The Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy, Northeastern Cave Conservancy, and Huyck Preserve and Biological Research Station each received funds from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation as part of a $3.4 million statewide grant disbursement.

On April 14, the state issued an order to ban all fowl auctions and other events for the purchase, sale, swap, or trade of fowl in New York State to help prevent the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza.

SABIC will have to pay $322,400 in penalties and make facility improvements.

GUILDERLAND — “You go fishing and there’s an infinite possibility for surprise,” says Guilderland angler John Rowen.

He’s fished trout streams in Rensselaer County that are no wider than a driveway and found 17-inch trout in them, “which is crazy,” he says with glee.

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.