Smart Growth Bill Passes NYS Legislature

From State Senator Carl L. Marcellino (R, Syosset) and Assemblyman Sam Hoyt (D, Buffalo) comes this announcement that the Senate and Assembly have passed the New York State's first Smart Growth legislation. This is a lot of quotes with not a lot of substance, but here it is nonetheless:

This legislation defines Smart Growth Principles for New York State government to look towards as they implement State policies and programs. State activities are often a foundation for economic and community development. These principles will ensure that the State considers it’s impact on suburban and urban sprawl. A recent survey revealed that as the population in upstate New York grew by 2.6%, the amount of land developed increased by 30%.

“This legislation is a great first step in moving our State from suburban sprawl to smart growth. We need to focus state resources on creating livable neighborhoods that protect our open spaces, and reduce the need for cars and their air pollution,” Senator Carl L. Marcellino said. “Without action, our environment and communities are threatened by shortsighted and poorly planned developments.”

"With this legislation, the State takes its first step towards reducing the taxpayer burden and refocusing development to where it costs the least,” said Assemblyman Sam Hoyt. “These smart growth principles will reinforce communities across New York State and make New York more competitive. As a smart growth champion I am proud to be the Assembly sponsor of New York's first smart growth law.”

Smart Growth Principles require the State to review public investment, economic development, conservation and restoration, intergovernmental partnerships, community livability, transportation, sustainability and consistency in future state infrastructure and development programs.

"Audubon New York applauds the leadership of Senator Carl Marcellino and Assemblyman Sam Hoyt in establishing the New York State Smart Growth Principles for State Agencies to implement sound development and planning programs," said Albert E. Caccese, Executive Director of Audubon New York the state program of the National Audubon Society. "Habitat loss resulting from uncontrolled sprawl has been a leading cause of declining bird populations in many parts of New York, and thoughtful planning of development is imperative for many species. Establishing these Smart Growth Principles is an important first step, and we look forward to working with these leaders to advance stronger policies that seek to promote smart growth in New York in the years to come"

"The Nature Conservancy commends Senator Marcellino and Assemblyman Hoyt for recognizing that conservation is not merely a matter of sequestering nature into our parks and preserves," said Kathy Moser, Acting State Director for The Nature Conservancy in New York. "But rather, effective conservation requires integrating smart growth principles into the public policy planning process in order to protect open space, conserve natural resources, preserve community character, and facilitate adaptation to climate change while still promoting the economic drivers essential to the prosperity of New Yorkers."

"The basic principles of Smart Growth are good for both the economy and the environment in the Adirondack Park," said Brian L. Houseal, Executive Director of the Adirondack Council, a not-for-profit environmental research, education and advocacy organization. "We commend Senator Marcellino and Assemblyman Hoyt for their vision and foresight in sponsoring this new law. It will encourage sound planning that promotes economic growth in places where it is most needed and where it can do the least harm to our natural resources."

"Vision Long Island applauds the Legislature for the passage of the Smart Growth Principles Bill as a first step towards the creation of a Smart Growth program," said Eric Alexander, Executive Director of Vision Long Island, a regional smart growth planning organization. “Senator Marcellino and NYS Assemblyman Sam Hoyt should be congratulated for their leadership as the principles in this legislation will help lay the groundwork for comprehensive planning and infrastructure reform. With this action and the Governor’s Smart Growth Cabinet, we have seen positive progress towards a Smart Growth agenda for New York."

“By embracing smart growth values, we will begin to develop a long-range, regional approach to sustainability of our communities. This legislation starts a process that will inspire an overdue change of philosophy as we develop our ever expanding neighborhoods,” Senator Marcellino concluded.

The bill numbers are S.8612/A.7335A - according to the bill memo:

TITLE OF BILL: An act to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to establishing the New York state smart growth principles

PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL: The purpose of this bill is to outline state smart growth principles and to direct state infrastructure agencies to implement these principles in funding future policies and programs.

SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS: This bill defines "smart growth principles" in terms of public investment, economic development, conservation and restoration, intergovernmental partnerships, community livability, transportation, sustainability, and consistency, for future state infrastructure and development programs.

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Adirondack Park End-Of-Session Bills Update

From the Adirondack Council comes this update on environmental bills making their way through the New York State legislative process as the session draws to an end. The big news is in Net Metering, and Smart Growth.

Now awaiting Governor Paterson's signature:

Smart Growth: This bill passed the Senate today. It passed in the Assembly yesterday. It requires state agencies to support the concepts of sound planning, energy conservation, open space conservation and shared services when doling out public money or supporting economic development projects. In other words, projects that create sprawl, that use too much water or energy, that intensify traffic congestion or cause pollution, would be unlikely to receive state assistance.

Net Metering: This bill passed both houses. It would allow homeowners and small business owners to sell back to their electricity suppliers any unused energy they create via the installation of solar panels or wind turbines or power systems that operate by trapping farm waste (such as methane gas from milking barns). The owner of Covewood Lodge on Big Moose Lake (western Adirondacks) asked for our assistance in pressing for the passage of this bill. C.V. Bowes said he hopes to install a solar power system at the remote resort lodge, possibly this season.

Raquette Lake Constitutional Amendment: This would allow a land swap between the owners of more than a dozen homes on the shoreline of Raquette Lake, Hamilton County (Central Adirondacks) and the State of New York. The swap would clear up a title dispute. The homes appear to have been built on the state-owned Adirondack Forest Preserve about a generation ago. Under the bill, the homeowners collectively would purchase a large parcel of land with a value equal to or greater than the one on which their homes are built, and give it to the State in exchange for the lands on which their homes stand. This bill passed the Senate and appears headed for approval in the Assembly later this week. It would have to pass again, after this November's elections, before it can be presented to the voters for a statewide referendum.

