Land at heart of debate

In May, New York state announced the completion of the largest land acquisition in more than 100 years, the Boreas Ponds tract, which was the final purchase from a 2012 agreement with the Nature Conservancy.
Should the land be designated as "wild forest" or "wilderness?" The vocabulary might not seem like a big difference, but it's at the very heart of a debate.
Innovation Trail (innovationtrail.org) is a reporting project that aims to help the public gain a better understanding about some of the big issues that upstate New York communities are facing. Our reports focus on research, development, education, funding, and policy issues in emerging fields like energy, information technology, biotech, health and education. The project continues to explore the relationship between technological breakthroughs and the revitalization of upstate New York.
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