Please take two minutes to sign a petition to Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a major cosponsor of the GENIUS Act supporting cryptomining.
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GUEST APPEARANCE: The fight against operations like Greenidge is far from over
Once again, Greenidge Generation tried to steamroll our community — and once again, they failed.
Last month, the regional director of the Department of Environmental Conservation shut down Greenidge’s latest attempt to stall and silence our ongoing fight against its harmful Bitcoin mining operation. They tried to delay the hearing. Denied. They tried to block our impacted community from participating in the proceedings, and from fighting for the health and safety of our region. Denied again.
While our fight is far from over, we’re proud to celebrate the wins along the way — important steps forward in our fight for clean air, water, and a better future for New York.
By now, everyone in the Finger Lakes region should know that the Greenidge Generation facility has become a symbol of the urgent clash between predatory corporate polluters and community-driven protectors. This fracked gas-burning Bitcoin mining facility emitted more than 818 million pounds of carbon dioxide in a single year, directly undermining the state’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. It also emits local air pollution, and is permitted to draw millions of gallons of water from Seneca Lake every day and discharge it, heated to higher temperatures, back into the lake, threatening this fragile ecosystem.
It’s been nearly three years since the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation denied the plant’s Title V air permit renewal, citing the millions of tons of climate-wrecking carbon emissions the plant spews out annually and in clear conflict with the CLCPA — but the facility continues to operate while it appeals the decision under the State Administrative Procedures Act. This is part of Greenidge’s ongoing strategy: to prolong legal proceedings for years, forcing the Finger Lakes community to suffer through nonstop noise, air, and water pollution while it continues to profit.
Greenidge has fought tooth and nail to continue operations at the expense of our lake, our economy, and our climate. All the while, our community has been on the front lines, demanding the state enforce its climate laws and shut the plant down for good.
Sadly, as the crypto-mining industry spreads like a cancer across the country, corporate interests are exploiting rural communities nationwide and degrading air, water, and environmental quality just to make a few rich people even richer. Here in New York, we’ve fought tirelessly to pass strong climate laws that are meant to put people over profit and protect our own. If those laws mean anything, Greenidge must be shut down for good.
As we continue to fight for a cleaner, healthier future, we’ll be submitting testimony for an upcoming hearing to be held this summer in Albany. Greenidge wanted to exempt us from this process, but we fought back — and we won. And, we’ll continue to show up, speak out, and make sure that decision-makers see this fight for what it is: a community standing up against corporate greed and unfettered pollution.
To everyone who has signed petitions, written letters, or shown up to rallies: Thank you. We’re in this together, and we’re not going to stop fighting until Seneca Lake is free from the grasp of polluting corporations that don’t think twice about our community, our economy, our climate, and our future.
Yvonne Taylor is co-founder and vice president of Seneca Lake Guardian, a Watkins Glen-based environmental group. Abi Buddington is an educator, business owner, and volunteer who is dedicated to listening, learning and protecting our community and environment.
Once again, Greenidge Generation tried to steamroll our community — and once again, they failed.
Last month, the regional director of the Department of Environmental Conservation shut down Greenidge’s latest attempt to stall and silence our ongoing fight against its harmful Bitcoin mining operation. They tried to delay the hearing. Denied. They tried to block our impacted community from participating in the proceedings, and from fighting for the health and safety of our region. Denied again.
While our fight is far from over, we’re proud to celebrate the wins along the way — important steps forward in our fight for clean air, water, and a better future for New York.
By now, everyone in the Finger Lakes region should know that the Greenidge Generation facility has become a symbol of the urgent clash between predatory corporate polluters and community-driven protectors. This fracked gas-burning Bitcoin mining facility emitted more than 818 million pounds of carbon dioxide in a single year, directly undermining the state’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. It also emits local air pollution, and is permitted to draw millions of gallons of water from Seneca Lake every day and discharge it, heated to higher temperatures, back into the lake, threatening this fragile ecosystem.
It’s been nearly three years since the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation denied the plant’s Title V air permit renewal, citing the millions of tons of climate-wrecking carbon emissions the plant spews out annually and in clear conflict with the CLCPA — but the facility continues to operate while it appeals the decision under the State Administrative Procedures Act. This is part of Greenidge’s ongoing strategy: to prolong legal proceedings for years, forcing the Finger Lakes community to suffer through nonstop noise, air, and water pollution while it continues to profit.
