DEC seeing shortage of lifeguards in recent years
Despite publicly promoting the job, which pays more than $13 an hour and with most sites offering free housing, there has been a shortage of DEC lifeguards for the past several years.
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DEC and state police resupply interior outposts
By Mike Lynch
The following is from the most recent forest ranger report from the DEC. Towns of Keene and North Elba Essex County Interior Outpost Resupply: On May 6, DEC employees along with New York State Police Aviation unit spent the day resupplying High Peaks Wilderness Area interior outposts with propane, firewood, and lumber for the upcoming season.…
DEC asks hikers to avoid high elevation trails during mud season
By Mike Lynch
Hikers are being asked to avoid hiking on trails above 2,500 feet until high elevation trails have dried and hardened. Snow and ice are currently melting on high elevation trails and steep trails with thin soils are dangerous for hiking and susceptible to erosion, and sensitive alpine vegetation is easily damaged.
Brown, state preserve right to appeal in 10-year paddling case
Attorneys for New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation and former Adirondack Explorer Editor Phil Brown have filed notices of appeal of a judge’s ruling that uninvited paddlers have no right to canoe the 1.8-mile Mud Pond Waterway in privately owned Brandreth Park in the northwestern Adirondacks.
DEC and BETA advise mountain bikers to avoid trails during mud season
Trailside vegetation and trail surfaces are especially vulnerable to degradation and erosion during this time of year. Biking on muddy trails damages tree roots, erodes slopes, and widens trails, making them difficult for riding. DEC asks bikers to help protect the trails, natural resources, and surrounding habitats by checking trail conditions and advisories and avoiding all wet, muddy trails.
DEC issues 28 ATV tickets during SNIRT run
Forest rangers issued 28 total tickets for illegal all-terrain-type vehicle operation on state lands during the 16th annual SNIRT run in Jefferson and Lewis counties.
Garden parking lot to close Monday
The Garden parking lot at the Garden Trailhead will be closed to public motor vehicles and pedestrians starting Monday and will remain closed until bridge construction is complete, according to the town of Keene.
Bear affliction spreads
By Mike Lynch
In recent years, the number of black bears with mange appears to be on the rise in several Northeastern states, including New York and Pennsylvania, according to the DEC. As a result, wildlife biologists throughout the Northeast are monitoring the situation more closely, and searching for potential treatment options.
DEC spots 175 moose in aerial survey
By Mike Lynch
State wildlife staff completed their annual winter aerial surveys for the animal in January.
Storm prompts avalanche advisory in Adirondacks
By Mike Lynch
Recreationists can trigger avalanches when there is deep snow on steep slopes. While much of the steep open slopes are in the High Peaks, avalanche-prone terrain is found on mountains throughout the Adirondacks, including Snowy Mountain in Hamilton County.