Lows Lake is a remote nine-mile body of water in Hamilton and St. Lawrence counties. The lake is part of the popular Oswegatchie Traverse canoe route. Many paddlers and campers prize the quiet waters of a wilderness experience, free from the noise of most motorized vehicles. In 2002, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) prohibited floatplane access effective in 2007.

That decision sparked concern for floatplane operators and their clients. Pilots argue that restricted access to the region will further hurt their businesses, as Lows Lake is one of the most desired drop-off destinations with campers, hunters and fishermen. In 2007, the DEC proposed extending limited floatplane access to the lake another ten years. Permits would be issued, landings and take-offs would be restricted to designated areas, and the number of flights would be limited. The Adirondack Park Agency rejected this proposal stating that it violates the state’s Unit Management Plan.

Supporters of the ban feel that preserving the pristine character of Lows Lake by eliminating commercial floatplanes will enhance the wilderness experience. Opponents argue that floatplane access to the lake is important to the region’s economy and appeal.

Do you think floatplanes should be allowed on Lows Lake?

The Adirondack Park Agency (APA) recently revoked a 35-year old law allowing owners of shoreline homes and cabins built before 1971to expand those structures.

The new rules state that most new additions to pre-1971 structures now require a variance from the APA if they fall within the shoreline setbacks, placing restrictions on the size and location of new additions.

The APA has agreed to allow minor expansion, under certain circumstances, without a variance. “Minor expansion” has been defined as an expansion no larger than 250 feet, built towards the rear of the structure away from the shoreline, without raising the roof more than two feet, and without increasing the occupancy of the structure.

As a result of this change several counties have decided to challenge the APA.

Some feel this is an unlawful extension of the APA’s power essentially creating laws at will without approval from the State Legislature. Some fear that a decline in home and camp development will negatively affect local construction and lumber businesses.

Others see the new rule as a way to control development on lakeshores in order to protect important water sources and to prohibit home and camp owners from demolishing modest structures and replacing them with much larger ones.

Is the APA taking the right steps to protect the resources of the Adirondack Park or are they placing too many restrictions on property owners?

The Nature Conservancy recently purchased Follensby Park, which includes Follensby Pond, site of the historic “Philosopher’s Camp.” The 14,000-acre park lies within the towns of Tupper Lake, New York and Harrietstown, and encompasses 10 miles of shoreline along the Raquette River.

The Nature Conservancy anticipates that the State of New York will purchase the land and add it to the Forest Preserve.

New York State has an Environmental Protection Fund, with money designated for purchases like this. But, in these tough economic times with a record budget deficit, how much can the state afford to pay? How much land is enough state land?

New York State’s desire to protect land is admirable.

Under state ownership, Follensby Park would remain free of development. Motorboat use on that section of the Raquette River might be banned, keeping those waters quiet for paddlers and wildlife. This legendary parcel of land would remain “forever wild” and open for all to enjoy.

In the 1980s efforts to reintroduce the Bald Eagle to the Adirondacks were based at Follensby. There are currently 12 nesting pairs.

Local schools and towns could benefit from an increase in taxes collected if the State did acquire the property.

Follensby Park has been a steady source of income for several local logging contractors in the past. If the state does not designate some of the park as easement land, there will be no more selective logging on the property. This could affect the local economy and some businessmen.

The park is also home to several privately leased hunting camps. These leases, along with their traditions and history, would be abolished if the State purchased the property. A ban on motorized boats would also affect many people who currently enjoy boating along the Raquette River.

Tell us what you think: Should New York State acquire Follensby Park? Should the Forest Preserve continue to grow in this period of economic downturn?

In Lake Placid, New York, an Adirondack village known for nightlife, village officials and trustees are on a mission to keep noise – radios, televisions, musical instruments, shouting, construction, singing and horns – to a minimum.

In an area where barrooms and restaurants neighbor apartments and private residences, the village makes a valid argument. Residents deserve to have quiet time at night. Permits will be made available for parties and events past the hour of 9:30 p.m.

A 1982 law set 10:00 p.m. as the start of quite time and required use of decibel meters to determine if noise was too loud. The new law establishes quiet hours between 9:30 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. in the village. No decibel limit has been set: the police department will determine inappropriate noise. If noise levels are deemed disruptive, offenders face fines and possibly jail time.

Other area villages, such as Plattsburgh, N.Y. and Rouses Point, N.Y., also have laws prohibiting loud noise at unreasonable hours.

Some people in Lake Placid would like to see the start of the quite hours returned to 10:00 p.m. or later. Residents working late shifts or second jobs may not be home by 9:30 p.m. They believe that they are entitled to music and entertainment. Leaving judgment to the police (and those making the complaint) might be tricky. Excessive noise levels are not the same to everyone.

Tell us what you think – do you think noise ordinances are necessary? Is 9:30 p.m. too early for quiet time?

With the high price of home heating oil, outdoor wood boilers are becoming more popular in the Adirondacks and throughout the country.

The small, freestanding structures burn firewood to heat water, which is then circulated to heat the home. These boilers are adaptable to many existing heating systems, including forced-air, water baseboard and radiant heat. Outdoor wood boilers can cost up to $10,000, but can pay for themselves in just a few years.

On the other hand, outdoor wood boilers can produce an abundance of smoke, a fine particulate matter that can be annoying and hazardous. If homeowners burn material other than dry, well-seasoned firewood (like garbage or pressure-treated wood), the thick smoke can be overwhelming.