PASSED ONE HOUSE ONLY, awaiting action in the other, but likely to pass:

Old Growth Forest: This bill has passed the Senate, but is awaiting action in the Assembly. It defines old growth forest and instructs the state to protect it. New York contains more than 80 percent of all never-harvested forests east of the Mississippi River. Most, but not all, is protected within the "Forever Wild" Adirondack Forest Preserve. Since it can take 200 to 400 years for a disturbed forest to return to an old growth state, old growth forest is not considered a renewable resource. New York's old growth forest have been growing unmolested since the end of the last Ice Age, about 11,000 years ago.

Segway Scooters: A bill vetoed by Governor Spitzer in 2007 is back, with some modifications. Manufacturers of these side-by-side-wheeled scooters want the public to be able to ride them on roads, trails and sidewalks. However, this year, they agreed to exempt all state parks, including the Adirondack and Catskill Parks, from the areas where riders can use them legally. The Adirondack Council is no longer opposed to the bill. It has passed in the Senate. It is expected to pass in the Assembly later this week.

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NYS Legislative Session Green Bills Update

The New York League of Conservation Voters reported on their blog a round-up of environmental bills on the table in the final rush to the end of the legislative session on Monday, June 23.

Here are some of the highlights:

Net Metering / Alternative Energy
This may finally be the year to end one of New York’s largest barriers to alternative energy, the state’s current net metering law. Also known as “turning the meter backwards,” net metering allows residential consumers to generate power and sell the excess energy back to utilities. But the existing New York law — one of the most restrictive in the nation — doesn’t allow commercial customers to do the same. That means the enormous potential of roofs (think malls, industrial parks and office buildings) to generate solar power is going untapped. Working with a broad coalition of labor, business and environmental groups, NYLCV is advocating for legislation that would allow commercial customers to sell up to 2 megawatts (2,000 kilowatts) back into the grid and expand the list of approved technologies.

Comprehensive State Energy Plan
After New York’s power-plant siting law — known as Article X — expired on Jan. 1, 2003, the Legislature has been unable to agree on how to streamline the permitting and regulation of new plants. Right now, new plants can still be built, but the review process requires power developers to seek permits from multiple agencies and local jurisdictions — a lengthy and complicated process. With the formation of a new State Energy Planning Board by Gov. David Paterson, plus new leadership by Sen. George Mazairz (R-Newfane) and Assemblyman Kevin Cahill (D-Kingston) in the Legislature’s Energy committees, there is renewed hope for Article X. Click here to join NYLCV’s call for a comprehensive state energy plan and ensure that renewable energy plays a big role.

Brownfields Redevelopment Law Reform
The reform of the brownfields redevelopment law — which spurs the cleanup and revitalization of contaminated properties — is one of NYLCV’s top priorities. Due to flaws in the current legislation, the Brownfield Cleanup Program has yet to reach its full potential, and reform has stalled. That program, plus its accompanying tax credits, must be streamlined to allow for improved community planning through the principles of smart growth. Key members of the legislative and executive branches have indicated that brownfields reform will be a top priority for the end of the session. Click here to urge Albany to honor its word.

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APA Commissioner Dick Booth Being Reappointed

A short note from John Sheehan of the Adirondack Council:

The Senate Environmental Conservation Committee yesterday approved the Governor's nomination of Richard Booth to a four-year term on the Adirondack Park Agency's Board of Commissioners. If the nomination is approved by the Senate Finance Committee later this week or early next, the nomination would go to the full Senate for a final vote.

Booth was first appointed to the APA board by Governor Eliot Spitzer, to fill the unfinished term of Katherine Roberts, of Garrison, who stepped down before her term expired.

Booth is an environmental law professor at Cornell University. Before joining the APA board, he held elected office in the City of Ithaca and Tompkins County governments. He also spent 10 years as a trustee of the Adirondack Council, ending in 1992.

An Update from Sheehan:

Richard Booth Reappointed
The NYS Senate on Wednesday (June 18) confirmed the Governor's reappointment of Richard Booth to the Adirondack Park Agency Board of Commissioners.

Booth was first appointed to the APA board in 2007 by Governor Eliot Spitzer, to fill the unfinished term of Katherine Roberts, of Garrison, who stepped down before her term expired. Booth is a professor in the City and Regional Planning department at Cornell University. Before joining the APA board, he held elected office in the City of Ithaca and Tompkins County governments. He also spent 10 years as a trustee of the Adirondack Council, ending in 1992. Booth has served as a staff attorney for the APA and the Department of Environmental Conservation. He is considered one of New York's leading environmental lawyers.

Lani Ulrich Nomination Proceeds
The Senate Environmental Conservation Committee is expected to vote today in favor of the Governor's renomination of Park-resident APA commissioner Lani Ulrich (Herkimer County). Ulrich's nomination is expected to pass through the Finance Committee on to the full Senate later today, or on Monday. Ulrich has been a strong advocate for community development and smart growth planning in the Park. Her full name is Leilani C. Ulrich. She lives in Old Forge.

For more information on commissioners Booth or Ulrich, see the Adirondack Park Agency's annual report, on its website at www.apa.state.ny.us.

While these two reappointments allow the 11-member APA Board of Commissioners to continue its work without vacancies on the board, the APA staff is still lacking an Executive Director. A senior staff member had taken the reins following the retirement of Richard Lefebvre in 2007, but is no longer able to fulfill the duties of Acting Executive Director in addition to his other staff position.

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Blaming Hillary and Banning ATVs3 Years Ago At Adirondack Almanack

Three years ago here at Adirondack Almanack we were quizzing our neighbors about Hillary Rodham Clinton and other women of power and fearing our neighbors opposed to the DEC's draft proposal to ban ATVs on Forest Preserve lands.

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Prices Mean Adirondack Railroads' Time Has Come

The Adirondack Journal reported this week that Warren County supervisors "derailed" (pun apparently intended) a local tourist railroad development project by voting to pay a consultant for the design of two of the railroads train stations at Hadley and Thurman. Looking around the net, it's hard to pinpoint exactly what is going on, but it seems as though the county may be dragging its feet on the plan to improve the long neglected Delaware and Hudson RR tracks between Corinth in Saratoga County and North Creek, near the Gore Mountain Ski Area.

