Many of our recent trainings and webinars are available on the commission’s YouTube channel.
* denotes session with quiz for Planning/Zoning Board of Appeals members
April 10, 2025 || “Tug Hill Winter Wildlife Webinar Series Part 4: Spring Raptor Migration Along Lake Ontario || Deana Ford, Braddock Bay Raptor Research || YouTube Video
March 12, 2025 || “Tug Hill Winter Wildlife Webinar Series Part 3: American Chestnut Research & Restoration Project” || Dakota Matthews, American Chesnut Research & Restoration Project at State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry || YouTube Video
February 18, 2025 || “Agrivoltaics: Co-Locating Solar and Agriculture” || Angie Kimball and Katie Malinowski, NYS Tug Hill Commission || Slide Deck
February 17, 2025 || “Ambulance Service in Rural NYS” || Angie Kimball and Katie Malinowski, NYS Tug Hill Commission || Slide Deck
February 17, 2025 || “Councils of Governments Model: A Unique Way to Share Services” || Angie Kimball and Katie Malinowski, NYS Tug Hill Commission || Slide Deck
February 12, 2025 || “Tug Hill Winter Wildlife Webinar Series Part 2: Bats of New York” || Lucara Aman, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation || YouTube Video || Slide Deck
January 28, 2025 || “Best Practices for Land Use, Code Enforcement, and Property Tax Assessment in Amish Communities” || In-person presentations by: George Frantz, Cornell University, Brian Tollisen, NYSDOS Division of Building Standards and Codes, and Warren Wheeler, NYS Assessors Association || Workshop Flyer, Introduction, Codes, Property Tax Assessment, and Planning and Zoning.
January 21, 2025 || “Tug Hill Winter Wildlife Webinar Series Part 1: Sea Lamprey Control in the Great Lakes” || Ted Treska, Great Lakes Fishery Commission || YouTube Video || Slide Deck
November 19, 2024 || “The Little Voices by Lee Wasmuth: Tug Hill’s Forgotten Author” || Jillian Markham O’Hara || YouTube Video || Slide Deck || “The Little Voices” transcription
April 11, 2024 || “Tug Hill Winter Wildlife Webinar Series Part 4: Brook Trout Conservation & Genetics on Tug Hill and in the Adirondacks” || Paul Miller, New York State Council of Trout Unlimited and Chris Murphy, Trout Power || YouTube Video || Slide Deck
March 26, 2024 || “Lead Service Line Inventory” || Jamie Herman, CEO of New York Rural Water Association, with Mark Roberts, Technical Assistance, and Steve Freeman, Circuit Rider and Water Technician || YouTube Video || Slide Deck
March 12, 2024 || “Tug Hill Winter Wildlife Webinar Series Part 3: Tug Hill Birds” || by Irene Mazzocchi, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (retired) and Linda Gibbs, Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust || YouTube Video
February 29, 2024 || “Red Flags for Fraud – Fraud Prevention and Detection and Prevention” || by Ingrid Otto, Office of the NYS Comptroller || Handout, Slide Deck, and Click Here for Training Videos on the OSC Website including Fraud Prevention and Detection.
