Land and Property

(02/01/12) The Town of Newcomb in the central Adirondacks has purchased 348 acres from The Nature Conservancy for development projects along Route 28N.

The deal is part of a series of transactions involving former Finch, Pruyn paper company lands bought by the conservancy five years ago. more

(01/17/12) Tomorrow in Ray Brook, Adirondack Park Agency commissioners begin their final three days of deliberations over the resort project planned for Tupper Lake. Developers hope to build hundreds of homes and condos on more than six thousand acres of land near the Big Tupper ski area. A final vote from the APA is planned for Friday.

Village Mayor Paul Maroun said he's hopeful a permit will be granted. "It's a big issue on the streets in Tupper Lake. Everybody's talking about it, both sides of the issue," Maroun noted.

Brian Mann has been following this project for seven years and he spoke with Martha Foley.

(12/26/11) A green group in the Adirondacks is trying to block the reopening of an industrial railroad line that stretches into the High Peaks region of the Park.

Protect the Adirondacks says the move would violate an easement that allows the railroad to operate in an area designated as part of the "forever wild" forest preserve. As Brian Mann reports, state officials have also raised questions about the project. more

(12/16/11) At the Adirondack Park Agency meeting Thursday in Ray Brook, commissioners once again focused exclusively on the big resort project proposed for Tupper Lake.

A final decision is expected next month. But even after seven years of deliberation, review and scrutiny, the APA board expressed frustration yesterday about big questions that still haven't been answered.

Brian Mann was in Ray Brook for the meeting and joined Martha Foley to talk about uncertainties that still surround the Adirondack Club and Resort's business plan.

(12/15/11) Last month, Governor Andrew Cuomo named Lani Ulrich from Old Forge to head the Adirondack Park Agency. She replaces Curt Stiles, who stepped down over the summer. Ulrich has served on the APA commission for seven years and also spearheaded the formation of a new group called the Common Ground Alliance, that has worked to defuse some of the Park's most controversial debates.

She sat down Wednesday with Brian Mann for her first in-depth interview since taking over as chair. Because of legal restrictions, Ulrich declined to answer questions about the Adirondack Club and Resort project now under review by the Agency. But she says it is time to think big about how the regulatory agency can tackle big issues that face Park communities and the environment.

(12/15/11) In Ray Brook, the Adirondack Park Agency takes up the Big Tupper project for a final two-day review. A decision on the project is expected next month.

Commissioners will hear about possible conditions and requirements that could be folded into a permit, if the project is allowed to move forward. Brian Mann has details.

(11/22/11) Community Supported Agriculture programs, or CSAs, have become a familiar consumer choice. Growers reduce financial risk by selling shares in advance of the season's production. Share-holders get regular baskets of fresh-picked vegetables, without all the weeding and watering.

Done right, CSAs help people eat better and get to know local farmers. But the model doesn't always include meat, or help those with no money to spare.

A family farm near Oxford Mills, Ontario has established a CSA that takes those gaps into account. Shares in Sunflower Farm cover the cost of producing beef. The meat goes to feed the hungry through charitable organizations. Shareholders don't get a bite. Just a warm feeling - and a tax receipt for their donation.

Lucy Martin spoke with Wendall Joyce and his wife Maude Roy about their project - and creating links that help rural and urban dwellers alike. more

(11/21/11) On Friday, the Adirondack Park Agency commission delved deep into the business plan for the proposed Adirondack Club and Resort. The APA will vote in January on whether to approve the massive project, which supporters hope will revitalize the economy in Tupper Lake. The development has been on the drawing table for years, with more than seven hundred condos and mansions, along with a marina, equestrian center and modern ski hill.

One part of the Park Agency's review involves determining whether the project will have negative economic impacts on the community. As Brian Mann reports, that effort is complicated by the fact that there are still a lot of unanswered questions about how the resort will be financed and built. more

(11/18/11) Yesterday was the first full day of public deliberations for the Adirondack Park Agency as commisioners consider a permit for the Big Tupper resort project.

The massive resort - with more than 700 homes, condos and mansions -- has developed into a flashpoint in debates over the Park's future and a final vote is expected in January.

On Thursday, commissioners heard testimony over a wide range of topics. But a key focus was the lack of comprehensive scientific data showing the resort's impact on wildlife.

As Brian Mann reports, specific concerns were raised about the construction of one new neighborhood that could displace amphibian species. more

(11/17/11) Today in Ray Brook, the Adirondack Park Agency takes up the question of whether to approve a massive resort project proposed for Tupper Lake. The Adirondack Club and Resort development would be the largest in the history of the Park. It's so big, affecting more than 6,000 acres, that commissioners plan to spend three full meetings hashing through the details. A final vote is expected to come in January.

One of the central controversies the APA board will have to settle, deals with forest fragmentation. Green groups say the project would fragment a huge swath of timberland, in a way that causes "undue" damage to the forest. But the developers, along with some independent scientists and state officials, say those concerns have been exaggerated. more