NY State Transportation Commissioner Astrid Glynn definitely is, when he announced $20 million in rail funding last week to go toward 15 projects statewide, extending the Adirondack Scenic Railroad from Saranac Lake to Tupper Lake was not on the list. In December 2006, former George Pataki had promised $5 million to make the 26 miles of track between the two villages passable.

Also last week, the North Creek News Enterprise (also owned by Adirondack Journal publisher Denton Publications) ran a story - "Depot Museum Faces Uncertain Future" - pointing out that the North Creek Depot Museum (rebuilt in 1993) is, in the words of museum President Helen Miner, in "a crisis situation." Apparently, the Depot Museum is not a part of the Upper Hudson River Railroad and does not receive a share of its ticket sales. The Depot survives on the proceeds of a contract with the Railroad to provide station services. They brought 13,000 people through the station last year, but may now close at the end of this season.

That's probably good news for Glens Falls Fifth Ward Supervisor William Kenny. Kenny was the only Warren County supervisor to vote against funding the new rail stations in Hadley and Thurman. Kenny has been a virulent opponent of the tourist line - a man who still lives in the 1960s when our political leaders allowed the nations railroads to be abandoned in favor of superhighways and bypasses like I-87 (the Northway) and Route 28 which bypasses North Creek.

The damage to local Adirondack economies has been dramatic and tragic - just look at any of the small towns, places like Warrensburg, Chestertown, Pottersville, Schroon Lake, and North Hudson, that have been driven to the economic brink when all the Route 9 traffic was routed out of town.

Scenic railroads like the Upper Hudson Railroad and the Adirondack Scenic Railroad, need the support of our political leaders, yes - but they also need to be conceived of in a new economic light. Once a trolley ran from Glens Falls to Warrensbug and connected local residents with cheap public transportation. By 1906, the Hudson Valley Railway which began operations between Glens Falls and Fort Edward, had 130 miles of track, 100 cars, 500 employees, and ran once an hour in winter and every half-hour to a quarter-hour in the summer.

Now is the time to revive the old rail beds like the Lake George-Warrensburg rail bed, which is still largely in tact, though the rails have been torn up for scrap. We need to stop turning them into bike and snowmobile trails and return them to their proper use. We need to move beyond the scenic railroad to a real light rail system that can serve us all, locals and tourists alike, and provide local employment.

When gas reaches 6, 8, and then 10 dollars a gallon, the tourists we depend on will have significant reason to take public transportation to reach their summer vacations. As gas prices rise, locals should be asking themselves why we can't hope the train to shop in Queensbury, Tupper Lake, Lake Placid, North Creek, Saratoga, or any of the other spots on the lines. Once, not that long ago, we could.

If politicians like William Kenny have their way, we never will.

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Adirondack Region Call-In With Gov Patterson

North Country Public Radio (NCPR) will be hosting a call-in special with New York Governor David Patterson tomorrow, Wednesday, at noon. The new governor will take questions at 1-877-388-6277 or by e-mail.

This is a great opportunity for letting the gov in on the concerns of North Country residents - issues of the Adirondacks and beyond.

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Ralph Nader To Speak in Glens Falls April 26th

Thanks to the folks at Adirondack Progressives, Independent Presidential Candidate Ralph Nader will return to Glens Falls on Saturday April 26, 2008 for an appearance at The Charles R. Wood Theater at 8:00 pm. Adirondack Progressives is a group of area citizens interested in fostering local dialog on today's most important issues.

The local Glens Falls Post Star relegated Nader (who is a Presidential Candidate after all!) to page B7 on Saturday. You can read Matt "Two Political Parties = One Massive Corporation" Funiciello's take on their efforts to diminish Nader's candidacy at his blog (there's more Ralph Nader stuff there too). Brian over at MoFYC also writes a lot about Ralph from a local and regional perspective. There is more on the flip -



From the press release:

Nader is expected to speak about his campaign for the presidency, media reform, the Iraq War, the threat of corporate power and its dangerous convergence with government, and the role of third parties and citizen activism in the political process. There will be a question and answer period at the theater, time allowing.

Prior to Nader's appearance will be the local premiere of "Awake From Your Slumber", a short film created by members of the Hudson Mohawk Independent Media Center. "Awake" is comprised of three basic elements; a speech given by Nader when he visited Albany in 2005 on the Democracy Rising tour, the music and words of punk-poet Patti Smith (accompanied by local musician, Michael Eck) and footage of the human costs of the U.S. occupation of Iraq.

Copies of the film will be sold in the lobby to benefit the Sanctuary for Independent Media. Tickets are on sale now at Rock Hill Cafe (19 Exchange St Glens Falls). The suggested donation is $25. A free loaf of Rock Hill bread will be provided to every ticket holder and refreshments will be served "pay what you wish" with all proceeds going to the Sanctuary for Independent Media's capital fund to aid them in re-opening their doors in Troy.

There will be a vegetarian dinner fund raiser with 100% of the proceeds going to Nader's campaign at Rock Hill Cafe prior to the theater event. The suggested donation is $250 per person though scholarships will be made available to those for whom this may be a hardship. Those interested should contact Matt Funiciello at (518) 361-6278.

Ralph Nader is one of America's most effective social critics. His 2008 presidential bid marks his third official run for the office, his second as an Independent. In 2000, he ran as the candidate of the Green Party (America's third largest and fastest growing political party) and he also ran an independent race in 2004. For over forty years his documented criticism of government and industry has had a widespread effect on public awareness and bureaucratic power and has inspired a whole new population of consumer advocates and citizen activists.

Nader first made headlines in 1965 with his book Unsafe at Any Speed, a scathing indictment of the auto industry for producing unsafe vehicles that led to congressional hearings and a series of automobile safety laws passed in 1966. Since then Nader has been responsible for at least eight major federal consumer protection laws such as the motor vehicle safety laws and the Safe Drinking Water Act and the launching of federal regulatory agencies such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Environment Protection Agency (EPA), and Consumer Product Safety Administration, and the Freedom of Information Act of 1974.

