"... each life given in the name of liberty is a life that has not been lost in vain." - Colin Powell

In a rural community located in Northern Central New York State, stands a 798 acre Veterans' Memorial Forest dedicated as a living tribute to World War II veterans in 1953. Forty years later, this Veterans' Memorial, a symbol of our nation's respect for individual rights and freedom, was slated to become a regional landifill by the Oneida-Herkimer Solid Waste Authority (OHSWA), a state-appointed public authority. Through the efforts of Adirondack Communities Advisory League (ACAL) and Veterans Defending Our Memorial Forest, OHSWA's plan to turn the Memorial into a landfill was thwarted. Despite strong and continuous opposition from ACAL, veterans and citizens, OHSWA was granted permission by New York State to site and construct its landfill adjacent to the Veterans' Memorial Forest.

Beginning in 1993, ACAL has worked to protect the integrity of this unique living Memorial while striving to uphold its mission to preserve and protect the environment in the Tug Hill Region.

A multitude of wetlands, forests, tributaries, streams, rivers, lakes, ponds, fish, birds, and wildlife, all indigenous to the Tug Hill Plateau, are located within the rural, scenic and historic communities that make up this unique area, best known for its excessive amounts of snow and rainfall. In striving to maintain an ecological balance in the region, ACAL's mission to preserve and protect Tug Hill invites all citizens to be good stewards of the earth by caring for its natural resources and wildlife.

Protect Our Wild Lands