ANCA news

Adirondack North Country Association

Summer 2012

Some of the more than 200 participants who attended the sixth annual Common Ground Alliance Forum held July 18, 2012, in Long Lake. ANCA photo

MORE: PROGRAM NEWS, 2-5 ANCA APPLAUDS, 6-7 ABOUT ANCA, 8

Building Vibrant Rural Communities and Resilient Local Economies

Strong agreement in vision, strategy for the Adirondack Park, with implications for the broader region

Finding CommonGround

Common Ground Forum has largest gathering in its 6-year history

More than 200 people came together on July 18 in Long Lake to hear the results of Adirondack Futures, a

year-long scenario planning process involving a series of workshops on how Adirondack Park communities and wild lands can mutually benefit each other.

The proposed vision of healthy communities and ecosystems in balance was strongly supported by Common Ground attendees, with 93% indicat-ing they either “agreed” or “strongly agreed” with the proposed strategy and vision. The presenta-tion on the strategy and vision, as well as results of feedback at the forum can be downloaded from the project site: www.ADKfutures.org.

ANCA organized the event, providing leadership on the development of the theme, “Momentum,” and engaging leaders from around to region to share progress reports on topics that the CGA had identified as priorities:• The incremental build-out of broadband capac-

ity and service across the region; • A cross-organizational effort to develop a recre-

ation strategy for the entire Park;• The roll out of a new program under the Clean-

er Greener Communities Statewide program – the Homegrown Sustainability Plan.

Also featured was a presentation on the im-portance of the Governor’s Regional Economic Development strategies in growing the economies across the Adirondack North Country region.

Program News2

A Homegrown Sustainability Plan

Work is now under way on the Cleaner, Greener Communi-ties program, a major initiative announced by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo in his 2011 State of the State address.

The Statewide program, funded and administered by the NYS Energy Research and Development Authority (NY-SERDA), empowers the State’s 10 economic development re-gions to create more sustainable communities by funding “smart development” practices.

The North Country consortium, led by representatives from each of the seven North Country coun-ties — Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Hamilton, St. Lawrence, Jefferson and Lewis with support from ANCA and Ecology & Environ-ment, Inc. (E&E)— will develop a smart growth plan for the North Country Regional Economic De-velopment Council (REDC) area. Essex County is the municipal sponsor for the North Country.

The planning processFor its part, ANCA is mobilizing

hundreds of leaders from across

the region into Working Groups. With input from these advisors, E&E is providing the technical expertise to do a greenhouse gas inventory, develop sustainability indicators, identify projects and construct an overall plan that will assist the region in meeting its targets for greenhouse gas reduc-tions and economic development.

The planning process involves contributions generated from meetings of six Working Groups, organized by topic: Working Land-scapes, Water & Waste Manage-ment, Livable Communities/Land Use, Energy, Transportation, and

Economic Development.All Working Groups have met

and participants are providing input into the goals, indicators, draft list of projects and the over-all Plan. All groups will be work-ing via conference call and will be meeting throughout the rest of the summer and into the fall.

Public input requestedAlso important to plan develop-

ment will be gathering feedback from residents across the 7-coun-ty region. Visit www.adirondack.org/green for more info and for a link to an online survey.

ANCA hires Energy Program Assistant

ANCA is pleased to an-nounce the ad-dition of Jennifer Perry as our new Energy Program Assis-tant. Perry joined ANCA to work on the Cleaner, Greener Communities project. She is coordinating the six working groups and col-lecting data and feedback from those meetings and other avenues. Perry holds a masters’ degree in sustainability studies and teaches as an adjunct in the environmental sci-ence, and sustainability programs at Paul Smith’s College and North Country Community College.

Contact her at jperry@adirondack.org

ANCA in the NewsNCPR featured a great

interview with ANCA Execu-tive Director Kate Fish about the work ANCA is doing to advance Clean Energy initiatives in the region: http://www.northcoun-trypublicradio.org/news/story/20137/20120713/advocate-says-north-coun-try-energy-revolution-at-tipping-point

For further information on the North Country sus-tainability growth planning process, please contact 518-891-6200 or kfish@adirondack.org

Cleaner, Greener Communities planning project begins work with focus meetings, gathering feedback

Participants at the Common Ground Alliance Forum July 18 in Long Lake took part in filling out a survey for the Cleaner, Greener Communities project. The results will be used to assess priorities for the North Country region. ANCA photos

Program News 3

More than 250 people attended ANCA’s first annual North Country Clean Energy Conference, which took place June 21-22, 2012 at the new Conference Center in Lake Placid. The forum was de-signed for educators, practi-tioners, community leaders, industry professionals and oth-ers to share information about clean energy opportunities in the North Country.

