On Feb. 23, Altamont was notified that a Feb. 17 sample from its Brandle Road wellsite contained 0.59 milligrams of manganese per liter; the maximum contaminant level allowed by the federal Environmental Protection Agency is 0.3 milligrams per liter. The village then resampled on March 8 and found levels were below the maximum level, at 0.28 milligrams per liter.

New York State has $34 million in federal funding awards for over 1,000 homes to become more energy efficient. The money is to reduce energy costs for low-income homeowners and renters.

The United States Fish and Wildlife Service announced a proposal on March 22 to reclassify the northern long-eared bat as endangered under the Endangered Species Act.

Avian flu is a highly contagious disease that afflicts all manner of birds. An outbreak seven years ago was responsible for the death of 50 million birds across the country. 

“The role of government is getting things done,” said Bethlehem Supervisor David VanLuven, crediting the town, county, state, and federal governments for working together to get the Power Plug project underway “from concept to concrete in five months.”

In mid-March, amphibians typically migrate to breed. Volunteers are sought to help them safely cross roads as they travel from forests to vernal ponds.

Following are descriptions of the eight non-fatal hunting incidents recorded by the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation in 2021.

Small-game hunting:

The 2021 hunting seasons in New York were the safest ever, with the lowest number of hunting-related shooting incidents, since record-keeping began, according to the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation.

Part of President Joe Biden’s climate-change agenda is protecting 30 percent of United States lands and ocean territories by 2030, known as “30 by 30.” Currently, about 26 percent of the United States’ ocean territories are protected but only about 12 percent of the nation’s land area is protected.

Qualified landowners may apply for a free bag of 25 tree and shrub seedlings for planting near streams, rivers, or lakes to help stabilize banks, protect water quality, and improve wildlife habitat.