The Peru Gazette

Paul Smiths, N.Y. , June 24, 2026 News Release – Assemblyman Michael S. Cashman (D-Plattsburgh) hosted Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie (D-Bronx) at the Paul Smith’s Adirondack Watershed Institute on Wednesday as part of the Speaker’s annual state tour. During the visit, Speaker Heastie and Assemblyman Cashman announced $1 million for the Adirondack Watershed Institute to acquire additional modernized research and water testing equipment.

“It was an honor to host Speaker Heastie in Paul Smith’s today,” Cashman said. “I am thrilled to share that the Adirondack Watershed Institute will be receiving $1 million to advance their incredible public health and safety work. The Institute does great year-round research that supports the safety of drinking water throughout the Adirondacks as well as the environment at large. The freshwater lakes and rivers of the Adirondacks are some of our most important resources, and the Institute’s work protecting these waterways is critical to protecting our communities long-term. I am proud to have been able to showcase their incredible work, and I thank the Speaker for the $1 million investment to support their acquisition of new research equipment.”

“The thousands of miles of protected lakes, rivers and waterways make the Adirondack Park truly a one-of-a-kind forest preserve in the nation,” Speaker Heastie said. “I was glad to join Assemblymember Cashman at the Adirondack Watershed Institute at Paul Smith’s College and see the incredible work they do protecting these vital natural resources in the Adirondacks through education and research.”

Paul Smith’s College Adirondack Watershed Institute Executive Director Maureen Cunningham and College President Daniel Kelting showed the pair around the Institute’s facilities alongside staff and current students conducting research there. The Adirondack Watershed Institute hires over 100 students and local residents to support their research efforts, bringing additional economic stimulation to the North Country region across all seasons.

“This investment will strengthen our ability to deliver the science, monitoring, and technical expertise that communities across the Adirondacks rely on,” Executive Director Maureen Cunningham said. “By modernizing our laboratory and research infrastructure, we can expand our capacity to address emerging water quality challenges, preserve one of the region’s most important long-term environmental datasets, and provide the information needed to protect the watersheds that support communities and ecosystems across New York.”

“We are deeply grateful to Speaker Heastie, Assemblymember Cashman, and our partners in New York State for this investment in the Paul Smith’s College Adirondack Watershed Institute,” President Daniel Kelting said. “This support will help modernize critical research infrastructure, expand our capacity to protect New York’s watersheds, and strengthen our role as a hub for environmental science and workforce development in the Adirondacks.”

The Adirondack Watershed Institute’s programs began in 1989, originally as a local water quality monitoring program deemed the Adirondack Aquatic Institute. By 2000, Paul Smith’s College had launched the Watershed Stewardship Program to address invasive species prevention efforts while simultaneously enhancing the Aquatic Institute’s invasive species management program. Later in 2002, Paul Smith’s College merged both programs into what is now the Adirondack Watershed Institute, allowing students and researchers alike hands-on opportunities to work with the natural offerings of the Adirondack region.