The conference was made possible from generous donations from our sponsors — NYSERDA, North Country Symposium, Iberdrola Renew-ables, National Grid, Debby Rice and Dan Mason — and from assistance from organiza-tions such as Alliance for Clean Energy New York, Inc., Cornell Cooperative Extension, NYS

Department of Environmental Conservation and The Wild Center/ADKCAP.

Forty-five presentations were given in six track areas; Solar, Wind, Hydro, Biomass, Conservation & Efficiency and Special Topics.

Follow this link to ex-plore the presentations: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/108iu2xry74x73k/Qtjg4ifbzd

Click here for a summary of each track’s findings from the day: https://www.drop-box.com/s/7vz8qvshltlfkhc/Clean%20Energy%20Confer-ence%20Wrap%20up%20.pdf Join us in 2013 for the next conference. For more informa-tion or to get involved, contact us at energy@adirondack.org.

Just because temperatures

are rising doesn’t mean your energy consumption has to follow suit. There are

ways to increase energy savings in the midst of summer heat. These tips from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NY-SERDA) will help you find ways to save energy and money this summer.n You can save from $300-

$700 over the next five years by not running your second refrigerator. By unplugging your second refrigerator and properly recycling it, you can also prevent 5,500 to 20,000 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions.n Dehumidify. Dehumidifiers

can remove excess moisture (hu-midity) from the air in your home and make you more comfort-able. The ideal range for relative humidity is between 30 and 50 percent.n To reduce humidity in your

basement, make sure the dryer is not venting inside the base-ment. Also, be sure to check that the ground next to the foundation slopes away and out-door downspouts - vertical pipes that carry rainwater down from the roof gutter - lead at least 3 feet away from the foundation.n Replacing your five most

frequently used light fixtures or the bulbs in them with ENERGY STAR qualified lighting can save you $70 a year in energy costs.

ANCA can help you save money on your home energy costs. Our program begins with a top-to-bottom look at your home to figure out which improvements will save you the most money. Call us today to get started: 518-891-6200, or email en-ergy@adirondack.org

ANCA ENERGY TIPS

Excitment builds over clean energy

NORTH COUNTRY CLEAN ENERGY CONFERENCE

SPECIAL THANKS to ANCA’s summer interns from Paul Smith’s Col-lege, for their help with events and outreach in our energy program: Joseph Podhirny and Sarah McKenney (shown here with ANCA Of-fice Manager Laurie Campbell).

Program News4

BUY LOCAL AT BUYER DAYS

march 27-28, 2013saratoga springs city center

Exploring Traditions guidebook:

ANCA’s work on a new guide-book for visitors has entered the development phase. The print and online publication will highlight significant cultural, heritage, agricul-tural, and culinary assets on the ANCA region’s 15 Scenic Byways.

The guide looks at the region as five distinct geographical areas: The Adirondacks, Mo-hawk Valley, Champlain Valley and St. Lawrence Valley, and Lake Ontario Coast/Tug Hill. In looking at each region, there will be information about specific locations where visitors can experience our special cultural and heritage, and the environ-ment – the weather, geography, and natural resources.

This New York State Scenic Byways Program Project is man-aged by the Adirondack North Country Association, and was

funded in part by the Federal Highway Administration and ad-ministered by the New York State Department of Transportation.

ANCA hired Fuller Commu-nications of Malone to develop and coordinate the content, design, and production of the interpretive guide. Susan Fuller, president, brings years of edito-rial and publishing experience on projects of this scope.

Accessibility Guide: Work has begun on an Acces-

sibility Assessment and Public Awareness Guide.

Working in partnership with the Tri Lakes Center for Indepen-dent Living (TLCIL) on research and project development, the guide will include communities and landmarks throughout 12 counties along the Adirondack Trail, the Central Adirondack Trail and the Olympic Scenic Byways.

A survey of facilities, sites, and current interpretive practices will result in an educational guide with specific strategies on accom-modating all Byway users. Recom-mendations to raise awareness of the needs of today’s diverse travel market and to lay a foundation to better accommodate visi-tors’ needs will be distributed to community and tourism leaders across the three byways.

TLCIL has assembled a project team and is working with ANCA to create a list of priority resource

sites and interpretive facilities. The list could cover as many as 200 places such as tourist info centers, Chamber of Commerce offices, heritage sites, museums and cultural attractions.

