This week: the chestnut oak food chain, New York's changing environmental laws, and a few things happening this week

CONSERVATION · ROCK OAK PRESERVE

One Tree, One Very Hungry Bird

At Rock Oak Preserve in West Hurley, the chestnut oaks are doing something remarkable right now, and you probably can't see it. Tiny oak leafminer larvae are tunneling through the leaves overhead, leaving winding trails that look like damage but are actually dinner. Those larvae attract insectivorous birds during their most critical window: breeding season. And among the most striking of those birds is the Scarlet Tanager—electric red, startlingly beautiful—which depends on exactly this kind of caterpillar abundance to feed its young. Fewer oak leafminers means fewer caterpillars, which means fewer tanagers. It's a chain that runs from a single leaf to one of the most vivid birds in the Northeast, and it all starts with the rock oak. Visit Rock Oak Preserve →

CONSERVATION · POLICY

New York Just Changed the Rules

Two significant shifts in New York's environmental policy landscape are worth knowing about. First, Governor Hochul signed the "Let Them Build" agenda, the most significant reform to the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) since its passage in 1975. Under the new law, housing projects up to 100 units in non-urbanized areas may be exempt from environmental review entirely, provided they're on previously disturbed land connected to existing water and sewer systems. (What counts as "previously disturbed" in a pristine forest is, shall we say, an open question.) Second, New York's climate law has also been revised: the 2030 emissions milestone—a 40% reduction below 1990 levels—has been eliminated, replaced by a new target of 60% by 2040. Environmental advocates have raised concerns that both shifts reduce urgency at a moment when the stakes are rising. WLC is watching both closely.

Related: Let Them Build legislation → · NY climate law changes →

COMMUNITY · EVENTS

This Week & Beyond

A few things on our radar: the Woodstock Pollinator Pathway's Native Bees workshop has moved to June 21 at 1pm, Thorn Preserve—same great event, one week later: Details... WLC and the Friends of the Catskill Mountain Rail Trail are participating in Paths Forward: Trails, Connections, and the Future of New York, a pop-up exhibit in the Kayrock Gallery at Zero Place, New Paltz through June 23, with an opening event Saturday the 20th from 6–7:30pm... And on June 25 at 6pm, Catskill Mountainkeeper and Hudson Riverkeeper are hosting a free webinar on what the new SEQRA revisions mean for Catskills communities: Register free

COMMUNITY

Last Call: Ulster County Wants to Hear from You

Ulster County Tourism is wrapping up its Sustainable Tourism Strategic Plan—a long-term framework addressing outdoor recreation, transportation, housing, and workforce needs across the county. The survey closes June 30, and input from trail users, conservation advocates, and outdoor recreation communities is especially encouraged. Takes about ten minutes. Take the survey →