February 29, 2024 || “NYSERDA’s Clean Energy Communities Round 3.0 Webinar” || Presented by the Adirondack North Country Association, NYS Tug Hill Commission, Mohawk Valley Economic Development District, and the Central NY Regional Planning and Development Board || Clean energy Communities Program, YouTube Video, Slide Deck
February 20, 2024 || “Tug Hill Winter Wildlife Webinar Series Part 2: On the Doorstep: Could American Martens Recolonize Tug Hill?” || by Paul Jensen, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation || YouTube Video
January 16, 2024 || “Tug Hill Winter Wildlife Webinar Series Part 1: Fisher” || by Tim Pyszczynski, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation || YouTube Video
December 6, 2023 || “Newly Elected Officials Training” || by Sarah Brancatella and Lori Mithen-Demasi, Association of Towns of the State of New York || YouTube Video || Slide Decks
December 4, 2023 || “Forest Carbon Workshop for Small Landowners” || YouTube Video || Healthy Forests for Our Future Slide Deck || Family Forst Carbon Program Overview
November 14, 2023 || Lake-Effect Electrification || by Dr. Scott Steiger || YouTube Video || Slide Deck Handout
October 28, 2023 || The G & W Railroad || by Charley Sweredoski and Matthew Smith || YouTube Video || Slide Deck Handout
August 23, 2023 || “Highway Departments and Town Budgets” || by Laird Petrie || YouTube Video from Adams, NY Training in May || Slide Deck Handout
July 28, 2023 || “Michi Saagiig Nishnaabeg Nation – Friends of The Black River Presentation” || by Chief Laurie Carr and Professor Chad Cowie || YouTube Video || Slide Deck Handout
May 30, 2023 || “Highway Departments and Town Budgets” || by Laird Petrie || YouTube Video || Slide Deck Handout
May 19, 2023 || “Cemetery Workshop” in partnership with the Lewis County Historical Society || YouTube Video Playlist || Presentation Slides and Handouts:
Governance, Maintenance, Conservation – Typical Cemetery Issues by Peter Hayes
Tug Hill Abandoned Cemetery Presentation by David Fleming
Cemetery Basics by Cindy Craig
Table of Consanguinity Handout
Hazardous Monument Application Handout
Historic Cemetery Preservation by Joe Ferrannini
February 28, 2023 || “Knowledge Transfer: How to make sure you know what you don’t know when you experience staffing changes” || by Khristopher Dodson and Averi Davis || YouTube Video|| Slide Deck Handout || Position Knowledge Inventory Tool
January 29, 2023 || “Snow Ridge: Through the Years” || by Nancy Grisham, Tom Smith, Nick Mir, Jerry Britton, and Bronny Davis || YouTube Video || Slide Deck Handout
November 30, 2022 || The Constable Chronicles – Part 6 || “Into the Adirondack Wilderness” || by Martha Constable Murray || YouTube Video
October 18, 2022 || “Regulating Private Speech: Sign Regulations and the First Amendment” || by Mark Cuthbertson, Cuthbertson Law || YouTube Video || Slide Deck Handout
September 17, 2022 || “A Century Gone By: Revisiting Swancott Mills” || by James Burke, Leigh Portner and Robert Sauer || Slide Deck Handout || Playlist of Music ||
July 28, 2022 || “The Castorland Journal” || by Dr. John Gallucci || YouTube Video ||Slide Deck Handout
March 10, 2022 || “50 Years in a Hunting Club on Tug Hill: Brandy Brook Sports Club” || by Jack Thoden || YouTube Video || Slide Deck Handout
December 15, 2021 || “Newly Elected Officials Workshop” || by Sarah Brancatella and Lori Mithen-Demasi || 2021 Newly Elected Overview Slides || 2021 Ethics Slides (AOTSNY) YouTube Video
December 7, 2021 || The Constable Chronicles – Part 5 || “William Constable, Spirit of the North Country” || by Martha Constable Murray || YouTube Video
November 9, 2021 || The Constable Chronicles – Part 4 || “Anna Constable: From Socialite to Suffragist” || by Andrew Reid || Slide Deck Handout || YouTube Video
November 3, 2021 || “PILOT Agreements, Valuation Issues, and Renewable Energy Projects” || by Dylan Harris || Slide Deck Handout || YouTube Video
October 28, 2021 || “Comprehensive Planning” || by Matt Johnson || Slide Deck Handout || YouTube Video || Take a Quiz to Receive a Certificate of Attendance
October 26, 2021 || “Agriculture and the Lewis County Experience” || by Joe Lawrence || Slide Deck Handout || YouTube Video
October 21, 2021 || “The Code: What Every Local Official Should Know About the Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code” || by NYS Department of State || Slide Deck Handout
