“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.

Tom Ellis, Albany

As bird and insect populations plummet, pesticides that can harm bees and other pollinators are being limited by the state.

The Albany Water Board, steward of the Basic Creek dam in Westerlo, has received $100,000 from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to come up with a design for a rehabilitation project for the high-hazard dam, which is in substandard condition.

Recent testing showed the nitrate level in the Clarksville Water District supply had dropped from 11.3 milligrams per liter in late November to about 5.4 milligrams per liter on Dec. 30.