Wildlife monitoring, parkwide planning identified as critical steps
By Zachary Matson
A trio of speakers shared insight into solar development both within the Blue Line and across the state, highlighting the need to balance a thirst for renewable energy with farmland preservation and environmental protection.
The Adirondack Park Agency should develop parkwide maps and priorities for siting future solar projects and expand long-term monitoring of how new installations impact Adirondack wildlife, panelists said at Adirondack North Country Association’s annual clean energy conference.
Jackie Bowen, conservation director for the Adirondack Council, argued that APA officials should develop a broader strategy for solar projects, mapping where they should and shouldn’t be developed.
“The agency is tasked with long-range planning and this is such a good example of where they should apply that,” Bowen said.
Bowen and other panelists highlighted the importance of siting solar projects to prevent cutting of trees, while also preserving the roughly 100,000 acres of agricultural land within the park. As New York attempts to transition to a renewable energy economy and meet greenhouse gas reduction targets, conflicting demands are pressuring open spaces. There is a need to develop thousands of acres of solar; the state is aiming to boost its forest cover to bolster carbon storage; agricultural land is critical to sustain food systems and communities.
Read the full article in the Adirondack Explorer.