October 19, 2021 || “The American Rescue Plan Act: What Your Board Needs to Know” || by Sarah Brancatella || Slide Deck Handout || YouTube Video
September 28 and October 5, 2021 || “Town Budget Workshop” || by Laird Petrie || Slide Deck Handout || Contingent Account Worksheets for Towns
September 21, 2021 || “Gould’s Logging on Moose River Plains in the Early 1900’s” || by Ernest Leigh Portner || YouTube Video
June 24, 2021 ||”A Well-Perfected Organization: The Underground Railroad in Oneida County, NY” || with Oneida County Freedom Trail Commission members Judith Wellman, Historian, and Jan DeAmicis, Mary Hayes Gordon, Deirdre Sinnott || YouTube Video
* June 23, 2021 || “Regulating Short-term Rentals” || by Charles Malcomb and Alicia Legland, of Hodgson Russ, LLP ||YouTube Video || Slide Deck Handout || Take a Quiz to Receive a Certificate of Attendance
June 16, 2021 || “Technical Solutions and Things to Consider for Broadband Expansion” || by David Wolf, Development Authority of the North Country || Slide Deck Handout || YouTube Video
June 10, 2021|| “The Underground Railroad: Routes Through the North Country” || by Jackie Madison, President, North Country Underground Railroad Historical Association || YouTube Video
June 1, 2021 || “The New Cannabis Law: Considerations for Towns and Villages” || by Wade Beltramo, New York State Conference of Mayors and Municipal Officials and Sarah Brancatella, Association of Towns of the State of New York || YouTube Video || Slide Deck Handout || Sample Opt-Out Local Law || Q&A from Webinar || MRTA Summary – April 15 2021
May 26, 2021 || “Ice and Snow Best Practices: Communication and Consensus” || by Tim Hunt, Lewis County Highway Superintendent || YouTube Video
May 20, 2021 || “The Rise and Fall of the Florence Settlement” || by Jessica Harney, Camden Central School, Charles Vandrei, NYSDEC and Matthew Kirk, Hartgen Archeological Associates || YouTube Video
May 19, 2021 || “How Can Broadband Be Delivered: The Southern Tier Network” || by Joe Starks and Andy Lukasiewicz, ECC Technologies || Handout || YouTube Video
May 12, 2021 || “Broadband: Statewide Perspective” || by Scott Rasmussen, Innovation & Broadband Empire State Development || YouTube Video
* April 29, 2021 || “Open Government Issues in Planning and Zoning Decisions” || by Mark Schachner || YouTube Video || Handout || Take a Quiz to Receive Certificate of Attendance
April 27, 2021 || “Five Steps to Jump Start Your Cybersecurity Program” || by Steven Gravel, NYS Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services || YouTube Video || Five Steps to Jump Start Your Cybersecurity Program (Presentation PDF) || Informational Posters: USB Security || Web Browser Security || Ransomware || Multi Factor Authentication || Phishing || Know Normal Activity
April 15, 2021 || “Local Regulation Enactment Procedure” || by Christopher Eastman and Patricia Burke, NYS Department of State || YouTube Video
March 25, 2021 || “A New Climate on Both Large and Small Scales” || by David Eichorn || YouTube Video
March 24, 2021 || “Letters from a Tug Hill Logger Part 3” || by Leona and Peter Chereshnoski and Jackie Hobbs|| YouTube Video
March 18, 2021 || “Ditch to Ditch: A Primer for Highways” || by Lori Mithen Demasi, Association of Towns of the State of New York || YouTube Video || Handout
March 10, 2021 || “Forest Conservation” || by Neal Bungard, USDA Forest Service and Jason Drobnack, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation || YouTube Video || USDA Forest Service Handout || NYSDEC Handout
February 25, 2021 || “Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure” || by Ron Semp, PlugIn Stations Online || YouTube Video || Handout
February 24, 2021 || “Letters from a Tug Hill Logger Part 2” || by Leona and Peter Chereshnoski, fiddle by Jackie Hobbs || YouTube Video
February 10, 2021 || “Farmland Conservation” || by Jeffrey Kehoe, NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets, Erica Goodman, American Farmland Trust and Linda Garrett, Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust || YouTube Video || PowerPoint
February 9, 2021 || “Strong Cyber Security Practices in 2021” || by Lisa Atkinson, Zelvin Security || YouTube Video
January 28, 20201 || “Right-Sizing Stream Crossings for Fish, Wildlife and Resiliency” || by Corbin Gosier, NYSDEC || YouTube Video || Handout