Nader also helped establish the PIRGs (Public Interest Research Groups), student-funded and controlled organizations that function on college campuses in 23 states. Their impact alone has been tremendous. The groups have published hundreds of ground-breaking reports and guides, lobbied for laws in their state legislatures, and called the media's attention to environmental and energy problems. The largest of the Nader organizations is Public Citizen, founded in 1971 and with a current nationwide membership over 100,000.

Previously on the Almanack

Stories About Ralph Nader
Stories About Adirondack Progressives

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Pending Adirondack Related State Budget Items

Here is an e-mail recently received from the Adirondack Council's John Sheehan outlining the pending Adirondacks related budget deals. According to Sheehan, this is the "Environmental Conservation budget plan agreed to by Legislative leaders, which is in the process of being passed by both houses. The Governor is expected to sign the bills." At least some time soon, the budget is now a week late.

The big news for us is that it looks like the the money is available to finish the (Pataki initiated) Domtar land purchase, the Lake George West Brook money didn't make it, but money to study the impacts of road salt did.

The Almanack reported in January Spitzer's budget proposals relating to the Adirondacks.

Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC)
Not part of the EPF, which is detailed below; DEC budget allows for the hiring of four new staff, three in the invasive species unit, for a total cost of roughly $400,000. This will help the DEC establish additional control plans and assist local efforts by coordinating information on effective, non-toxic control methods.



APPROVED

Environmental Protection Fund
(Source: Dedicated funding from Real Estate Transfer Tax; created in 1993 as a pay-as-you-go capital projects fund for large, one-time investments in park lands and conservation agreements with landowners, for landfill closure and for municipal recycling facilities.)

The total fund will be $255 million, or about $5 million higher than the budget proposed by Gov. Eliot Spitzer. Of that, about $66.5 million is dedicated to open space/park land acquisition statewide. That will be enough to complete the Domtar Industries conservation easement deal in the northeastern Adirondacks this year.

The Domtar deal was announced by Gov. George Pataki nearly 4 years ago, but the state needed to complete its appraisals and negotiate the details of the state's purchase of development rights and recreational rights. Most of Domtar's 105,000 acres of forest land was in Clinton and Franklin counties. Domtar sold both the land and the conservation easement on it before retreating to Canada, where its mills are located. Domtar makes plywood and paper. Lyme Timber bought the land and timber rights, while the state agreed to buy the development rights and most of the recreational rights. A small portion of the Domtar holdings will be bought by the state for addition to the Forest Preserve. Those lands provide access to water bodies and other Forest Preserve parcels. The total cost of the deal is expected to be somewhere near $21 million.

Smart Growth
Funding for grants to communities that want to plan for sustainable, environmentally friendly economic development projects: total funding up $500,000 from last year's total of $2 million. Last year, NYS DEC dedicated half of this fund ($1 million) exclusively to the Adirondack Park. The funds will now be administered by the Department of State. We will encourage DOS to do the same again this year.

Invasive Species Protection
The funding for invasive plant and animal control remained the same as last year, at $5 million. We and other environmental organizations want to make this a $10 million-per-year line item. Gov. Eliot Spitzer had proposed cutting the fund to $4 million.

Water Quality Programs Managed by DEC
Increased in funding from $10 million to $12 million. DEC decides what qualifies for funding.

Agricultural Recycling Program
A new line in the EPF, sets aside $350,000 to create a new recycling program that removes used plastic hayroll covers from farms for free to discourage farmers from burning them or burying them on productive agricultural lands.


REJECTED

Masten House
Gov. Spitzer had proposed spending $125,000 to convert the remote, former corporate-owned cottage on NL Industries land in Newcomb to a research station for the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse. This item was rejected in negotiations with the Legislature.

West Brook Protection
Sen. Elizabeth Little, R-Queensbury, had requested $1 million to assist the town and village of Lake George, along with three local advocacy groups, in their efforts to create an artificial wetland at the south end of lake George, where West Brook enters the lake. Stormwater runoff caused by road construction and residential and commercial development is polluting the West Brook, and which flows into the lake near Million Dollar Beach. This item was rejected in negotiations with the Legislature.


OTHER NON-EPF ITEMS

Road Salt
Sen. Elizabeth Little, R-Queensbury, asked for and received a $200,000 line in the Environment budget to fund a road salt study. Runoff of road salt and sand are causing water pollution near the Adirondack Northway and other major roads. Lake George is suffering from both salt contamination and the creation of deltas where streams meet the lake.

Adirondack Park Agency
Budget remains largely the same as last year; no change from the Spitzer proposal. This itself is a victory, given that most or all other state agencies are subject to an across-the-board spending cut ordered by Governor Paterson. It doesn't apply to the APA, the state's smallest agency.

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State of the State: Adirondack Report

The full text of Eliot Spitzer's State of the State Address is here. An e-mail today from John Sheehan (Communications Director for the The Adirondack Council) outlined the "three major environmental initiatives" Spitzer announced:

1. A $100 million investment in state park infrastructure including buildings and wastewater treatment/sanitary facilities, as well as an effort to make existing and new buildings accessible to people with disabilities. Many state campgrounds and park buildings are causing water pollution in nearby lakes and rivers due to aging and inadequate facilities. The Adirondack Park has about a dozen state-run campgrounds.

2. Smart Metering: This would change the way power companies bill their customers to allow consumers to take advantage of off-peak power rates when running power-hungry appliances such as dishwashers, laundry machines, irrigation pumps, etc.

3. Net Metering: This would allow power customers to reduce or eliminate their power bills by installing clean power generating equipment (solar panels, small wind turbines, etc.). Power companies would be required to buy back any excess power generated by these private, home- and business-based systems. Several owners of large Adirondack great camps and resort compounds have said they want the ability to control their costs, reduce power outages and help pay for the investment in renewable energy by selling the extra power back to the power company.

I have copies of pdfs that explain each if anyone is interested.

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Election 2007: Adirondack Style

November 2007 Adirondack Region Election Races and Questions:

A nice overview of the regions elections from North Country Public Radio

Clinton, Essex, and Franklin county races and returns via the Plattsburgh Press Republican.