Greenidge has fought tooth and nail to continue operations at the expense of our lake, our economy, and our climate. All the while, our community has been on the front lines, demanding the state enforce its climate laws and shut the plant down for good.
Sadly, as the crypto-mining industry spreads like a cancer across the country, corporate interests are exploiting rural communities nationwide and degrading air, water, and environmental quality just to make a few rich people even richer. Here in New York, we’ve fought tirelessly to pass strong climate laws that are meant to put people over profit and protect our own. If those laws mean anything, Greenidge must be shut down for good.
As we continue to fight for a cleaner, healthier future, we’ll be submitting testimony for an upcoming hearing to be held this summer in Albany. Greenidge wanted to exempt us from this process, but we fought back — and we won. And, we’ll continue to show up, speak out, and make sure that decision-makers see this fight for what it is: a community standing up against corporate greed and unfettered pollution.
To everyone who has signed petitions, written letters, or shown up to rallies: Thank you. We’re in this together, and we’re not going to stop fighting until Seneca Lake is free from the grasp of polluting corporations that don’t think twice about our community, our economy, our climate, and our future.
Yvonne Taylor is co-founder and vice president of Seneca Lake Guardian, a Watkins Glen-based environmental group. Abi Buddington is an educator, business owner, and volunteer who is dedicated to listening, learning and protecting our community and environment.
GUEST APPEARANCE: The fight against operations like Greenidge is far from over
Once again, Greenidge Generation tried to steamroll our community — and once again, they failed.
A HUGE thanks to Crow Marley who took the time to stop by the FLNF ranger station and summarize their discussion with the ranger for us!
Update on Executive Order for Increased Logging in FLX National Forest
Update on Executive Order for Increased Logging in FLX National Forest
Wishing everyone involved in this year’s Seneca 7 event the best, and a special shout out to Oh, the Humanities! for the support!!!
Be safe out there!
Be safe out there!
The Seneca7
Welcome to the Seneca7! our 13th edition April 27, 2025 The Seneca7 is a 7-person running relay around Seneca Lake in the Finger Lakes Region of New York. Starting and ending in Geneva, teams run the west side of the lake in the morning and the east side in the afternoon. Join us for a race inspi....
https://www.newyorkalmanack.com/2025/04/finger-lakes-national-forest/
UPDATE ON THE ADMINISTRATION’S EXECUTIVE ORDER FOR INCREASED TIMBER LOGGING IN THE FINGER LAKES NATIONAL FOREST:
On April 23, an area resident spoke with a Wildlife Biologist at the Finger Lakes National Forest Ranger Station, and had the following to share:
.
As of Friday, April 18, 2025, 60 percent of the staff was let go, leaving only three staff remaining. As a result, the office is open only on Wednesdays.
ABOUT THE RECENT LOGGING ON BURNT HILL ROAD:
This project was conceptualized 10 years ago as a three-fold approach to remove out-of-range species, reduce the impact of ash bore infestation and provide wildlife habitat.
There was also a plan to replant with hardwoods and other native species, but with the staff cuts, COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED. If interested, please sign up on this volunteer form, and we will get it to the station. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd7fKpwCmQ3tNbpqUgKJwCTwtcbnwnp0jMw66DFNAOBf6P8Ug/viewform?usp=sharing
Through a stewardship program with the National Turkey Federation, this project to complete: it took 7 years to find a local company - Tree Masters out of Tompkins County- And another 3 years for project to start (which was in the fall of 2024). Any money generated from the sale will stay local for habitat work on the hill.
WHAT MIGHT PROTECT THE FINGER LAKES NATIONAL FOREST FROM THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION’S INCREASED 25 PERCENT FOREST GRAB:
There is currently a logistical gap when it comes to milling the trees in this forest. There is a lack of quantity high value trees, and what we do have is either too big or too small for local milling operations – so the machines would have to be reset/retooled specifically.
At present there is no further logging on the books for this forest. Nothing is under contract from our local managers or from the current administration.
