Finger Lakes

Environmental activists call the move "political."

The proposed new district includes many of the counties on the shores of Lake Ontario from Niagara to the North Country, but excludes Rochester and Syracuse.

Williams said he’s not against cryptocurrency mining altogether, but wants companies to reevaluate their mining process so it doesn’t use as much electricity.

Cayuga Lake has struggled with harmful algal blooms or HABs in recent years, but in 2021 unseasonably warm temperatures and heavy rainfall may have extended their prevalence late into the year.

Treatments include “trap-trees” with a synthetic insecticide, a full-year applied pesticide, and treating any egg masses with a soybean-based product.

"We had a lot of big storms, a lot of rain during July and so that could have caused nutrients to essentially enter the lake and help facilitate these blooms."

"This may be an uphill battle for us, but we're starting it."

If the hemlocks are killed off, or even severely damaged, they could tumble into gorges, bringing severe erosion into many of the watersheds feeding the lakes, and in turn the lakes themselves.

Building on themes from the POV documentary Portraits and Dreams, community members told their story - or that of our region ~ through photography.…

"They’re leaving a place they consider to be their home and all of their belongings are in their home but their homes aren’t as secure as our homes are," said Deb Wilke.