NYT article -- Adirondack/Tupper Resorts threaten Park

Today's article highlights the development of the Adirondacks. The article pulls together a summary of several large scale developments proposed in the Adirondacks. One of the largest one is in Tupper Lake.

The Adirondacks is threatened by the continued real estate boom. So far, the real estate slump has not hit the area. Timber companies are divesting large tracts of land to whomever wants them. They are being sold in large parcels. The state can only buy a small portion for the forest preserve. The rest is up for grabs.

Because the economy is not thriving, the local people are willing to develop recreational properties. They need something to support them. As in the rest of upstate NY, the young people are leaving the area. Local people feel the beauty of the region coupled with a ski resort or a conference center might attract people back to their small towns and villages.

The Adirondack Park agency is ill equipped to protect the Park. They are used to dealing with smaller scale development and permits (ie on the scale of a dock or garage). They are underfunded and undersupported by the state and the local governments.

the article from the Times
printable link that needs no login
North Country Public Radio audio report on how Preserve Associates "rammed" their proposal into quick acceptance from the zoning board and town board in Tupper Lake

living in NYC -- we need the power

I was talking to my brother on the phone about the NYRI powerlines. He suggested that in NYC they really do need the power. He lives in Queens and has been reading news articles claiming the demands on electrical power in New York City will overtake the supply.

He suggested I put my house on the market right away and not tell anyone about the power lines.

I hope you don't know where I live. Buyer Beware.

I plan on selling to someone from downstate for alot of money.

and why is New York different than Wisconsin?

This is a photo I took a couple of weeks ago on Rt 79 in Chenango Forks, about a half mile from Rt 12. The RR corridor cannot be seen but is nearby -- the branch to Syracuse just lies across the river, and the branch to Norwich is about a half mile. The scene is so bucolic, why would it ever change?

Dairy farming is big in NY and Wisconsin and so are electric transmission lines.

an electrical transmission project in wisconsin -- can we learn something from them?

When I first spotted the controversy in building a 220 mile transmission line in Wisconsin (American Transmission Company), I thought there were differences. It appeared that public support was there and the company was a state owned company.

But the American Transmission Company does look like NYRI in some ways. The are a group of investors and their only business is building transmission lines, not power generation. The suggestion was made (on a blog) the lines would eventually bring power from Canada to the Chicago area. And many people were convinced the transmission lines are not needed. Environmental groups wanted to look at other options than a proliferation of old technology power lines.

The thing is -- this line is being built right now and they will be done very soon.
And they are not stopping at just this one line. They plan on continuing building transmission lines. (I wonder if this is just the first of NYRI's projects, too?)

The similarities are very eerie. See for yourself.

The 220 mile project is nearing completion
American Transmission Site
Stop ATC site
Wake up Wisconsin
This is a link to a recent news article about another new line

strong coalition is needed to fight nyri powerlines

I like to read about the history of social movements, one being the environmental movement. One of my favorite subjects is reading about the preservation movement in the Adirondacks. Most people agree, the groups have done a good job but they can never rest. And they do not see eye to eye. In fact, some groups will pretend another does not exist if they disagree on a topic. An example of this is the Adirondack (ADK) mountain club will not put a link on its page to the Adirondack Council. They disagree over the Bush administration's Clear Skies legislation. Both groups support preserving wilderness and likely agree on many other issues.

Occasionally, there will be some big issue that will pull together these groups into a coalition or at least a loosely organized special interest. Usually it is something perceived as a threat to them all.


The NYRI project faces opposition from many localized grass roots organizations and a few environmental organizations. When the threat of the powerlines is great, they will pull together and meet. This seemed to be happening on a regular basis on a local level.

The NY state legislature did their bit to fight NYRI. The governor made a ceremony out of signing the bill and declaring NYRI powerlines dead in NY. I thought the statement would do us a disservice as it meant there was no more war. He declared victory before the issue has been resolved.

NYRI is fighting its battle on the federal level. The state of NY has done it a favor by codifying their opposition to the powerlines. Now, they can say that NY is not cooperating in solving the energy needs of its downstate population. They are asking the federal government to step in and overrule the Public Service Commission and the Legislature. They are asking for a special designation from the DOE to be declared an NIETC -- National Interest Electrical Transmission Corridor which will allow FERC to direct and smooth the way for the power lines.