Washington, Warren, and Saratoga county returns via Capital News 9

St. Lawrence County Election Results via the Board of Elections.
Polling Places:

Warren, Washington, Saratoga, Essex, Hamilton counties via GF Post Star.

Clinton, Franklin, and Essex County via Plattsburgh Press Republican.

Danger Democrat has picks for Jefferson County.

Adirondack Musing has the best details and links about today's referendum:

Residents of Raquette Lake want to trade 12 acres of forest for 1 acre of state-owned "forever wild" land where they will build their badly needed village water supply. This proposal has the support of the Adirondack Daily Enterprise as well as the NY Times. I doubt that many residents of the Adirondacks have much problem with voting yes as well. Even the environmentalist should be happy because NY State will gain an extra 11 acres of park property.

So voters of NY State please vote YES on Tuesday Nov. 6th, to give Raquette Lake residents a clean water supply.

Brian concurs and adds an important piece of commentary on our election process -
How to increase voter turnout? More choices!

Here is a further round-up of some of the best regional political blogs (with election picks):

Danger Democrat
Upstate Blue

All of Adirondack Almanack's Political posts are here.

They include the Working Families Party's local endorsements.

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Adirondack Park Agency Nominations Update

From the Adirondack Council's John Sheehan, an update on last night's APA confirmations.

At 11:20 p.m. last night, the NYS Senate confirmed the nominations of three commissioners to the Adirondack Park Agency's 11-member board of commissioners. The confirmations fill the existing vacancies, including the position of chairman.

Curt Stiles, Tupper Lake, was appointed chairman of the Adirondack Park Agency. Stiles is currently president of the Upper Saranac Lake Foundation, which recently hired the first Waterkeeper to guard an interior Adirondack water body. Lake George and Lake Champlain are the only other Adirondack lakes with Waterkeepers. The foundation has been active in protecting water quality, while fighting pollution and invasive plant species.

Curt is also vice chairman of the Adirondack Council Board of Directors, although stepped down from that role upon his confirmation as APA Chairman by the Senate. He joined the Adirondack Council's board in 2005. Stiles is also on the board of the Trudeau Institute, a medical research facility in Saranac Lake. He is a past board member of the Adirondack Medical Center (Saranac Lake) and Paul Smith's College. His a former member of the Harrietstown Planning Board, so he has some local government experience and is familiar with the task of reviewing land-use plans, a chief duty of the APA. He is a retired senior executive with Xerox.

He replaces acting chairman Cecil Wray, Manhattan, who had stepped into that role following the resignation of chairman Ross Whaley in September. Wray was a member of the Adirondack Council board of directors until his appointment to the APA by Governor Pataki more than a decade ago. He is an attorney.

Richard Booth, Ithaca, was appointed commissioner to hold one of three seats reserved for non-Park residents. Booth is a Plattsburgh native. He has experience in both Ithaca City government and the Tompkins County Legislature. More importantly, he is an environmental law professor at Cornell University and one of the most respected environmental legal experts in the nation. Booth served on the Adirondack Council board of directors from 1982 through 1992. He was initially nominated as chairman by Governor Spitzer, but a handful of local government officials and state Legislators complained that he was not a Park resident. Spitzer withdrew Booth's name as a chairman nomination, but resubmitted him as a regular commissioner on the APA board.

Frank Mezzano, Lake Pleasant, was reappointed to a four-year term. His current term ran out earlier this year. Frank joined the board early in the Pataki Administration over the objections of the Adirondack Council and other environmental groups, who objected to the fact that Mezzano was a sitting local government official. The groups argued that as Town Supervisor and a member of the Hamilton County Board of Supervisors, Mezzano was being put in a position of conflicting interests. How, we asked, could he impartially judge the merits of development projects that might affect the finances of the community for which he is chief financial officer? This conflict still exists. Mezzano left the board briefly at the end of his third term, then came back to take the remaining term of another local representative who had left before her term had expired (Deanne Rehm of Bolton, Warren County).

The APA Board of Commissioners has 11 members. Five must be full time Park residents, while three seats are reserve for non-Park residents. The remaining three belong to the commissioners of Environmental Conservation and Economic Development and to the Secretary of State. No more than five of the eight citizen members may be from the same political party.

The APA's staff still lacks an Executive Director, following the retirement of Richard Lefebvre of Caroga Lake, Fulton County, this summer.

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Bud York Defeats Larry Cleveland, Val Keehn Beats Gordon Boyd

Primary election returns reported by Capital News 9 show that Nathan H. "Bud" York has defeated incumbent (and Glens Falls Post Star favorite) Larry Cleveland in the Warren County Sheriff Republican and Independence Party primaries. Since Cleveland will no longer be on the ballot in November as the candidate for either party it looks like Bud York will be the next Warren County Sheriff.

In Saratoga Springs Progressive Democrat Valerie Keehn has apparently fended off a primary challenge from conservative Gordon Boyd despite heavy and nearly relentless attacks from right-wing Saratoga area blogs and the conservative Saratogian. Keehen will no doubt still have a tough battle ahead against a Republican challenger in November.

Local primary results can be found here:

Warren, Washington, and Saratoga Counties (Capital News 9)
Adirondack Daily Enterprise
Plattsburgh Press Republican
Glens Falls Post Star

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Working Families Party Makes North Country Endorsements

New York's Working Families Party has been posting its endorsements throughout the state this past week. Here are the endorsements from the North Country Chapter which includes Jefferson, St. Lawrence, Franklin, Clinton, Essex and Hamilton counties.

To get involved with WFP in the Adirodack region contact Alex Rabb at 718-222-3796 or by e-mail at arabb AT votewfp DOT org

* City of Plattsburgh Council Member Ward 1
Timothy R. Carpenter

* City of Plattsburgh Council Member Ward 2
Mike Kelly

* City of Plattsburgh Council Member Ward 6
Chris Jackson

* County of Clinton County Legislator District 5
Keith Marvin Defayette

* County of Clinton County Legislator District 9
John William Gallagher

* County of Clinton Treasurer
Kimberly Kleist

* County of Jefferson County Legislator District 11
Doris C. McLallen

* County of Jefferson County Legislator District 3
Dean T. Morrow

* County of Jefferson County Legislator District 5
Cindy McNultry Ross

* County of St. Lawrence Sheriff
Gus Burns

* Town of Beekmantown Council Member
Sharron Garden

* Town of Beekmantown Highway Superintendent
Samuel R. Dyer

* Town of Chazy Council Member
Christopher W Latremore

* Town of Macomb Town Justice
Lafayette Young Jr.