Byway planning:ANCA has been working with

the Tug Hill Commission to com-plete the NYS Department of Transportation approval process for Corridor Management Plans for the Black River Trail and Maple Traditions Byways.

ANCA and Tug Hill submitted a proposal to the State’s Scenic Byways Advisory Board to cre-ate Maple Traditions as its own distinct Byway route, from the Black River Trail, as well as alter the route of Black River Trail. That initial proposal has resulted in additional fieldwork and research to make changes requested by the State. We look forward to reaching a final approval on these two plans.

North Country Scenic Byway: The Corridor Management Plan for the North Country Scenic Byway (formerly known as

Military Trail), will be submitted by the end of the month. The plan calls for a western extension of the route into the village of Canton, which will become a shared terminus and connection to Maple Traditions (see above map).

Once approved by the State, the Byway communities will be able to access grant funding and continue to benefit from ANCA’s promotion, marketing and stewardship of Byway resources.

IN THE CLOUDS: Whiteface Mountain project

Program News 5

Progress is being made on an exciting multi-media project that will bring new visibility to Whiteface Mountain, along the Olympic Scenic Byway.

The exhibition will span a wide area, from the Mountain’s Ski Center to the Round House, and the Weather Silo on the summit.

Interpretive signage will explore topics like weather extremes, geology and Whiteface Mountain flora and fauna, while videos will highlight the science behind atmospheric research and how human athletes compare to their animal counterparts.

The Wild Center is project con-

sultant and its team of experts is managing content develop-ment: research, writing, design and production. The Olympic Regional Development Author-ity (ORDA) is assisting with the project implementation at this significant Olympic venue.

In January, State DOT repre-

sentatives came to the site for a project development meeting and to see where the signs and exhibits will be placed and were pleased with what’s planned.

This state-of-the-art project is slated for completion in Fall 2012 with installation and celebration to follow in Spring of 2013.

The Whiteface Mountain Natural History Interpreta-tion Project consists of indoor and out-door exhibits and signage and short documentary films that will educate visitors about the important historic, cultural and scenic assets associ-ated with Whiteface Mountain and the region.

Pasture Walk at Ben Wever Farm

SAVE THE DATE: ANCA’s Annual Meeting

About 20 people attended a pasture walk July 21 at Ben Wever Farm in Willsboro. Kathy Voth of Colorado (http://livestockforlandscapes.com/) gave a presentation about a method she developed to train cows to eat weeds. Using her process, cattle farmers can teach their cows to eat weeds in as little as 10 hours over 10 days. The day also included a tour of rotationally grazed pastures being reclaimed by beef cows.

The event was sponsored by Franklin and Essex County Soil and Water Departments, America’s Great Outdoors, Central NY RC&D Council, Northeast SARE and ANCA.

ANCA’s 57th annual meet-ing will take place Thursday, Sept. 27, at View Arts Center in Old Forge. More information to come by email, and will be posted at www.adirondack.org.

A new look for ANCAAfter more than 55 years of

working to build strong local economies and vibrant rural communities, and based on input from our many stakeholders, ANCA has focused some attention on updating how we communi-cate. In early 2012, we debuted a new logo that better reflects the work we do, in a visually exciting, contemporary way. In August, we are also unveiling a redesigned website at www.adirondack.org. Let us know how it works for you!

6 ANCA Applauds

Sustainable Farming ClassWith the average age of farmers in the high 50s and a growing demand for local food and niche for small farms, there are many opportunities for new farmers. Now for the first time, there’s a course at SUNY Adirondack Community College in Queensbury to orient people who want to develop a sustainable farm. Introduction to Sustainable Agriculture will meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the fall semester and features lectures, readings, discussion and outdoor labs in gardens, farms and orchards. More information: http://www.sunyacc.edu/

ADK FUTURESPROJECTThe ADK Futures Project is a yearlong undertak-ing by Dave Mason and Jim Herman on behalf of the Adirondack Common Ground Alliance. Starting with the 2011 CGA Forum, Mason and Herman used a scenario development approach to imagine six different outcomes for the Park 25 years from now. The results were unveiled at the 2012 Forum, with the “Sustainable Life” scenario emerging as a clear winner. For more information and to see project data, go to www.adkfutures.org.

15Workshops conducted

83Percentage of partici-pants who ranked “More Citizen-Sponsored Initiatives in the Park” as a 5-year outcome

515Number of rankings

93Percentage of participants who “agreed” or “strongly agreed” with findings

6Scenarios

Sustainable BiomassTo ReEnergy Holdings, LLC for its impor-

tant biomass-to-energy related investments in Northern New York. ReEnergy owns and operates a 20-megawatt facility in Chateaugay, (Franklin County) and a 22-megawatt facility in Lyons Falls (Lewis County).