In their letter to the DOE, dated 10/10/2006, NYRI asks for this designation for their proposed route *OR* a wider corridor that includes the alternate route. They are asking for either to be designated. See page 591 in the very large pdf file. It is very worthwhile to read this letter.

NYRI plans will override what the legislature and Governor has done so far. They can override the Public Service Commission if they have this designation.

It might still all end up in a courtroom -- but it will be a federal court. The battle will not be fought at the state level any longer.

Let's see where all are regional groups are standing on this. I really don't know what is in the works. The events are still happening at a local level with state legislators contributing their effort. This is all we have right now. Really, we are just a bunch of citizen groups with some legislators helping. And we have the county and town legislators, too.

And we may have our Senators, too. But the heat is on at the federal level now. Will either of our 2 senators be coming to any of the meetings we are having? Will they be holding their own meetings about NYRI?

Hillary and Chuck -- I hope you will be attending this week and participating. Or send one of your aides but let us know someone is there!

Please don't let the fact that moderator is a Republican stop you from participating in an event that should be non-partisan.

A coalition is needed to fight the next battle.



***************************************************

Crouch to moderate at NYRI info meeting Oct. 25

By: Michael McGuire, Sun Staff Writer

Published on: Monday, October 16, 2006

NORWICH – With an apparent lull in activity, opponents of the New York Regional Interconnection have momentarily focused their aim away from the Albany power purveyor, and set their sights on the local citizenry.

Local experts along with county and state officials are planning to meet Oct. 25 at Norwich High School for an informational meeting to update the public, take questions and provide answers on the current status of the $1.6 billion power line proposal. NYRI will not be invited to formally speak at the event.

“People need to understand where we are at this point,” said Assemblyman Cliff Crouch (R-Guilford), the meeting’s organizer and scheduled moderator. “This issue hasn’t gone away ... we need to stay focused and we need the people focused with us.”

The decision to hold a public forum in Chenango County comes in response to two earlier local hearings – one held by NYRI in May, the other by the state’s Senate Energy Committee in June that fostered little to no constructive public interaction

hunting near residential homes

Last year, a man and his son were hunting on the RR tracks and close to the back of my property. The RR tracks are private property, of course and you can only hunt there with permission.

In the meantime, here is the NY DEC regulation for hunting and the distance from residential houses. I did not give consent to hunt in my backyard and I do not have to post my property as the line is not more than 500 feet from my residence.

I hope the guy with the gun does not come back this year. I do not live in the middle of the country. I live in a suburban area and close to a school campus. I should not have to worry about someone shooting in my backyard.

It is too bad that some hunters can't follow the rules. The majority know the rules and follow them.




****
Discharge of Firearms and Bows

It is illegal to discharge a firearm or bow:

* so that the load or arrow passes over any part of a public highway,
* within 500 feet of any school, playground, or an occupied factory or church,
* within 500 feet of a dwelling, farm building or structure in occupation or use unless you own it, lease it, are an immediate member of the family, an employee, or have the owner's consent.
* You may hunt waterfowl, over water, within 500 feet of a dwelling or public structure as long as neither are within 500 feet in the direction you are shooting.

Boreal wild land in northern NY -- motorized access will be encouraged if DEC plan adopted

There is no classified "boreal" area in the Binghamton area. When I think of this term, I think of the northwoods in Canada.

There is a boreal region in upper NY which is not far from the Canadian border. The region is largely unknown to many in the Southern Tier. I can get you there by road -- it is north of Tupper Lake on Rt 56 to Potsdam. (And Potsdam just follow Rt 56 to Sevey's Corners -- you will be passing by the boreal region). From Binghamton, take Rt 81 N to Watertown and Rt 3 East to Rt 56 and drive just north -- you will be there.