* Town of Madrid Board Member
Bill Tyndall

* Town of Massena Council Member
John Martin Wicke

* Town of Morristown Board Member
Christopher B. T. Coffin

* Town of Plattsburgh Clerk
Amy Lynn Duquette

* Town of Plattsburgh Council Member
Tom Wood

* Town of Plattsburgh Supervisor
Bernard Charles Bassett

* Town of Plattsburgh Town Justice
Randa Buompensiero-Filion

* Town of Rutland Supervisor
Ronald H. Cole

* Town of Saranac Supervisor
Joe Gerardi

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2007 NY Legislative Results: Adirondack Edition

John Sheehan, of The Adirondack Council sent a set of e-mails outlining bills in the final days of the the State Legislature's 2007 session that will have an impact on the Adirondacks. We'll reprint part of his e-mails here for your information:

Raquette Lake Water Supply: On Wednesday June 20, at about 9:30 pm, the Assembly granted final passage to a Constitutional Amendment to allow the hamlet of Raquette Lake to construct its drinking water supply system on the "Forever Wild" Forest Preserve. Construction (aside from trailside lean-tos and ranger cabins) is currently banned on the Forest Preserve. This bill would give permission only to Raquette Lake, and requires the Town of Long Lake, in which the hamlet is located, to swap a similar tract of land to the state to make up for the lost acreage. The bill passed both houses in 2006 and now will be on the November 2007 statewide ballot. It does not require the Governor’s signature. The bill was sponsored by Sen. Elizabeth Little, R-Queensbury, and Assem. Robert Sweeney, D-Lindenhurst, the Assembly EnCon chairman.

Route 56 Power Line Construction: The New York Power Authority is seeking permission from the public to construct a power supply line from Stark Falls Reservoir power dam in Colton, St. Lawrence County, to Tupper Lake, Franklin County, where power outages have been severe and frequent. NYPA has agreed to build the line along the side of Route 56, crossing an area of Forest Preserve, rather than detouring the line through an environmentally sensitive area containing endangered species, wetlands and an ancient white pine forest. In this case, the private lands around the Forest Preserve are wilder and in greater need of protection that the area of Forest Preserve adjacent to the state highway.

The Route 56 constitutional amendment passed the legislature last year, but had to be retracted due to errors in the first version. The Assembly's approval late last night now represents first passage of a new amendment, so it must be passed again by a separately elected legislature before it can go on the ballot. The soonest that can happen is January 2009. Given the need to construct the line as soon as possible, environmental organizations have agreed not to try to prevent NYPA from building the power line without the benefit of official permission, explaining that the alternate route would cause needless ecological degradation to remote, pristine areas. A new power line right-of-way would only add to the threat of all-terrain vehicle trespass into those areas and adjacent Forest Preserve.The bill is sponsored by Senator Little and Assemblyman Sweeney.

Fire Fighting Costs: Also late night on June 20th, the Assembly granted final passage to a bill repealing the requirement that the 12 Adirondack Park counties and 3 Catskill Park counties repay the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation for the assistance of state forest rangers in fighting forest fires on state lands in the two wilderness parks. This arcane fee had so outraged local officials that DEC had been reluctant in recent years to even bill them. The fee was a thorn in the side of the late Sen. Ronald Stafford, who sponsored similar legislation to repeal it, but was stopped short by the Assembly's objections. The bill is sponsored by Senator Little and Assem. Darrel Aubertine, D-Cape Vincent. The 12 Adirondack Forest Preserve counties are Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer, Lewis, Oneida, St. Lawrence, Saratoga, Warren and Washington. The three Catskill Forest Preserve counties are Greene, Sullivan and Ulster.

Environmental Protection Fund Expander: A bill sponsored by both Houses' EnCon Chairmen, Sen. Carl Marcellino, R-Syosset, and Assemblyman Sweeney. It would increase the Environmental Protection Fund from its current level of $150 million per year to $300 million by FY2009-10. The EPF's main capital projects funds are for landfill closure and recycling grants, parks and historic preservation and open space. This bill has passed the Assembly and is awaiting action in the Senate Rules Committee. Under this bill, the funds available for open space should increase from the current $50 million annually to about $100 million.

Lake Colby Horsepower Limit: This bill would limit the size of boat motors on Lake Colby, near Saranac Lake, to 10 HP. The lakeshore owners requested this for their own peace and to preserve a colony of nesting loons. It has passed the Senate and is awaiting action in the Assembly Rules Comte. It is sponsored by Sen. Little and Assem. Janet DuPrey, R-Plattsburgh.

NYS Invasive Species Council: A bill creating one has passed the Senate and awaits action in Assembly Rules. Sweeney/Marcellino.

Climate Change Task Force: A bill creating one is out of committee and awaiting action in each house; ready to pass when taken up. Marcellino/Sweeney.

Mileage and CO2: A bill would require carbon dioxide emissions information to be posted on the same sticker as mileage ratings for cars sold in New York State. Sweeney/Marcellino.

NCPR has a full report on what was left undone by our increasingly disfunctional legislature, including the Senates failure to confirm Spitzer's choices to head the Adirondack Park Agency, the Olympic Regional Development Authority Board of Directors, and the Upstate Economic Development Corporation.

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Ralph Nader in Glens Falls This Friday, May 25

Former presidential candidate and progressive activist Ralph Nader will return to Glens Falls on Friday, May 25, 2007 for a variety of events including an appearance at a Glens Falls High School, a local premiere of the documentary “An Unreasonable Man,” and a book signing at Red Fox Books. Ralph Nader’s visit is sponsored by Adirondack Progressives, a group of local people interested in fostering a local dialogue on today’s most important issues.

