From The Walton Reporter (no website), May 12, 2010 On Jan. 19 2010, New York State Oil and Gas industry lobbyist Brad Gill stated that because of gas drilling, Pennsylvania is “thriving with tens of thousands of jobs and tremendous economic vitality.” We must closely scrutinize the widely-held assertion that the economic benefits of unconventional [...]

The Trail Conference is pleased to announce the new, digitally-produced ninth edition of our Catskill Trails map set has arrived at their office and is now available for purchase! At $16.95 ($12.71 for Trail Conference members), the Catskill Trails map set is a must-have for anyone who wishes to explore the many trails and protected [...]

I have no idea what this is. The above photo is a close-up. The object is about two inches long. It is not wet or slimy, was stuck to the grass, doesn’t have a smell, feels like soft plastic. I’m sure it is produced by something common. Any ideas?

Blizzard Day 3 Driveway Drift, originally uploaded by Sandy*S – off to nebraska for a bit. From The Walton Reporter (no website), March 17, 2010 Here’s a item highlighting rural charm, plucked from the pages of a town’s council meeting report. The photo is from Nebraska.       Ronald Tippet had requested the town (Harpersfield, NY) highway department continue to [...]

West Kill Spring Scenic 2, originally uploaded by Anton de Flon. From The Walton Reporter (no website), January 27, 2010 By Glenn Graves WALTON – The Delaware County Soil and Water Conservation District (DCSWCD) will administer a new incentive of the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to protect and manage stream banks [...]

This post may seem to stray from the environment, but it’s right on the money. In good times and bad, environmental programs are never fully funded. The poster child for this is the Land and Water Conservation Fund, created in 1964. In over 40 years, the program has rarely been funded, its funds siphoned off to [...]

NYC’s Catskill watershed provides clean drinking water to eleven million people in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. It is one of the nation’s most critial water supply areas.  It is also unique in that the EPA has granted New York City a filtration requirement waver as long as the City maintains the high level of water quality. One of [...]

3/13/10 – After reading a mention in the Andes Gazette of a nesting pair of Bald Eagles on Dingle Hill along the Pepacton Reservoir, my wife and I went to see for ourselves. It was a blustery day, with temps in the mid-30’s, a light rain, snow melt coursing down the hillsides. We found the [...]

From the Walton Reporter (no website), February 12, 2010. By Glenn Graves DISH, Texas Mayor Calvin Tillman was at Downsville Central School last Wednesday evening to discuss the pitfalls that can be associated with natural gas development. His presentation was sponsored by a coalition of local groups concerned about the impacts of gas drilling in the [...]

From the Walton Reporter (no website), February 24, 2010. A pilot project funded by the Catskill Watershed Corporation (CWC) to determine whether pelletized grass and hay can be used as an efficient heat source is gaining steam. Catskill Watershed Corporation (CWC) Board of Directors was recently briefed on the status of the project by Paul Cerosaletti, [...]

From the Walton Reporter (no website), February 10, 2010. Mayor Calvin Tillman of Dish, Texas says the people of his town “have seen the worst of what the natural gas industry is capable of.” Dish, located in the heart of the Barnett Shale gas fields, hosts 11 natural gas compressors, four metering stations, 11 high-pressure gas [...]

From the Walton Reporter (no website), December 16, 2009. The Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) reported yesterday that its review of the 2004, 2005, and 2006 storm events, utilizing the new Delaware River Basin Flood Analysis Model, demonstrate that widespread river flooding would have occurred regardless of the pre-event storage conditions in the upper basin [...]

From the Walton Reporter (no website), January 27, 2010. New York State Senator John Bonacic said, last week, that New York City should purchase natural gas drilling rights in the watershed, rather than try to have the state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) prohibit the drilling through regulation. Bonacic said the attempt to have gas [...]

Coyote – Eastern Point, Gloucester, MA – 16 Feb 2009, originally uploaded by jrtrimble. If you have any interest at all in the Eastern Coyote, their habits, habitat, what they are eating, their impact on other species, num, movements and human/coyote interactions in the urban/suburban/rural environments you must attend this exciting and interesting lecture. Featured [...]

From the Walton Reporter, abbreviated, January 20, 2010 (The article expressed the disapproval of a New York Attorney General settlement with five healthcare facilities within the NYC watershed to cease flushing unused pharmaceuticals down sinks and toilets, and to pay a fine of less than $18,000 for the five institutions combined. The board felt the [...]