Many New York State communities, including several in the Adirondack Park, are imposing regulations on the use of wood boilers: prohibiting their use within village limits, requiring that they be located at least 200 feet from neighboring property lines, and stipulating that smoke stacks be taller than the peak of the residence roofline. In some jurisdictions, regulations define what may be burned in the boilers and when the boilers may be operated, usually early September through late May. This eliminates heavy smoke when many folks are outside and often have their windows open.

Many communities are making exceptions, grandfathering in those who have already invested significant amounts of money in an effort to save on rising fuel costs.

What do you think? Should New York State implement laws restricting the use of outdoor wood boilers to reduce air pollution? Should the restrictions be left to individual communities to enforce?

Many upstate New York communities, including several in the Adirondack Park, are considering closing their schools in the face of decreasing populations. Many have fewer than 50 children enrolled in kindergarten through 12th grade. Raquette Lake Central School closed its doors in 2006, and students attend school in neighboring communities. Local officials are debating whether to keep Lake Clear Elementary open.

Some schools are making an effort to welcome students from other areas to boost student populations. Newcomb Central School enrolled 6 foreign-exchange students in 2008 and Keene Central School has considered enrolling students from larger areas, such as Plattsburgh.

High school sports are affected by dropping enrollment as well. Several Adirondack schools have already taken measures to keep sports programs alive: Newcomb Central now has a combined team with Minerva Central and Long Lake Central plays with Indian Lake Central.

Supporters of school closings or mergers argue that these actions save resources: the expense of teachers, transportation, and building and grounds maintenance. Eliminating these expenses could save taxpayers and the school district money. Children attending larger schools have more social and academic opportunities than at a smaller school. Smaller schools are often unable to facilitate students with special needs. Some small schools are unable to provide a full-time nurse or school superintendent.

Those opposing school closings or mergers argue that students in smaller classes receive more one-on-one attention from teachers than they might in a larger classroom setting. Time spent on a bus or in a car being transported to another school would increase greatly for some students. Perhaps most importantly, schools carry a strong sense of community, which would be lost with a school closing.

Tell us what you think. Do you support closing shrinking Adirondack schools? Or, should efforts be made to keep these schools open?

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has proposed a statewide ban on most forms of open burning to reduce pollution and wildfires.

The State’s main concern is that more trash and plastics are being burned, releasing increasing amounts of cancer-causing chemicals into the air. Banning outdoor burning altogether could be an effective solution, as regulating materials being burned can be difficult.

Proposed regulations would include exceptions for small campfires, training exercise fires for emergency personnel, ceremonial, religious, and flag retirement fires.

Current restrictions are in place on burning debris outdoors in communities with populations of more than 20,000 people.

Many state residents and farmers, including those in the Adirondack Park, rely on controlled brush burning and burn barrels to dispose of lawn clippings, leaves, tree limbs and agricultural wastes.

Farmers are currently permitted to burn brush and agricultural waste such as feed bags, bale wraps and greenhouse flats, many of which are made of non-recyclable plastics.

Alternatives to burning include trips to dumps, landfills, or renting chipping machinery, which can be costly. Some property owners argue that strict enforcement of ‘no trash burning’ would be more effective than a statewide ban on all burning.

How do you feel about the proposed ban - should New York State place greater restrictions on open burning?

A Wal-Mart — in Tupper Lake, New York? Recent news reports indicate that Tupper Lake’s Mayor has been in contact with the retail chain Wal-Mart asking them to consider locating in the Village of Tupper Lake. This invitation follows the May 2008 closing of Jarden Plastic Solutions’ 15-acre plant that employed 70 people (formerly the home of Oval Wood Dish).

Nigro Companies, a Colonie based developer specializing in shopping centers, has been interested in the property for some time. If Nigro Companies does purchase the plant, Wal-Mart may move in.

There is already a Wal-Mart Superstore is in Ticonderoga, N.Y., inside the Blue Line. Wal-Mart has attempted and failed to locate in the northern part of the Adirondack Park twice. Public opposition kept the large chain out of Lake Placid, N.Y. in 1994 and Saranac Lake, N.Y. in 2006.

Advocates believe a large discount store could serve customers from as far as 40 miles away. Residents of some Adirondack communities currently drive over an hour to places like Plattsburgh, Queensbury and Malone, N.Y. to shop for groceries and other necessities.

Construction and operation of a large store could create new jobs for area residents. Wal-Mart is the largest private employer in the United States, employing roughly 1.4 million people.

Opponents argue that Wal-Mart, or any big-box store, has no place in the Adirondack Park. They are concerned that a large retail store will hurt small main street businesses. In addition, some contend that Wal-Mart fails to provide substantial wages and health care benefits to employees. Many simply see these huge stores as unsightly.

Do you think Wal-Mart should be allowed in Tupper Lake?

The Barton Group has proposed building 10 wind turbines on 1700 acres of land formerly used as a garnet mine and already zoned for industrial use. The turbines will be located near North Creek, New York, in the south-central Adirondacks. The turbines could generate enough electricity to power more than half of all households in Warren County. The turbines may also provide a positive message about generating power from a renewable, non-polluting resource, important in a region that has been so adversely affected by acid rain—generated largely by coal-fired electric plants in the mid-west.

Opponents argue that the turbines could prove fatal to birds and bats, and pose a particular threat to the endangered Bicknell’s Thrush. Aesthetics are another concern. 280 feet tall and 400 feet wide when the blades are fully extended, the wind turbines will be visible along an exposed ridge, compromising the wild forest character of the Adirondacks. They also argue that allowing this project will set a precedent, opening the door for similar projects in the future.

What do you think? Should the Barton wind farm be built?