The day’s events will begin at Glens Falls High School where Nader will speak to students and participate in a student forum from 1 to 2:15 pm. Issues to be discussed could include the Iraq War, the growing imperialist threat of multinational corporations, the dangerous convergence of corporate and government power, and the role of third parties and citizen activism in the political process.

At 1 pm the documentary film “An Unreasonable Man,” a Sundance Film Festival Official Selection, will premiere locally at Aimie's Dinner & Movie (190 Glen Street, Glens Falls). The film traces the life and career of Ralph Nader, one of the most unique, important, and controversial political figures of the past half century from his public emergence as nemesis of General Motors in 1966, through his leadership of the Consumer Movement, to his latest controversial forays into electoral politics. Following the film, Nader and filmmaker Henriette Mantel will be on hand to discuss the film and take questions from the audience. Tickets are on sale at Rock Hill Cafe (19 Exchange St Glens Falls) and High Peaks Java (153 Maple Street, Glens Falls) for $75 each. The price includes a signed copy of Nader’s latest book, The Seventeen Traditions.

At 3 pm, Ralph Nader will sign copies of his latest book, The Seventeen Traditions at Red Fox Book Store (28 Ridge Street, Glens Falls). The book looks back to the earliest days of Nader’s own life to his serene and enriching childhood in bucolic Winsted, Connecticut. From listening to learning, from patriotism to argument, from work to simple enjoyment, Nader revisits seventeen key traditions he absorbed from his parents, his siblings, and the people in his community, and draws from them inspiring lessons for today's society. Warmly human, rich with sensory memories and lasting wisdom, it offers a kind of modern-day parable of how we grow from children into responsible adults—a reminder of a time when nature and community were central to the way we all learned and lived.

Ralph Nader is one of America's most effective social critics. He has run for the office of US President twice, as the candidate of the Green Party in 2000 (America’s third largest and fastest growing political party), and as an Independent in 2004. For forty years his documented criticism of government and industry has had a widespread effect on public awareness and bureaucratic power and has inspired a whole population of consumer advocates and citizen activists.

Nader first made headlines in 1965 with his book Unsafe at Any Speed, a scathing indictment of the auto industry for producing unsafe vehicles that led to congressional hearings and a series of automobile safety laws passed in 1966. Since then Nader has been responsible for at least eight major federal consumer protection laws such as the motor vehicle safety laws and the Safe Drinking Water Act and the launching of federal regulatory agencies such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Environment Protection Agency (EPA), and Consumer Product Safety Administration, and the Freedom of Information Act of 1974.

Nader also helped establish the PIRGs (Public Interest Research Groups) the student-funded and controlled organizations that function on college campuses in 23 states. Their impact alone has been tremendous. The groups have published hundreds of ground-breaking reports and guides, lobbied for laws in their state legislatures, and called the media's attention to environmental and energy problems. The largest of the Nader organizations is Public Citizen, founded in 1971 and with a current nationwide membership over 100,000.

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New Warren County League of Women Voters

Tonight a group of interested locals will officially kick-off the "new" Warren County League of Women Voters. The meeting will be an opportunity to define the local chapter's interests and consider which of the many LWV programs to pursue first. Matt Funicello, a founding member of Adirondack Progressives, was instrumental in the getting the local LWV ball rolling again. Here's is what they are all about according to their website:

The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan political organization, has fought since 1920 to improve our systems of government and impact public policies through citizen education and advocacy. The League's enduring vitality and resonance comes from its unique decentralized structure. The League is a grassroots organization, working at the national, state and local levels.

There are Leagues in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Hong Kong, in addition to the hundreds of local Leagues nationwide. The League of Women Voters of the United States and the League of Women Voters Education Fund operate at the national level with grassroots support from state and local Leagues.

The League of Women Voters is strictly nonpartisan; it neither supports nor opposes candidates for office at any level of government. At the same time, the League is wholeheartedly political and works to influence policy through advocacy. It is the original grassroots citizen network, directed by the consensus of its members nationwide. The 900 state and local Leagues – comprising a vast grassroots lobby corps that can be mobilized when necessary.

Over time, the League’s legislative priorities change to reflect the needs of society and critical issues of concern. The organization remains true to its basic purpose: to make democracy work for all citizens. The League of Women Voters makes a difference in the lives of citizens because of the energy and passion of thousands of members committed to our principles.

The revived League of Women Voters first meeting will be at 7pm, at Rock Hill Bakehouse Cafe in Glens Falls.

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Local Peace Activists Arrested Hillary Clinton's Office

Although not a single mainstream media outlet covered the groundbreaking event, four local folks from the Saratoga Peace Alliance were arrested Monday after occupying New York Senator Hillary Clinton's office at the Federal Building in Albany New York to protest Clinton's continued support for the Iraq War.

At 3 pm, sixteen members representing various area peace groups met (for a third time since last fall) with Tracey Brooks, Clinton's regional Political Director. This was the third time they had met with Brooks since last fall. Several weeks ago local citizens had asked that Clinton vote against the appropriations bill to fund the Iraq War and vote to de-fund the war more generally. Clinton refused and vowed to continue to fund the war.

After the initial meeting in a conference room ended, five local people entered Clinton's office, handed out copies of non-violence guidelines, and began to explain to Brooks why they could not accept Clinton's continued voting to fund the war. They then began ringing a bell and reading names of children and soldiers who have died in the war.

Shortly after five pm, four from the group (Elliot Adams, the Green Party's Pete Looker, Linda Letendre, and Jeffrey Halpern) were arrested by federal police. Their court date will be April 10th.

According to Clinton's office, no group had ever attempted to occupy any of Senator Clinton's New York offices.

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Adirondack Northway Cell Phone Controversy

When two men died on the Northway in late January and early February, right-wingers, downstaters, and anti-environmentalists offensively used their deaths to go on the attack. Never mind these unfortunate folks were traveling through isolated mountain passes in what was certainly the worst weather of the season, and in one case, the worst ice storm in at least several years - the wing-nuts raised their collective cane in disgust over those of us who they said cared more about the environment than people.