January 27, 2021 || “An overview of the new local government retention schedule: The New LGS-1” || by Michael Martin, NYS Archives || YouTube Video
January 25, 2021 || “Letters from a Tug Hill Logger Part 1” || by Leona and Peter Chereshnoski || YouTube Video
January 13, 2021|| “Conservation 101: Fact vs Fiction” || by Linda Garrett, Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust || YouTube Video || Handout||
December 29, 2020 || “NYS Public Employer Mandatory Emergency Planning” || by Tim Riecker, Emergency Preparedness Solutions || YouTube Video || Plan Template PDF
December 2, 2020 || The Constable Chronicles – Part 3 || “The Evolution of Constable Hall in the 1900’s” || by Martha Constable Murray || YouTube Video
October 29, 2020 || “Planning Board Basics” || by Matt Johnson and Alaina Mallette, NYS Tug Hill Commission|| YouTube Video || Handout
* October 29, 2020 || “Floodplain Regulation for Local Review Board” || by Paula Gilbert and Patricia Burke, NYS Department of State|| YouTube Video || Handout || Take a Quiz to Receive Certificate of Attendance
October 28, 2020 || The Constable Chronicles – Part 2 || “Constable Hall and Every Day Life in the 1800’s” || by Martha Constable Murray || YouTube Video
* October 27, 2020 || “Renewable Energy and Land Use” || by David B. Geurtsen, Esq. and James A. Burrows, Esq. with Conboy, McKay Bachman & Kendall, LLP || YouTube Video || Renewable Energy Powerpoint Slides || SAMPLE Decommissioning Bond || SAMPLE Road Use Agreement || SAMPLE Wind Law || Take a Quiz to Receive Certificate of Attendance
October 14, 2020 || “Remote Public Meetings and Hearings” || by Paula Gilbert, NYS Department of State, Division of Local Government Services || YouTube Video || Handouts
* October 1, 2020 || “Zoning Board of Appeals: Basics” || by David B. Geurtsen, Esq. and James A. Burrows, Esq. with Conboy, McKay Bachman & Kendall, LLP || YouTube Video || PowerPoint Presentation || Take a Quiz to Receive Certificate of Attendance
* September 29, 2020 || “Evaluating and Amending Your Zoning Law” || by Matt Johnson || YouTube Video || PowerPoint Presentation || Take a Quiz to Receive Certificate of Attendance
September 22, 2020 || The Constable Chronicles – Part 1 || “Construction, Renovation and Restoration of Constable Hall” || by Martha Constable Murray || YouTube Video
May 15, 2020 || “QGIS NY 2020: Getting Started with QGIS” || by QGIS NY 2020 Planning Committee || YouTube Video
December 4 & 5, 2019 || “Newly Elected Officials Training” || Handout || Workshop Flyer
November 2019 || Confusing Zoning Concepts Presentation || by Phil Street || Handout || YouTube Video
October 29, 2019 || “Fundamentals of Water and Wastewater for Municipalities” || Link to view and download presentations and materials
April 22, 2019 || “Subdivision, Site Plan and Special Use Permit Review Process” || YouTube Video || PowerPoint Presentation || Handouts
December 4, 2018 || “Complete Streets” || by Mark Fenton || YouTube Video || W.Carthage & Carthage Workshop PowerPoint Presentation || Lowville Workshop PowerPoint Presentation
September 24, 2018 || “Lake-effect Research at SUNY Oswego” || PowerPoint Presentation
June 5, 2018 || “Rise of Cemetery Abandonment” || WebEx Video
May 31, 2018 || “Rx for Your Zoning Law” at JCC
November 7, 2017 || “Solar Energy Seminar” at JCC
November 2017 || NYS Tug Hill Commission 2017 Annual Dinner || PowerPoint Presentation
April 2017 || “Planning and Zoning Considerations for Wind Power” at JCC: Handouts
November 2016 || “Local Capacity Building Using the Circuit Rider Approach: Planning and Justice Court Solutions” presented at the Rockefeller Institute of Government || PowerPoint Presentation
November 2016 || NYS Tug Hill Commission 2016 Annual Dinner || PowerPoint Presentation
November 14, 2016 || “Article 10” at JCC || PowerPoint Presentation || Handouts || Video || Guide to Intervenor Funding || For More Information || Article 10 and the Siting of Major Electric Generation Facilities in New York State by Paul Agresta.pdf Reprinted with permission from: Government, Law and Policy Journal, Summer 2013, Vol. 15, No.1, published by the New York State Bar Association, One Elk Street, Albany, New York 12207.
April 19, 2016 || “Comp Plans & Your Bottom Line” at JCC || PowerPoint Presentation || Handouts
November 30, 2015 || Agricultural Districts training session at JCC || Handout