For Immediate Release: December 4, 2008
Contact:
Keith P. McKeever | Public Relations | Adirondack Park Agency
contact@apa.ny.gov | (518) 891-4050
RAY BROOK, NY – The Adirondack Park Agency will hold its regularly scheduled monthly meeting on Thursday, December 11 at the Adirondack Park Agency Headquarters in Ray Brook, NY. This month’s meeting will be one day only. The meeting will be webcast live. Please use the link found on the Agency’s homepage to view the webcast (http://www.apa.state.ny.us).
The Full Agency will convene on Thursday morning at 9:00 for the Acting Executive Director’s monthly report.
At 9:15 a.m., the Regulatory Programs Committee will hear a status report detailing telecommunication projects that were approved in 2008. Staff, using an interactive GIS database, will update the board on the number and location of approved telecommunication projects.
Deputy Director for Regulatory Programs Mark Sengenberger will follow the presentation with a request that the Deputy Director be granted authority to approve certain new telecommunication towers where it is determined by staff that proposals meet agency requirements for substantial invisibility as defined in its Towers Policy.
The Deputy Director’s decision would be based on the visual assessment submitted with the application materials and a staff site visit. The new proposed tower would have to be “substantially invisible” from public viewing points due to its design (e.g., size, color, material) and location in the landscape (back-dropped by vegetation and topography, and not sky-lighted).
At 10:15 a.m., the Legal Affairs Committee will convene for legal guidance related to the recently approved 2008 rulemaking. The committee will discuss how the Jurisdictional Office and Enforcement Division will interpret the rules for activities that were planned and underway at the time of the Agency's decision.
Agency staff will also present recommendations to the Board that would establish criteria for a minor expansion of a non-conforming shoreline structure, which would not require an APA variance.
At 1:00 p.m., the Park Policy and Planning Committee will hear two presentations. Josh Wilson from Ecology and Environment, Inc. will present background on a draft Adirondack Park Greenhouse Gas Inventory, which was prepared for the Wild Center’s Climate Change Conference.
Agency Assistant Director of Planning Rick Weber will then brief the committee on staff efforts to identify key indicators to monitor trends in the Park. Agency staff is reviewing 16 resource areas and 59 data elements to establish a set of priority indicators. Considerations include economic, fiscal, cultural, physical and biological resources.
At 3:00 p.m., the Interpretive Committee will discuss ongoing efforts to implement a broader programming focus at the Agency’s Visitor Interpretive Centers. Ideas include refining interpretive themes, building partnerships with other interpretive organizations and further integration of interpretive activities with the work of Ray Brook-based staff.
The Full Agency will convene at 4:00 p.m. to conclude its meeting with committee reports and take actions as necessary.
Meeting materials are available for download from the Agency’s website at:
http://www.apa.state.ny.us/Mailing/0812/index.htm
The next Agency meeting is January 8-9, 2009 at the Adirondack Park Agency Headquarters.
February Agency Meeting -, February 12-13, 2009, Adirondack Park Agency Headquarters.