As the nights have gotten longer, and the days chillier, those of us in the Northeast turn to the age old question of how to stay warm for the winter. Today, many heat with fossil fuels or geothermal sources, but as many of our New York Tree Farm (NYTF) members know, nothing can beat the charm of an old fashioned wood fire. Stories of fire for warmth are as old as humanity itself. Whether it was a gift from the gods as with Prometheus in Greece, or a precious item stolen by humans from the grasp of monsters high up on a mountainside, as the tale goes with the Abenaki, an Algonquin tribe native to the Adirondack region. 

This year Audubon's conservation leaders, bird advocates, college students, ambassadors, volunteers, and scientists accomplished amazing things. Through early-December, more than 199,000 of us contacted decision-makers more than 783,700 times on behalf of birds. All of the accomplishments listed below come from the hard work and dedication of our members, chapters, volunteers, and staff. We're very proud of what we have been able to accomplish together over the past 12 months.

In September, severe wildfires began ravaging forested areas in Oregon, ultimately burning 1 million acres. The state’s lumber industry was hit hard, including Freres Lumber, located in in Santiam Canyon, in the foothills of the Cascades. The nearly-100-year-old company lost about 7,500 acres out of its 17,000 acres of timberland to the flames. Fortunately, its production facilities remained intact, including a three-year-old $40 million mass timber plant. But despite the recent setbacks, the company thinks it has a good path forward. “We truly believe that [our mass timber product] is a win-win situation not only for the environment, but also for our forests, by encouraging proper forest management, and for our local communities, which have suffered due to a lack of economic activity since the early ‘90s,” says Kyle Freres, vice president of operations at the family-owned company.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and partners have completed this year's treatment to control and prevent the spread of Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (HWA) on Forest Preserve lands in Washington County, as part of an ongoing, multi-year effort. DEC confirmed the HWA infestation in August. The affected hemlock trees were located in the Glen Island Campground on the shore of Lake George, along the shoreline of Shelving Rock Special Management Area, at the Buck Mountain Trailhead, and on Dome Island.

An advisory panel to New York’s Climate Action Council is considering how forests, forestry and harvested wood products could play a role in meeting the state’s climate goals. A broad discussion on Monday could be the jumping off point to significant policy recommendations affecting the Adirondack Park.