by Lynne Jackson – October 2025 Newsletter
ALBANY: On October 8, 2025, the sign for the John Wolcott Pine Bush Hikers’ Underpass was unveiled at an event organized by NYS Senator Pat Fahy’s office.
Chris Hawver, executive director of the Albany Pine Bush Preserve Commission, opened the event by welcoming everyone and noting that if it were not for Save the Pine Bush, there would be no Pine Bush left today. Then, Senator Fahy spoke passionately about John and the Pine Bush and the important work that John did. Other officials spoke, including Guilderland Town Supervisor, Peter Barber, Albany County Legislator Danielle Gillespie and representatives from County Supervisor Dan McCoy’s office and Assemblymember Gabriella Romero.
Jerry Riverstone and I spoke for Save the Pine Bush. Below is what I said.
I am so happy to be here today on behalf of Save the Pine Bush. Thank you so much, Senator Fahy, for having the sign made and for this public unveiling.
John Wolcott was one of the founders of Save the Pine Bush, attending that consequential public hearing in the middle of a snow storm on February 6, 1978. John loved the Pine Bush. He first visited at the age of 3 and never stopped advocating for its preservation.
John worked for Pine Bush preservation in many ways. He was a plaintiff on dozens of Save the Pine Bush lawsuits, he researched properties, met landowners and residents, mapped colonial roads and spoke at public hearings. And, throughout all of these important actions, John advocated for visiting the Pine Bush. He led or arranged hikes, walks, cross-country ski trips and adventures in the Pine Bush for more than 35 years.
John had a deep understanding of the Pine Bush, about its history, about the ecosystem, about its importance to our lives in general. Early on he may have been the foremost expert on these Pine Barrens, an expertise he acquired solely by his own research and observations. And because of that deep and extensive knowledge, he was continuously suggesting ideas and plans to the rest of the members of Save The Pine Bush.
When the bridge on Route 155 over the Thruway was damaged in the late 1990s, John kept telling me that we need an underpass for hikers and walkers, and it should be done during the bridge repair which had already been started. And he told me over and over again. One day, I got so fed up, I said “John, just call up the Thruway Authority!” And, he did.
John happened to have caught one of the Thruway engineers on a break during a meeting. John and this engineer wound up talking all afternoon, the engineer never going back to his meeting.
John and Save the Pine Bush volunteer, Russell Ziemba, met with the engineers. The engineers were sympathetic to an underpass, but, they said construction had started, the steel has been cut and it was just too late.
Then, one engineer said, well, maybe not! He began to work out some calculations. The meeting eventually ended, but later on, the engineer was able to figure out how to build the underpass and it was built.
We owe a big thank you to the engineers of the NYS Thruway.
There would really be no Pine Bush Preserve or Pine Bush Commission today if it had not been for John’s work. Naming the underpass after him is a wonderful way to honor his lifelong advocacy for the Pine Bush.
If John were here, he would tell me I must mention one more thing; the Pine Bush ecosystem has not been saved yet. There are still over 2000 acres of Pine Bush under threat of development. We need to carry on the work John started.