"But it should not have come to this. This could have been prevented," our State Senator Betty Little (R-Queensbury) said. She failed to mention that she was one of those at the top of the list who could have prevented it. Little and our Assemblywoman Teresa Sayward (R-Willsboro) failed to act decisively to force cell-phone companies to provide adequate cell-coverage, and more importantly, they spent more than four years pretending that having a cell phone on the Northway was a substitute for common sense in considering driving conditions before you set out to cross the largest wilderness in the east.

"You mean we can talk to people on the moon, but we can't talk to people on Interstate 87?" Abraham Isaac, a Jewish community activist said. His Voz Iz Neias blog has become a center for New York City / New Jersey folks who just can't seem to understand that the world is not made of high-rises, strip-malls, and unlimited cell service. Maybe they've spent too much time talking to people on the moon.

Assemblyman an opportunist Roy McDonald met with people at, get this, the Wilton Mall food court to call the lack of cell service "geographic discrimination" and to say that "people's live should come first" - "There’s a substantial part and areas throughout New York that don't have service, and I don't want the upstate area to turn into a third world country," he said. Gee Mr. McDonald, ever meet any of the rural poor in our area? Ever consider that South Korea has better broadband penetration than the Untied States?

Senator Martin J. Golden (R-Brooklyn) said "Shame on those that would get in the way of human life, to lose a life for something as simple as not having a cell phone tower ... is very telling about priorities." Now that's someone with priorities. Forget war, lack of health care or living wages, failure to fund education to such an extent that the courts had to force the state to act, a state legislature that is a laughing stock of the nation and about as un-democratic as it gets - no, the real priorities are cell service. Now that's telling about priorities, namely Mr. Golden's re-election prospects.

The Adirondack Daily Enterprise said we were being kept in a "dark ages" by "absolute lunacy." Blog writer Shlomah Shamos exclaimed the following outright lie "The untimely deaths of two beloved family men are on the conscience of the Adirondack Park Agency, who has been ignoring this issue and blocking all efforts" and asked "how many people have to die due to the lack of cell service on the Northway?" We'll guess that many more will die on the Northway with cell service or without and Shlomah probably won't give a single sentence to their deaths.

A guy from Jersey calling himself ironically, Right, Wing Nut! made the following assumptions, apparently out of ignorance of the facts (surprise, surprise):

LET 'em die - just don't mess with our perfect view. That's the message from New York environmentalists who've prevented the construction of cell-phone towers along Interstate 87 in the Adirondacks.

They like to call themselves "progressives", but the enviorn"mental"ists are hell-bent on sending society careening backwards. Cutting off humanity from help so that a view may be perfectly preserved? Perfectly logical to the Greenies; and the deaths that result from their actions are consequences that they feel are worth the cost. I wonder if anyone has asked the survivors of the deceased their opinions...

And in the meanwhile, the Killer Greens have their way in the Adirondacks, and while folks die all around them, they pat themselves on the back...can't wait until they can foist their policies upon the rest of us!

Ahhhh... sure... we're not sure how the quality of life in Old Bridge, NJ is treating the Jersey Wing Nut, but we're pretty sure the vast majority of folks here in our region would laugh at the thought of living there and our environment is the reason, not their cell phone coverage.

Anyway, here are some things to consider:

The Adirondack Park Agency already approved 32 - count 'em - thirty-two towers along the Northway. Even though they make a mint on out-of-service-area calls, the cell phone companies couldn't make ENOUGH profit to install the towers.

Economic disparity makes owning a cell phone in Adirondack counties a lot less likely, even if service was available. The cell tower solution leaves the working poor, the elderly, and others who likely don't have cell phones out of luck. They rely on common sense and avoid making trips across mountain passes during blizzards and ice storms.

Complete cell-phone coverage in the Adirondacks is a pipe-dream, unless there are towers on nearly every mountain in the region. Anyone who lives in the mountains, or even in the hilly suburbs knows they lose service all the time, no matter how close the nearest tower is.

Dependence on cell-phones in the case of emergency is downright stupid. Survival in the wilderness in the depths of winter is not dependent on the battery in your cell-phone or the nearest tower, it depends on your emergency preparation and winter survival skills - a $2 emergency blanket in the glove box might have saved the life of the first stranded motorist. The second died of a heart-attack while tromping through three foot snows.

If lower income people in our region can't afford their own cell-phone service why should they be required to subsidize the cell service of downstaters? In Saratoga County, there was the plan to spend $12 to $15 million to improve cell service. The first call from Little and Sayward was to demand the state step in and foot the bill. If they were concerned about saving lives (especially of locals), they would fund helicopter rescue services, signs for thin ice, free health screenings, additional health centers, and a thousand other things people in the mountains need. $10 million would save a lot more lives (lost to heart attacks and broken bones) if it were spent on shoveling old folks' homes out during storms.

Lake George Fire Chief Bruce Kilburn got it right when he said, "Some good preparedness and some prevention can alleviate and prevent a lot." He suggested:

Having an emergency kit in your car.
Wearing warm clothes in winter in case you break down.
Carrying extra clothes or extra blankets.
Keeping emergency flares in your car.
Carrying an air horn in car.

He forgot to add: don't cross mountain passes in the depths of a blizzard or ice storm unless you are prepared for the worst.

If there is anyone to blame for these terrible tragedies it's the cell companies who just couldn't make enough money - the proof is in the fact that those companies, Verizon, Sprint-Nextel, AT&T and T-Mobil among them, have now (according to Sayward) "committed to engineering [a] plan for the Adirondacks for us." Unfortunately, Sayward still doesn't get it, she added "so if we can gather the information, [sic] see if we can get this done over time."

You keep working on it Theresa, but the next time someone dies on I-87 - take a few minutes to think about why you didn't demand the cell companies install those long-approved towers. In the meantime, we'll accept the message of Saranac Lake resident Mark Wilson, who said this week, "Life within the blue line is not easy, and it's not meant to be easy sometimes."