This is a special area of NY. It is the watershed area drained by the Raquette River which begins around Long Lake, NY and travels north to the St. Lawrence River. Much of the river is known to canoists in the Long Lake and Tupper Lake regions. North of Tupper Lake, the Raquette is a series of dams and reservoirs controlled by the Brookfield Corporation of Ontario, Canada. The land surrounding this area is the "boreal region" that is now being considered by the NYSDEC for a new management plan. Most of these forests were logged and owned by logging companies. The logging companies have been divesting their holdings and NY state has been acquiring the properties through purchases and easements. (Sorry for the sad summary as the land purchases and easements are much more complicated than a blogger can explain in this format)

The management plan document makes noises about preserving the area for boreal birds and forest. The trouble with all this -- politics is interfering with the best interests of the forest and boreal habitat.

The north country is also used by recreational interests and they are not the snowshoers and canoeists of the Long Lake/Tupper area. The recreational interests are the motorized recreational vehicles -- gas powered racing machines that patrol the groomed trails further south. ATVs in the summer, spring and fall, and snowmobiles in the winter months when the snow depth is too deep to traverse the trails.

The problem with the north country is access. Road and trails might be ok but rivers are a problem. A "bridge to nowhere" needs to be built. The term nowhere has meant various things in US history --- once nowhere was anywhere where there were no settlers and now it means anywhere where there are no motorized vehicles. So, a bridge is need to traverse the Raquette River with snowmobiles and ATVS. The boreal forest will be quiet no longer. A bridge will make it easy for the motorized vehicle to enter the area.


Please read about one of the last rare regions in NY state. If you think we should ride over the area in motorized "off the road" vehicles, then you will be satisfied. If you are concerned that this is one of the "last great places in NY" you will write to the DEC and anyone in the State Legislator and tell them -- save the wilderness character of the land.

We are getting too crowded here in the US and we need this land for what is left of the wildlife in the Eastern United States. How much wilderness can be left now that we are a country of 300 million? And we will reach 400 million in 40 years or less if our demographers are correct.

It is important not to trample the boreal forest with our motorized recreational vehicles.

Please send the DEC your comments!

DEC will be accepting public comments until October 20, 2006. Written comments should be sent to:
Keith Rivers
New York State DEC
7327 State Route 812
Lowville, NY 13367
or e-mailed comments can be sent to: r6ump@gw.dec.state.ny.us


Here are some other related links
The DEC Raquette River Draft Unit Management Plan Web Page
The Adirondack Conservancy
The Adirondack Council web page on the Raquette River Boreal region
Land reclassification from 2005 APA -- see the champion and lassiter section relating to the Raquette River area (boreal forest)
Sierra Club Web Page describing the importance of boreal forests
Boreal Birds
Cornell University Lab of Orinthology Boreal Wildlife

Changes coming for furbearing wildlife in Binghamton area

The name of the department is NYSDEC -- New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. The name sounds benign and if I would guess they would be making efforts to protect the unprotected land and wildlife in NY.

Some of their methods of protection are controversial. They do research studies on wildlife populations in their regions (they are organized into Regions). One of their proposals is to study bobcat and fisher populations in the Broome, Chenango and Delaware Region of NY. The method they will be employing is to allow controlled trapping of bobcat and fisher. They will then keep statistics on the population that is trapped for their fur.

This is not a done deal. They are accepting public comments on this change to the trapping regulations now. If you feel the urge, please send your comments.

is rudy running? looking ahead

Will it be Rudy versus Hillary in the next presidential?

There is so much speculation and way too early to predict very much of the next election. It does seem certain (well, barring big changes) that Hillary will want to run for president. Will the Democrats want to nominate her? So far, she appears unstoppable, but that could change.

Really, the Republicans are more interesting to watch as they tour and primp in the spotlight. Where is George Pataki? He will be going on the campaign tour. Where is Rudy Giuliani? He is also on the campaign trail and those in the know are saying he wants to be our next president. He travelled to Connecticut basing his support in the metropolitan NY area.

Everyone is thinking of him as the hero of 9/11 and forgetting some of the other things about his administration. Living here in Bingoland, I could catch snippets about his administration that made Rudy seem like an exotic type of politician. Who cares about NYC politeness? And remember his plan to not return any car driven by someone that was inebriated? (no matter whose name was on the registration). Alot of people liked these ideas. They don't scale very well.... move these policies up to Congress and they sound silly. But they were a big deal pre-9/11. And remember how residents of NYC and visitors alike, praised Rudy for getting rid of those damn window washers? Folks wondered where all the homeless went -- did they go to Ulster County? And how will he treat the mentally ill or is everyone just a nut?