BRIEF HISTORY OF THE FLX NATIONAL FOREST:
The land that we call The National Forest was originally given as payment to soldiers for their participation in the Revolutionary War.
When the Great Depression hit and landholders moved to the cities, the land was sold back to the Federal Government.
The government then attempted to quickly stabilize the depleted soils - they gave the project over to the School of Conversation which became the NRCS (national resource conservation service). Unfortunately, many species that are not within their natural ranges - like Table Mountain Pine, Virginia pine, Jack Pine and others, were planted.
The forest we see today is a result of this miscalculated effort to quickly manage erosion and soil depletion.
WHAT WE CAN DO MOVING FORWARD:
Volunteer to help our forest BY COMPLETING THE INFORMATION IN THIS FORM
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd7fKpwCmQ3tNbpqUgKJwCTwtcbnwnp0jMw66DFNAOBf6P8Ug/viewform?usp=sharing
UPDATE ON THE ADMINISTRATION’S EXECUTIVE ORDER FOR INCREASED TIMBER LOGGING IN THE FINGER LAKES NATIONAL FOREST:
On April 23, an area resident spoke with a Wildlife Biologist at the Finger Lakes National Forest Ranger Station, and had the following to share:
.
As of Friday, April 18, 2025, 60 percent of the staff was let go, leaving only three staff remaining. As a result, the office is open only on Wednesdays.
ABOUT THE RECENT LOGGING ON BURNT HILL ROAD:
This project was conceptualized 10 years ago as a three-fold approach to remove out-of-range species, reduce the impact of ash bore infestation and provide wildlife habitat.
There was also a plan to replant with hardwoods and other native species, but with the staff cuts, COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED. If interested, please sign up on this volunteer form, and we will get it to the station. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd7fKpwCmQ3tNbpqUgKJwCTwtcbnwnp0jMw66DFNAOBf6P8Ug/viewform?usp=sharing
Through a stewardship program with the National Turkey Federation, this project to complete: it took 7 years to find a local company - Tree Masters out of Tompkins County- And another 3 years for project to start (which was in the fall of 2024). Any money generated from the sale will stay local for habitat work on the hill.
WHAT MIGHT PROTECT THE FINGER LAKES NATIONAL FOREST FROM THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION’S INCREASED 25 PERCENT FOREST GRAB:
There is currently a logistical gap when it comes to milling the trees in this forest. There is a lack of quantity high value trees, and what we do have is either too big or too small for local milling operations – so the machines would have to be reset/retooled specifically.
At present there is no further logging on the books for this forest. Nothing is under contract from our local managers or from the current administration.
BRIEF HISTORY OF THE FLX NATIONAL FOREST:
The land that we call The National Forest was originally given as payment to soldiers for their participation in the Revolutionary War.
When the Great Depression hit and landholders moved to the cities, the land was sold back to the Federal Government.
The government then attempted to quickly stabilize the depleted soils - they gave the project over to the School of Conversation which became the NRCS (national resource conservation service). Unfortunately, many species that are not within their natural ranges - like Table Mountain Pine, Virginia pine, Jack Pine and others, were planted.
The forest we see today is a result of this miscalculated effort to quickly manage erosion and soil depletion.
WHAT WE CAN DO MOVING FORWARD:
Volunteer to help our forest BY COMPLETING THE INFORMATION IN THIS FORM
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd7fKpwCmQ3tNbpqUgKJwCTwtcbnwnp0jMw66DFNAOBf6P8Ug/viewform?usp=sharing
VOLUNTEER TO HELP THE FINGER LAKES NATIONAL FOREST
If you are interested in volunteering, please provide the following information and we will share it with the FLX Ranger station.
Earth Day
Earth Day
Trump Seeks Increased Logging of Finger Lakes National Forest - New York Almanack
The Trump regime is planning to cut down more of the Finger Lakes National Forest to increase United States timber production by 25%.
From Bluesky
Welcome to Seneca Lake Guardian
Our Lakes Need a Good Guardian
Seneca Lake Guardian is a New York State Not-for-Profit Corporation with 501(c)(3) and is dedicated to preserving and protecting the health of the Finger Lakes, its residents and visitors, its rural community character, and its agricultural and tourist related businesses through public education, citizen participation, engagement with decision makers, and networking with like-minded organizations.