Governor Paterson declares war on ENCON...

Starting with Governor Paterson forcing the Department of Environmental Conservation (aka. DEC or ENCON) to illegally scrap the float plane ban on Low's Lake, followed by Paterson leaving The Nature Conservancy with 81,000 acres of land the state agreed to buy and incorporate into the forest preserve, and now Paterson outright decimating the DEC's budget to the point it compromises the ability to carry out it's duties is absolutely shameful.

New York has been graced by many governors whom have taken great pride in preserving and enhancing New York's environment, park system, and forest preserve. RecentlyMario Coumo, George Pataki, and Elliot Spitzer (primarily as attorney general) have been praised highly for their work. On the other hand, David Paterson appears to have the opposite goal, to leave a legacy as New York's least environmentally friendly governor.

A lot of people are unaware how much the DEC does within the state. While the Forest Rangers and ECOs (environmental conservation officers) are a big part of the DEC, it is far more than that.

The DECs mission:



"To conserve, improve and protect New York's natural resources and environment and to prevent, abate and control water, land and air pollution, in order to enhance the health, safety and welfare of the people of the state and their overall economic and social well-being."

DEC is responsible for administration and enforcement of the Environmental Conservation Law. The Department's major responsibilities as assigned in Environmental Conservation Law are:

• Regulate the disposal, transport and treatment of hazardous and toxic wastes in an environmentally sound manner;
• Manage the state program for oil and chemical spills;
• Provide for the abatement of water, land and air pollution, including pesticides;
• Monitor environmental conditions and test for contaminants;
• Encourage recycling, recovery and reuse of all solid waste to conserve resources and reduce waste;
• Administer fish and wildlife laws, carry out sound fish and wildlife management practices, and conduct fish and wildlife research;
• Manage New York's marine and coastal resources;
• Conduct sound forestry management practices on state lands, provide assistance to private forest landowners and manage fire prevention and control efforts;
• Manage the Adirondack and Catskill forest preserves and recreational facilities, including campsites and the Belleayre Mountain ski center;
• Protect tidal and freshwater wetlands and flood plains;
• Promote the wise use of water resources;
• Administer the wild, scenic and recreational rivers program;
• Regulate mining, including reclamation of mined lands, extraction of oil and gas, and underground storage of natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas;
• Inform the public about environmental conservation principles and encourage their participation in environmental affairs.

Worst of all, of the $1 billion dollars Paterson is slashing from the state agency budget over50% of it comes from the DEC. How is this equitable? And does it put everyone at risk? Remember the DEC doesn't just steward your state wild lands, it is also the protector of your backyard environment, the water your drink and the air your breathe.

Governor Paterson hasn't stopped there, he is proposing to wipe out New York's state park system. The oldest park system in the US, and a system that didn't even close a single park during the Great Depression, in fact a great deal of New York's state park system was created during the Great Depression.

Ironically, in a time of economic crisis New York State parks reached record attendance last year, and like the Forest Preserve are a major tourist attraction for New Yorker's and those from other states and regions.

"State lawmakers said they would fight to restore funding for parks, which reached record attendance levels last year at nearly 56 million visitors, up by 1.9 million from 2008. The parks represent a major tourism draw across the state, said Assembly Tourism and Parks Committee Chairman Steve Englebright, D-Suffolk County."
--Politics On The Hudson

It could be fairly argued that the Forest Preserve and park system are two of the least economically prejudiced outlets for entertainment, exercise and recreation the state offers it's residents. Park fees while increasing are generally modest, and the forest preserve is free (well fee free, we all pay for it in our taxes) to the people of New York. That is to say, all New Yorker's regardless of income, education, sex, or race can enjoy recreating in the park and forest system without undue restrictions. Where else can a family of 5 spend a week during the summer camping and recreating for a few hundred dollars including transportation, camping and food cost?

Ironically, Governor Paterson is also proposing a soda tax to reduce obesity in the state. If I understand this correctly he is closing places for people to recreate (aka. exercise and become fit), , while at the same time penalizing them for being (possibly) unhealthy. Honestly the only thing left to tax after this is the air we breathe, which unfortunately might not be worth much when Paterson is done hacking the Department of Environmental Conservation budget.

Sadly, New York has no ability to recall a governor, and although it's possible Paterson will eventually have to resign or be impeached for the mounting list of improprieties he appears to be so fond of, it is evident we are more then likely stuck with the pinnacle of incompetence at the helm for the duration of his term.

The state legislature, while equally spineless, incompetent and corrupt, is our last resort. However, unlike Paterson, they do actually have to answer to the people at some point if they want to continue in politics. The only thing we can do is contact our state representatives and tell them to take a stand against Paterson. Those elected officials certainly don't want to be associated with anything that is the spawn of Paterson's incompetence.


