January 15, 2003
Adirondack Council Honors BBAC and SAARG
Two activist groups on the shores of the Great Sacandaga Lake have been singled out for recognition by the Adirondack Council for their contribution toward the long-term economic and environmental well-being of the Adirondack Park.
The Batchellerville Bridge Action Committee, headquartered in Edinburg, and the Sacandaga-Adirondack Alliance for Responsible Growth, based in Northville, are two of the eight local environmental organizations featured in the new "A Tip of the Hat" section of the Adirondack Council's annual "State of the Park" report.
Reflecting a trend in the Adirondacks, the Adirondack Council launched this new section in its annual report to recognize "the work of small, grassroots organizations that have made a positive impact on their own corner of the Park."
The citation for the Batchellerville Bridge Action Committee reads:
"A group of Great Sacandaga Lake shoreline owners have joined forces to create the Batchellerville Bridge Action Committee in the northern Saratoga County Town of Edinburg. The BBAC helped to persuade the Dept. of Transportation to limit the size of the replacement bridge across the lake to 42' high, down from 55'. The new size limit would prevent the bridge from blocking views and spreading light pollution."
The citation for the Sacandaga-Adirondack Alliance for Responsible Growth reads:
"A new group calling itself the Sacandaga-Adirondack Alliance for Responsible Growth has formed in northern Fulton County in response to a proposal to build an asphalt plant adjacent to the Village of Northville. Its members are keeping pressure on the state to require a public hearing and perform a thorough review of the proposal's impact on surrounding residents, businesses and natural resources."
The other six local organizations recognized in the Adirondack Council's "State of the Park 2002" report are the Adirondack Cooperative Loon Program, the Fund for Lake George, the Residents' Committee to Protect the Adirondacks, the White Lake Association, the Pilot Knob Association, and the legion of fire-fighting volunteers (including local prison inmates) who risked their lives to combat a rash of wild fires in the Park this summer, touched off by drought.
With 18,000 members, the Adirondack Council is the largest environmental organization focusing solely on Adirondack issues. The privately funded, not-for-profit organization is dedicated to protecting and enhancing the natural character and human communities of the Adirondack Park through research, education, advocacy and legal action.
A copy of the 16-page, four-color "State of the Park 2002" report is available free by calling the Adirondack Council at 1-800-842-PARK.