ReEnergy is also making a $34 million investment to convert an existing coal-fired power plant at Ft. Drum (Jefferson County) to a 60-megawatt biomass fueled facility. The Black River Generation Facility at Ft. Drum is expected to open in the first quarter of 2013 and sell renewable energy credits to NYSERDA under a multi-year agreement.

As part of its business activities in the ANCA region, ReEnergy is seeking to source local wood fuel from managed lands subject to third-party certification, such as the Forest Stewardship Council, the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, and the American Tree Farm System.

The company has launched a program to allow loggers to secure long-term agreements

to provide fuel to ReEnergy while procuring state-of-the-art wood chippers, as seen at an event held recently in Lyons Falls.

At full production levels, ReEnergy expects to make about $25 million in annual purchases of forest residue to fuel its three facilities in our region.

Photo courtesy of http://www.reenergyholdings.com

ANCA photo

ANCA Applauds 7

WASHINGTON COUNTY DEVEL-OPMENT SITES: To the Washington County Industrial Development Agency for receiving “Shovel Ready” certifica-tion from the State of New York for the 60 acre Phase II area of the IDA’s Airport Industrial Park. Having the site certified as ‘Shovel Ready’ means that the IDA has addressed and met all major permitting issues prior to a business purchasing a lot in the industrial park. The advance ap-proval will help expedite the construction process for new job generating busi-nesses. The lots are on Casey Road and Ferguson Lane in the Town of Kingsbury.

BOMBARDIER CONTRACTS: To Bombardier Transportation, Plattsburgh, (Clinton County), which has secured important production con-tracts for its Plattsburgh, Clinton County rail car manufacturing plant. Bombardier will produce 300 new subway cars, with an estimated value of $600 million, for New York’s Metropolitan Trans-portation Authority (MTA). Bombardier will also produce 410 new rail cars for the Bay Area Rapid Transit Authority (BART) with an estimated value of $896 million. Options for additional orders, if exercised, could push the total produced for BART to 775 cars with a full estimated value of up to $1.5 billion. Bombardier’s Plattsburgh facility is the company’s “Centre of Excellence” for rolling-stock production in the United States. It has been an important asset in our region’s economy since it opened in 1995.

Photo courtesy of http://www.metalcraftmarine.com

GREEN BEER: To Utica’s F.X. Matt Brew-ery for including in-novative approaches to wastewater treatment and energy production in its current $4 million expansion program. F.X. Matt is installing anaerobic digesters which will clean up 80 to 90 percent of the brewery’s wastewater and provide fuel to generate 30 to 40 per-cent of their electrical power needs.

http://www.fernsheating.com

DIGITAL DIVIDE: To the 12 independent theaters that have formed the North Country Theater Alliance, and with help from Lake Placid Film Forum coordinator Naj Wikoff, are applying for a $3.1 million grant from Empire State Development Corp. to upgrade to digital projectors. It’s great to see these businesses working together for mutual benefit.

PATROL BOAT CONTRACT: To Metal-Craft Marine, a manufacturer of custom alumi-num boats in Cape Vincent, (Jefferson County), for securing a $10 million federal contract to produce high-speed patrol boats for the U.S. Coast Guard and other agencies. The initial plan is to produce one long range intercep-tor II cutter boat, make modifications based on feedback from the Coast Guard, and then build up to 10 boats over three years, includ-ing two vessels for U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Navy. It has also been reported that MetalCraft Marine is waiting to hear from the federal government regarding a separate $55 million U.S. Coast Guard contract for 101 boats. Good news for job development efforts in Jefferson County.

More than 2 million housing units in New York state are heated with fuel oil or kerosene, according to the latest edition of New York State Energy Research and Development Authority’s (NYSERDA) “Pat-terns and Trends” report. That is almost 30 percent of all occupied household units statewide. In Clinton County, that number is 42 percent.

To better meet the needs of delivering en-ergy efficiency programs to oil heat custom-ers, NYSERDA has announced a $290,000 contract with Community Power Network of Olmstedville, Essex County and Oil Heat Associates of Long Island to develop and deliver energy efficiency skills training to oil heat technicians across the state.

The training is designed to fill the gaps between HVAC and oil industry certifica-tions and the Building Performance Insti-tute (BPI) certification, which is a require-ment for participation in NYSERDA’s Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program.