From the Adirondack Councils website:

How Would Your Office Operate With A 70% Budget Cut?

This is the crisis the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is facing. In FY 2009-2010, DEC received a 30% cut to their nonpersonal service (NPS) budget. The Governor’s 2010-2011 budget proposal recommends and additional 40% reduction, putting a severe strain on out of office meetings, field visits and other travel and related expenses for DEC staff.

Severe Cuts To The DEC Budget

DEC is being disproportionately cut. Out of the $1 billion in agency cuts proposed by Governor Paterson, over $500 million comes from DEC, which is already hamstrung by staff reductions. Over 135 DEC employees recently accepted the early retirement package, representing over 13% of all workers who took the buyout and whose positions have now been eliminated.

The popular and successful Assistant Ranger program at DEC is in jeopardy due to the proposed
nonpersonal service cuts. Despite a sufficient level of staff for this program, it may end without sufficient funding to provide uniforms and other necessary supplies and travel expenses.

What You Can Do

Restore the cuts to DEC and ensure that all New Yorkers will enjoy a healthy environment that is properly managed. You must adequately fund DEC’s staffing and NPS budgets.


www.adirondackcouncil.org

The Adirondack Council is a member based not-for-profit organization dedicated to preserving the ecological integrity and wild character of the Adirondack Park. The Adirondack Council does not take government funding or make endorsements.

Information on Governor Paterson's planned park closures can be found HERE.

Ithaca Is Gorges: Fall In The Finger Lakes

It occurred to me that despite autumn being my favorite time of the year that I never seem to make the most of it from a photography standpoint. Last year was so dry it seemed like the colors were not very bright or long lasting.

As of Columbus Day weekend 2008 I had absolutely nothing to show for what is so far a colorful autumn.

The high peaks in the Adirondacks are already well past peak as are the upper elevations of Vermont and NH. I had already seen some great images of the snow covered summits with colorful lower elevations and knew going south was better.



Leaf season peak foliage varies by elevation and localized climate (duh, but I just wanted to impress you with my common sense wisdom). Even two areas at the same elevation and latitude can differ if one is close to the water and the other inland, or has some other factor that influences local climate. Just like chasing spring wildflower season can last weeks if you do it right, foliage season can be mapped out to catch peak after peak.

As it turned out the Heidelberg’s and Catskills are currently at peak and generally always around Columbus Day weekend.



So Saturday afternoon we headed to Thacher State Park to hike the Indian Ladder trail. The trail is almost paved in many spots, and no special hiking attire is required to hike the approximately one mile loop. Actually, it is one of the few places you will find (attractive) women hiking in heels and mini skirts!!!

I had hiked the Indian Ladder once before on a dreary spring day and had the place to myself, but I had a feeling this trail was typically packed and devoid of any wilderness character. Sure enough it was, only making photography more difficult. Making things worse, the picturesque waterfalls I had photographed in my spring sojourn were almost totally dry.



However, the near peak colors made up for the crowds and lack of water. I came away with a few nice shots and a nice hike only a short drive from home. I often fall into the same trap as everyone else by thinking I need to go someplace far away to capture great images, the truth is, you have a unique advantage when shooting close to home in creating the very best images, since you can time everything for optimal conditions.

Since Aim did not have off Monday, I needed to decide whether to do a day hike Sunday and Monday or go camping and save fuel, carbon emissions, and maximize shooting in an ideal setting. Aim did not seem too enthused about going to the West Canada lakes wilderness, which was near, or slightly past peak for a day hike, so I decided to go camping Sunday and Monday.

Checking the foliage report showed that the Catskills were at peak, and the Finger Lakes were near peak, with the Great Lakes regions not yet peaked.

Having enjoyed, but spent so little time in the Finger Lakes over the years, I decided to go south and west and enjoy this different part of the state for a few days of off-season camping at Robert Treman State Park.

Treman, unlike the bulk of NYS Parks, and DEC campsites is opened past Columbus Day. Actually, Nov 30th! So it makes a great base camp for camping and foliage photography in what I consider one of New York States gems.



The Finger Lake region is obviously home to 5 of New York's largest lakes, but also it is home to New York’s largest wine region, and highest waterfalls. The area between this region and the Catskills is also some of New York’s most fertile farmland. New York is the #4 producer in the US of corn, and among the top in milk (#3), and apples (#2), cabbage (#3) and third in grape production. This region clearly shows the agricultural roots of NY. Fittingly, it is also home to New York’s (and perhaps the nations) best agricultural and veterinary school, Cornell University.



