofit Adirondack Explorer furthers the wise stewardship, public enjoyment for all, community vitality, and lasting protection of the Adirondack Park.

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