The training will include sessions on whole building science, energy efficiency, combustion efficiency, advanced oil tank installation, and combustion and air vent-ing. Training will begin this summer and continue through the fall, resuming again in the spring at the end of heating season.

In our region, upcoming sessions are scheduled in the following locations:

• SUNY Canton, September 6 and 7• Albany at Sid Harvey Industries, 8

Jupiter Lane, September 11 and 12For information or to register for training,

contact Community Power Network of New York State, P.O. Box 46, Olmstedville, 12857, 518-251-2525, oilheattraining@gmail.com.

New program will boost energy efficiency outreach to oil heat customers

NEW USES FOR MINING “WASTE”: To the federal government for granting Iowa Pacific Holdings the common-carrier status it was seeking to reopen the remote Tahawus railroad line. The 12-mile line connects the Saratoga & North Creek Railway with National Lead’s ti-tanium-dioxide mines in Tahawus. The mines closed in 1989, but tailings from the operation can be used to extract rare earth elements, needed by high-tech and other manufacturing companies. According to National Lead, there are as many as 100 millions of tons of tailings left from decades of mining since World War II. According to Iowa Pacific Holdings, 15 to 20 people would be employed during reconstruction of the track, and the completed rail line would bring at least $160,000 into the local economy each year. We applaud this economic development effort and the reuse of these materials.

About ANCA 8

ANCA Board of DirectorsPRESIDENTStephen M. Erman — Regional Development Consultant

VICE PRESIDENTJohn Bartow — Executive Director, Tug Hill Commission

TREASURERDale G. Brown — Assistant Vice President and Manager, NBT Bank

SECRETARYRoss Whaley — Senior Advisor, Adirondack Landowners Association

CENTRAL REGION VICE PRESIDENTRichard R. Bird — Owner, Bird’s Marine and Adirondack Real Estate

NORTHERN REGION VICE PRESIDENTPaul M. Cantwell, Jr. – Attorney, Cantwell & Cantwell

SOUTHEASTERN REGION VICE PRESIDENTRon Montesi — Queensbury Town Board Member

WESTERN REGION VICE PRESIDENTMichele Ledoux — Executive Director, Lewis County Cornell

Cooperative Extension

Kelly Blazosky — President, Oneida County Tourism

Jill Breit — Executive Director, Traditional Arts in Upstate New York

Richard Burns — Manager, Community and Customer Management, National Grid

Kelly Chezum — Vice President for External Relations, Clarkson University

James T. Ellis — Former Principal, Tupper Lake High School

Eugene T. Falvo — Vice President, Falvo Manufacturing

Mike Farmer — Tourism/Publicity Director, Town of Webb

Bruce Ferguson — Owner, Scott Hill Farm

Steven Hartnett — Senior Vice President - Chief Credit Officer, Adirondack Bank

John C. Kiechle — Owner, Philadelphia Grass Company

Daniel Mason — Former Assistant Division Manager, Exxon Mobil Refineries

Marti Mozdzier — Owner, Wilemar Associates

Stephanie Ratcliffe — Executive Director, The Wild Center

Alice Recore — President & CEO, Mountain Lake PBS

Brian Ruder — Founder & CEO, Skylight Partners Inc.

Arnie Talgo — Tug Hill Commission member; former Senior Policy Analyst,

New York Power Authority

Patricia Tatich — Director, Warren County Planning Department

Eric Virkler — Director, Lewis County Economic Development/Planning

Since incorporation in 1955, ANCA has developed and managed programs across all 14 counties in Northern New York State, successfully ‘investing’ mil-lions of dollars, mostly from federal and New York State grants as well as private funding, to build capacity and to sup-port community economic development across the region.

ANCA’s portfolio of programs, as well as its strengths in fostering dialogue and effective partnerships, bring together the many components that are needed to build stronger, more self-reliant and localized economies throughout the Adirondack North Country.

Contact Us67 Main Street, Suite 201, Saranac Lake NY 12983

Office phone: 518.891.6200 ANCA’s newsletter is published six times a year. Send notices, announcements and other items to Melissa Hart, mhart@adirondack.org.

ANCA’s ReachSince 2000, ANCA has received

$12.7M in federal/State grants and private donations, including $5.2M in Scenic Byways grants. Nearly all of those funds has been spent or distributed in our local economies.

• ANCA’s estimated impact since 2000 has been about $266M, or a return of 20 to 1

• $2,174,000 has been generated directly for regional craftspeople and shop owners.

• Communities served: 264• Number of partners: 131