The Adirondack Park Agency (APA) will hold its regularly scheduled monthly meeting at its Headquarters in Ray Brook on Thursday, August 8 and Friday August 9, 2013. At the top of its agenda will be deliberations on the classification of newly acquired state lands. These new Forest Preserve lands are located in the Towns of Minerva and Newcomb, in Essex County, and Indian Lake, Hamilton County, including the Essex Chain Lakes, Indian River and OK Slip Falls parcels. The meeting will be webcast live (streaming details and the full agenda are below).

The APA will also welcome two new Board members. In June, the New York State Senate confirmed Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s nominations of Karen Feldman and Daniel Wilt. The Senate also re-confirmed the Governor’s nomination of Leilani Crafts Ulrich to serve as Chairwoman of the Adirondack Park Agency. Leilani Crafts Ulrich was the first woman to serve as Chair of the Adirondack Park Agency when Governor Cuomo nominated her for this distinction in November 2011.

Leilani Crafts Ulrich was first appointed to the APA Board in 2004. She chaired the Regulatory Programs and Park Ecology committees before being nominated as Chairwoman of the Adirondack Park Agency by Governor Cuomo in November of 2011. In 2006, Ms. Ulrich co-founded the Adirondack Common Ground Alliance (CGA). The Alliance convenes diverse groups from across the Adirondacks each summer and first published the “Blue Print for the Blueline.”

Karen Feldman is an attorney with 30 years of legal experience in corporate, real estate, entertainment and sports matters. She provides legal, financial, and business consulting services to small entrepreneurial companies. Ms. Feldman serves on the Board of Directors of the New York State Humane Society. She is a volunteer ski and golf instructor for the Wounded Warrior Project’s Adaptive Sports Foundation. Ms. Feldman is also a member of the Adirondack Landowners Association. She resides in Columbia County and enjoys spending time at her Adirondack camps in Essex and Hamilton County.

Since 1980, Daniel Wilt has operated Wilt Industries, Inc. in the village of Lake Pleasant, Hamilton County. Wilt Industries manufactures state of the art equipment for the Semiconductor, Glass, Fiber Optics, Scientific Glassblowing, Chemistry, Environmental and Ceramic industries. Presently, Mr. Wilt is a North Country Economic Development Council member. He served on the Town of Arietta’s Zoning Board of Appeals from 1984 – 2013. Mr. Wilt is a past member and President of the Piseco Common School District. He also served as an Emergency Medical Technician for the Piseco Ambulance Squad. He enjoys fishing, hunting, boating, and golf. Mr. Wilt resides in Hamilton County.

The Adirondack Park Agency Board consists of eleven members. Eight members are nominated by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate. Board members are appointed to staggered four year terms. Five of the eight must reside inside the Park. Current Board Members are:

Board Member Seat County Term

Chairwoman Leilani Ulrich In Park Herkimer 6/30/16

Mr. Sherman Craig In Park St. Lawrence 6/30/15

Mr. Arthur Lussi In Park Essex 6/30/17

Mr. William Thomas In Park Warren 6/30/14

Mr. Daniel Wilt In Park Hamilton 6/30/15

Mr. Richard Booth Out Park Tompkins 6/30/12

Ms. Karen Feldman Out Park Columbia 6/30/14

Mr. Bill Valentino Out Park Albany 6/30/13

Three additional designees are named by the Secretary of State, Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Conservation and Commissioner of Empire State Development. Secretary of State Cesar A. Perales’ designee is Dierdre Scozzafava; Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Joe Martens designees are Bob Stegeman and Judy Drabicki; the designee of Empire State Development Commissioner Kenneth Adams is Bradley Austin.

August Meeting Agenda

Go to www.apa.ny.gov and click Webcasting from the Contents List to watch the meeting. Please note this month’s meeting will begin at 8:30 AM on August 8.

The Full Agency will come to order at 8:30AM. Chairwoman Ulrich will introduce new Board Members Karen Feldman and Daniel Wilt. The Chairwoman will also consider Committee Chair assignments. Executive Director Terry Martino will then present her monthly report to the Board.

At 9:15, the State Land Committee will begin deliberations on the 2013 State Land classification package which includes former Finch lands recently acquired by the State from the Nature Conservancy. These new State Lands are located in the Towns of Minerva and Newcomb, (Essex County) and Indian Lake, Hamilton County. The parcels involved in this round of classifications are the Essex Chain Lakes, Indian River and OK Slip Falls.

At this time, staff will provide an informational overview of the key issues raised during the public comment period that included eight hearings held across the state. The meeting will allow for staff to express their appreciation to the public for the extensive public involvement in the development of the public record and engage with the Board. The Agency Board will not take any action on the classification package during the August Agency meeting. Agency staff have not prepared a preferred recommendation for this meeting.

The State Land Committee will review State Land Master Plan classification criteria, classification alternatives presented during public hearings and public and written comments received. The Committee will also be briefed on recreational opportunities including snowmobile community connector trails.

At 10:45, Agency staff will provide background presentations on general issues presented during the public comment period. The State Land Committee will hear presentations on general natural resource considerations and existing road infrastructure. This will be followed by Board discussion and a questions and answers session.

At 1:00, the Committee will discuss biological considerations including the Essex Chain and Hudson River fisheries, rare species and natural communities and wetlands. The Committee will also review social and economic issues which include existing buildings, existing infrastructure, and reserved rights and easements on the Essex Chain and OK Slip Falls parcels.

The Thursday agenda will conclude with Board discussion and a questions and answers session.

On Friday August 9, 2013 at 9:00AM the Regulatory Programs Committee will come to order for informational presentations on an emergency road repair project that is ongoing along New York State Route 73 and road construction on New York State Route 28N.

At 9:45, the State Land Committee will reconvene to discuss the next steps involved in the classification process to develop the Final Environmental Impact Statement. This will include: response to public comments, revisions to the Draft Environmental Impact Statement with updated information, and consultation with DEC on classification recommendations in preparation for a staff presentation to the Board in September.

At 10:45, the Economic Affairs Committee will convene for a presentation on the J & L Steel Site. Town of Fine Supervisor Mark Hall, NYS DEC Region 6 Director Judy Drabicki, and Carrie Tuttle the Director of Engineering for the Development Authority of the North Country will discuss the remediation of the J & L Steel site in the Town of Clifton, St. Lawrence County.

At 11:45, the Full Agency will assemble for committee reports, Local Government Review Board comment, public and member comment. No action will be taken on the 2013 State Land Classification package.

Meeting materials are available for download from the Agency’s website.

The meeting facility is wheelchair accessible. Requests for specific accommodations should be provided to Keith P. McKeever at 518-891-4050.

The September Agency Meeting is scheduled for September 12-13, 2013 at the Adirondack Park Agency Headquarters in Ray Brook, New York.

October Agency Meeting: October 10-11, 2013 at the Adirondack Park Agency Headquarters.