Assembly Resolution No. 124

BY: M. of A. Jones

COMMEMORATING the 50th Anniversary of The
Adirondack Council

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that the
continuing welfare of the citizens of this great State is greatly
enriched by the purposeful endeavors of individuals and organizations
committed to the preservation and protection of our environment, and to
the enhancement of appreciation for the distinctive features of our
natural surroundings; and

WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its
long-standing traditions, it is the intent of this Legislative Body to
recognize and pay tribute to The Adirondack Council upon the occasion of
its 50th Anniversary, which occurred on January 13, 2025, and will be
celebrated on Adirondack Park Day on February 24, 2025, at the New York
State Capitol; and

WHEREAS, The Adirondack Council is a not-for-profit environmental
advocacy group that has been working since 1975 to ensure the ecological
integrity and wild character of the Adirondack Park; and

WHEREAS, The Adirondack Council is the largest environmental group
in New York State, working full-time to preserve the Adirondack Park for
the benefit of all New Yorkers; it has worked for 50 years to conserve
the natural resources of the Adirondack Park while promoting welcoming,
sustainable, thriving communities; and

WHEREAS, The Adirondack Council works to protect the private lands
in the Adirondack Park from inappropriate and haphazard development; it
also works to defend Article XIV (the Forever Wild Clause) of the New
York State Constitution which protects over 2.6 million acres of
Adirondack Forest Preserve; and

WHEREAS, The Adirondack Council works with elected officials and
their staff at the local, state and national levels, along with
executive agencies from the Federal and State governments, to protect
the natural resources of the Adirondack Park; and

WHEREAS, The Adirondack Council played a major role in the creation
of New York State's conservation easement program and in the creation of
the 1993 New York State Environmental Protection Fund; and

WHEREAS, The Adirondack Council published its 2020 Vision and Vision
2050 Reports, which have served as guideposts for State Agencies,
Adirondack municipalities, and Advocacy organizations in the pursuit of
a more perfect Adirondack Park; and

WHEREAS, In 1996 and 2022, The Adirondack Council was part of a
coalition of environmental groups that worked for the creation of the
Clean Water/Clean Air Bond Act and Clean Water, Clean Air, Green Jobs
Bond Act; and

WHEREAS, The Adirondack Council led the effort to pass the Randy
Preston Road Salt Reduction Act, reducing road salt pollution across New
York State; and

WHEREAS, The Adirondack Council led the effort to make "Clean, Drain
and Dry" aquatic invasive species prevention protocols mandatory within
the Adirondack Park; and

WHEREAS, The Adirondack Council led the effort to establish the
Adirondack Diversity Initiative and Timbuctoo Summer Climate and Careers
Institute, which together foster an Adirondack Park that is more
welcoming, inclusive, safe and relevant for all New Yorkers; and

WHEREAS, The Adirondack Council led the BeWildNY Coalition, which
successfully advocated for the establishment of the largest Wilderness
area in the Northeast; and

WHEREAS, The Adirondack Council has battled against the scourge of
acid rain in the Adirondack Park and worked with other groups and
individuals, staff and elected officials at the state and federal levels
to pass State and Federal acid rain legislation

WHEREAS, The Adirondack Council has led efforts to establish a new
Parkwide water quality study known as a Survey of Climate and Adirondack
Lake Ecosystems (SCALE); now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commemorate the 50th Anniversary of The Adirondack Council and to
congratulate its board and staff for five decades of successful Park
protection and advocacy; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to The Adirondack Council.