I read a book by Calvin Trillin entitled Tepper Isn't Going Out: A Novel. The book features a mayor that is very concerned about the small goings on about the city streets, including illegal or unfair parking. Recommended reading about life in NYC during the Rudy administration and will make those that can remember laugh.

NYRI future

Now that a couple of days have gone by since the announcement that anti-NYRI law is passed, opinions are being expressed about what it really means. Anti-NYRI groups are not expressing relief although most are pleased by the effort of the state law makers. NYRI did not give up or go away.

It seems obvious from the outset, that NYRI is planning their effort to be at the federal (FERC) level. They put their application into FERC before they started the New York state process.

The New York Public Service Commission application is not a serious effort by NYRI. They have not done environmental impact studies. At the time of their public meetings, they admitted they were not very familiar with the route and had not walked it or surveyed it.

All NYRI needs to do is ask for the Public Service Commission to take their paperwork and call it an application. If they leave out important information, the Public Service commission can request it. It the process takes a long time, that is fine. The clock is ticking from the date of their application -- May 31, 2006.

The stalled application does not hurt NYRI. They just need it to be stalled for one year.

The Energy Act of 2005 states that FERC may intervene in the process if it has been held up for one year at the state level. This is what is nicknamed as "backstop authority". The NYRI route needs to be designated as a NIETC (National Interest Energy Transmission Corridor) for the FERC to assert its "backstop authority". They put this application in for this designation last March.

This is the strategy of NYRI and has been from the start.


One more point can be made about the New York State law. It only applies to the NYRI power line if it is built entirely within New York State.

The original FERC application used the first map offered on the NYRI web site. I luckily have a paper copy of what used to be there. To refresh everyone's memory -- the map showed a route that dipped into Pennsylvania south of Binghamton.


My conclusion is that NYRI just has to add this little sidetrip into their current plans. They can avoid any court appeal of the law by just crossing the border into PA. Our new law will not touch them and eminint domain can be used as needed.


Actually, the law may actually backfire and cause NYRI to change their route to go through a more populous region in Broome County. Broome County residents should feel more nervous about this turn of events.

news on NYRI -- GOOD NEWS

Pataki signed the bill to stop NYRI from just taking land along the
railroad track or it's route without buying it first. NYRI was
counting on the emininent domain law to provide it with clearing a path
for the power lines without opposition. If they could use the public
eminent domain law then they could obtain the property and "pay later"
or something like that. At least that is what the eminent domain law
has provided in the past. One person that called me on the phone told
me of a close relative that lived along the new i-86 corridor (Rt 17
thru windsor ). Their house was acquired through eminent domain. The
family was told to move and the property would be paid for after they
moved. In the mean time, they were forced to borrow money from
relatives for renting another home. They could not purchase a home
until the money would arrive -- no real date for that was promised. So
goes it for eminent domain law -- great for company that is clearing
the land.

The Pataki bill will protect people along the NYRI proposed route from
this medieval practice. NYRI will have to actually negotiate (as
opposed to "take") with the land owners for the right of way they need
to acquire.

And for everyone that forgets -- NYRI needs 120 feet for electrical
lines as a minimum along the railroad or property with no other power
lines. And for people that are saying -- they will use the NYSEG
lines -- they need 120 feet for their standalone towers and they need
an additional 100 feet from any existing power line (the NYSEG
corridor will require 220 feet for the power line)

The Pataki bill that was signed today is a very good indication that
the legislature and the Governor are behind the movement that will
provide fairness to the NYRI proposal. That does not mean that the
powerline is defeated. It means, if upheld in court, the law will
protect landowners from NYRI just taking their land with no recourse.

As it should do. We may be taxpayers but no one is saying we are
serfs.

Let's hope the new law can withstand any reversals that can occur in
the courts.

Here are some links:
http://www.wbng.com/news/local/4298747.html
http://www.uticaod.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061003/NEWS/61003031

There should be more news analysis tomorrow.