Brian Houseal will step down as executive director of the Adirondack Council when his contract runs out this fall.
Houseal told the Explorer he is pursuing other work in conservation but plans to continue to live in Westport.
Asked why he was leaving the council, he replied: “I’ve been in this position ten years. It’s time.” He noted that his second five-year contract with the council will expire in late October.
Houseal counts among his achievements the successful lobbying for acid-rain and clean-air legislation and the launching of the Common Ground Alliance, which he co-founded. As its name suggests, the alliance seeks common ground between environmentalists and local leaders.
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“Wilderness and Article 14 is the core value of the council, but we also need to be active in solutions that will benefit communities and their economies,” Houseal said. (Article 14 of the state constitution decrees that the Forest Preserve stay forever wild.)
Diane Fish, the deputy director, will serve temporarily as executive director while the council conducts a search for Houseal’s replacement.
Houseal’s departure means that two of the Park’s major environmental organizations will soon be under new leadership this fall. Earlier this year, Peter Bauer announced he will leave the Fund for Lake George to become executive director of Protect the Adirondacks.
The council issued a lengthy news release that summarizes Houseal’s accomplishments with the council. Click the link below to read it.
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