While if you’ve ever read any of my other trip reports you know my first love for a region of the diverse state of New York is the Adirondacks, but I’d be hard pressed to offer a better region as an example of New York than the Finger Lakes. To me the ruggedness, diversity, and refinement of the region are New York in a nutshell.

Robert H. Treman (there is also an Allan Treman a few miles north) is on the eastern edge of the Finger Lakes region, in the town of Ithaca. It is within 8 miles of 4 other state parks, and almost across the street from another equally beautiful park, Buttermilk Falls State Park.

I was actually surprised at the amount of people camping this weekend. There are 50+ sites at this park, and nearly all of them were filled. The last time we were here in September 2004, it was empty at the campground even though plenty of people were still out hiking on the trais.

The trails of these state parks are unique in themselves, they are aptly suited for those lacking either the fitness or desire to hike less civilized trails.

The trails of many of these Finger Lakes parks could actually be considered a history lesson of sorts, perhaps a great excuse for a teacher who loves to hike to organize a field trip ;-).



During the Great Depression, President Roosevelt started the CCC to put men to work doing something, even if most of the work that was done was essentially busy work. Still paying people to work rather than just giving them a check was better for the morale of a nation built on the puritan work ethic, and of course provided nearly of century of quality stonework that sees thousands of hikers a year.

A lot of the CCC work in the Finger Lakes is in need of serious repair, while other parts look brand new. Keeping in mind of course that this area sees a tremendous amount of water and temperature extremes resulting in many freeze/thaw cycles, that most of this stonework is still in great shape 80 years later.

Many of the Finger Lakes state park trails have a similar and sensible naming system which goes like this: above the gorge is called the “Rim Trail” and in the gorge is called the “Gorge Trail”.



I hiked the 5 mile Rim/Gorge loop at Robert Treman, which goes to the top of Lucifer Falls, a cascade of over 112 feet. When you reach Lucifer Falls, the gorge is over 200ft deep. Along the trail, the gorge is filled with mosses, ferns, and in the warmer weather wildflowers. In the fall, the contrast of the changing leaves with the rich greens of the mosses and ferns can make for a spectacular contrast. The gorge is one waterfall or cascade after another, and honestly, if you dedicated yourself to shooting in the good light, you could spend years capturing the beauty found along this single 3-mile stretch. Although solitude and quiet contemplation you will not find during a weekend.




Monday, I woke up at 2:30am wide awake after hitting the sack at 8:30 the night before. I went back to sleep off and on till 5am when I decided to commit to the early start I had envisioned but expected not to make. It took me about 30 minutes to break down camp in the dark, and load up the Zuk.

The plan was to get to Taughannock Falls State Park, about eight miles away before sunrise, unfortunately while the plan worked, the sun didn’t cooperate. Instead of the brilliant blue skies we were forecast to have, it was a hazy light overcast. This soft diffuse lighting is great for macro shots and shooting water, but not great for foliage. I wanted the soft golden morning glow and Mother Nature didn't cooperate. I almost stayed on the shores of Cayuga Lake, to photograph what looked to be an interesting purple sunrise through the haze. But we’ve all seen enough sunrises, it’s foliage we want.




Once again, you have the Rim Trail and the Gorge Trail. The last time I was at this park Aim and I did the Rim trail to the falls overlook. My goal was this time around was to go to the base of the falls. I don’t remember the distance but I think it is about a mile to the base.

Taughannock Falls is actually New York's, and the eastern US highest waterfall. This of course can often be debated depending on how you rate the fall (there are longer cascades for instance), but Taughannock Falls is a single purely vertical drop that CANNOT be contested. No matter how you measure it, it’s going to work out to an equivalent of 215 vertical feet. How impressive is this? Well, Niagara Falls is a mere 182 feet high. Of course Niagara Falls claim to fame isn’t it’s height, or width but the sheer volume of water the that passes over the falls. Taughannock Falls by comparison is merely a trickle most of the year, and in summer nearly dries up.

The area below the falls would make an excellent swimming hole in summer, aside from the fact that these gorges are inherently unstable. Anyone lacking the intelligence to determine where the piles of rubble at the base of the gorge came from, just needs to stand around for a while and listen for the popping, cracking, and eventually falling of the rocks above. Suffice to say while wandering around off the trail I was a bit uneasy. Having been hit in the (helmeted) head plenty of times while rock climbing, I don't take rock fall lightly.




Disappointed with the morning light, I looked around for some shots that benefited from the soft low contrast light, but eventually just headed out after having the park to myself for a few hours.

Overall a nice beautiful weekend and a change of pace for me.

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