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Conservation Report
April, 2014
Vice-Chair, Conservation: John Omohundro, 315-265-8365
Environmental Protection Fund - The Governor’s budget offered little for the EPF, down now to about $157M from its originally planned $250M. Even The New York Times editorialized against it as being puny for the environment. Funds are needed for stewardship of wild lands, community clean water and brownfield cleanups, and paying for the Finch-Pruyn lands needs to continue.
The governor could easily dedicate more money from his bottle return fund. Write your Albany rep to urge him or her to remedy this shortage. Online or US mail: I can help with an address if you wish.
The Stone Valley Cooperative Recreation Area Agreement, under development since June, went to public comment in January, was revised in February, and should be on the chapter website by March’s end. This has been a big project for the several property owners and trail stewards but now for the first time we have in writing a document describing what the SWCRA is, what we hope to preserve it for, and how we will work together to care for it. Highlights of the plan: the St. Lawrence Mountain Biking Assoc. (SLMBA) will take charge of biking trails; kayakers will conduct more self- regulation during releases; we review in writing possible impacts of proposed new elements like trails, whitewater access for boaters and the public; we created signage guidelines. The motorized recreationists have asked for road access through the area, but we have suggested they take this up directly with Brookfield Renewable, the property owner. Our partners group actually makes no policy, but we do make recommendations to the property owners. Another question yet to answer: is the SVCRA coterminous with all Brookfield boundaries in the area, or just the FERC boundaries?