For Immediate Release: January 22, 2001
Contact:
Victoria Hristovski | Director Public Information | Adirondack Park Agency
contact@apa.ny.gov | (518) 891-4050
RAY BROOK - At this month’s Adirondack Park Agency meeting, held on Jan. 11th and 12th at its headquarters in Ray Brook, Agency Commissioners witnessed several presentations by Agency Staff and Agency guests. Commissioners also discussed important policy implementations and updates. Agency Chairman Dick Lefebvre shared his vision on the Agency’s role in 2001 and Executive Director Daniel Fitts reviewed the year 2000 at the Agency.
One of the highlights of the first meeting of the new year was during the Park Ecology Committee meeting, which was held at 9:15 on Thursday, Jan. 11th, where Dr. Barbara Bedford, Dr. Charles Canham and Dr. Avram Primack served as a discussion panel on the Upper Hudson Watershed Protection Project. Agency staff worked on preparing a final report for the Environmental Protection Agency, who funded the project, and brought the final draft to commissioners for their approval. Commissioner James Frenette commented on what he felt was the most important aspect of the report. "The need for the Agency to invest even more effort in enunciating a clearer strategy for dealing with cumulative impacts and communicating internally with the Agency and to elected officials and the public." Agency staff member Dan Spada asked the commissioners to address three potential outcomes: to embrace the report for submission to the EPA and directed staff to input data layers into the Geographical Information System; and to authorize staff to begin to use data layer analyses in project review. Park Ecology Committee members decided to accept the report and authorized its submission to the EPA. For the other two items, the Committee requested that the staff develop the layers for the Agency "Look-up System" and the committee requested that staff present a hypothetical case study to show how we currently address cumulative impacts and how it will be done with the new data at a future Agency meeting.
Commissioners were also presented with an overview of the Northern Forest Wealth Index on Friday, Jan. 12th during the Economic Affairs Committee. Northern Forest Center’s President Stephen Blackmer and Program Director Mike Wilson, displayed social, economic, ecological, and environmental progress in the Northern Forest region that encompassed the northern sections of four states: New York, Vermont, Maine, and New Hampshire.
The Northern Forest Center was established in 1997 to build a public consensus to conserve and enhance the cultural, civic, economic and ecological wealth of the Northern Forest.
Commissioners and designees discussed draft policies for Agency’s Public Comment and Towers Policies. For the Public Comment Policy, Agency Chairman Richard Lefebvre suggested that the discussion be deferred to a future meeting to allow sufficient time to consider a revised draft policy in response to a series of written public comment that had been received in the past 24 hours. Chairman Lefebvre suggested that the Agency step back and more clearly define the problem with regard to public comment and perhaps design a policy which more specifically addresses the problem.
Agency staff updated Administration Committee members on their progress to date regarding the Towers Policy Update. The update included a review and inventory of existing permits, conditions and compliance issues. In their update, staff also presented a map and photo log of tower structures; identification of potential issues of concern and review of local ordinance and Federal Communications Committee requirements. The map of tower structures did not include all existing towers in the Adirondack Park, only those that have been permitted by the Agency. Committee members commented that there needs to be a sense of balance for fostering technological advancement in the park, while at the same time, taking the aesthetic impact into consideration. The Committee directed staff to proceed with hiring a consultant to obtain and review the results and data compiled by the Agency.
Agency Commissioners and Designees approved a proposed expansion project of more than 25 percent to the public/semi-public building and structure at SUNY Environmental Science and Forestry Wanakena Ranger School. The addition will be 45 feet in height and set back approximately 110 feet from the Oswegatchie River. The addition will include facilities for a 100 seta high-tech classroom for recreation events and complete kitchen and dining areas. Other construction will bring the existing facilities into compliance with the state building code, including asbestos and lead paint removal, replacement of windows, repair of the stucco finish and instruction of a sloped roof over a flat roof area. The facilities are to serve the projected enrollment of 65 students and 23 faculty members.
Adirondack Park Agency Executive Director Daniel Fitts summed up Agency business for the year 2000. Some of the highlights included map amendments to Queensbury, Otter Lake, Dannemora, Inlet, Wells, Lake Pleasant, Lens Lake; an update to the Agency’s Gateway initiative; State Land Classifications for Whitney, Lake Lila, Watson’s East Triangle and Alice Brook; Historic Santanoni Unit management plan amendments: Gore Mountain, Meadowbrook, Blue Mountain Wild Forest Presentations (2): High Peaks Wilderness Complex Unit Management Plan, bears in the High Peaks Press conference. The year 2000 also brought $617,000 TEA-21 money including moving Keene Garage and Quality Communities initiative Reports: NYS wetlands report, ecology of moth larvae, acid rain, roadside invasive plants, Upper Hudson EPA grant, cloud monitoring at Whiteface, nuisance aquatics, IP wetland mitigation report, and received $15,000 IP grant for silviculture plots and $48,000 grant to upgrade trails and celebrated the 10th anniversary of Newcomb VIC.
Plans for the upcoming year include an Adirondack Community News Letter which will begin distribution this month. It is Chairman Lefebvre’s vision to unite the entire Adirondack Park as one community. As a result of this initiative, the Agency will begin circulation of "Community Chat" within the next week. The newsletter will feature a variety of information for everyone in the Park to extract information and share in community events.
The Adirondack Park Agency will conduct its next meeting on February 15th and 16th at the headquarters in Ray Brook.