Rockaway Wind Farm proposal KAPUT !

http://gothamist.com/2011/08/25/rockaway_wind_farm_put_out_to_pastu.php

Rockaways Wind Farm Put Out To Pasture



(Via Tobinbridge's Flickr)According to NY1, the offshore Rockaway wind farm that Bloomberg endorsed back in 2009 is all but dead. New York Power Authority, the company behind the plans, just had its CEO resign and now says that it has other things to worry about. "At this point, with our leadership somewhat in flux and having also announced two other major projects, the Hudson Transmission Project and also Recharge New York, we've got a full plate," said Power Authority's Vice Chairman, Jonathan Foster.

Apparently it has now been over a year since the company was given permission to apply for a federal lease on the ocean floor, and it just revoked an application with New York state's power operator. Critics say that it's not surprising. Wind power is a foreign concept here, so companies get skittish about it.

But that's not the main reason. The big deal? Money, of course. An analyst says it would cost anywhere from $2 billion to $4 billion to install the turbines. Uncertainty, plus excessive costs, equals "Nah, we'll pass" when it comes to big corporations.

Still, officials who support the idea aren't giving up. Queens Senator Malcolm Smith said, "I am going to be communicating with the new head of the Power Authority, when we get a clear understanding of who that is, and try to push this idea. This is not just for the Rockaways. This is for something that is going to impact the entire city and the entire state."

Developer wants to build on a marsh edge....not a good idea

In Staten Island  adjacent to Great Kills Park, a home builder wants a NYSDEC variance to extend into the marsh...Why ??? Area gets flooded according to experts there.  For more:

http://www.silive.com/southshore/index.ssf/2011/08/building_detached_homes_on_sta.html

The effect of nature NY TIMES article

http://tinyurl.com/NYTaug1

NY Tiimes article on JBWR

http://tinyurl.com/jbwrnytimes

Latest on Ridgewood Reservoir

With the NYC Dept of Parks bizarre focus on partially destroying Ridgewood Reservoir habitats, here's the latest on the rumor mill:

http://ridgewoodreservoir.blogspot.com/2011/06/more-four-sparrow-marsh-documentation.html

 (Ridgewood Reservoir straddles the Brooklyn Queens border)

Another harebrained proposal for Floyd Bennett's future ?

From the NY Daily News:

http://tinyurl.com/FBcampground

Definitely some habitat loss we are looking at ......

LI Pine Barrens alert

 From Long Island Pine Barrens Society  

Pine Barrens Preservation- CRITICAL ACTION ALERT!

Dear Friends -

With the State Legislature expected to adjourn as early as Friday, please help us make one final push to get the Carmans River/ Core Preservation Area expansion bill passed. It will be before the NYS Senate and Assembly this week.

Please take 1 minute today to email the sponsors of the bill and tell them that you support this historic preservation measure. (sample letter and contact info follows below) It doesn’t matter if you don’t reside in any of these districts. Just send the email anyway- our leaders in Albany need to hear from all Long Islanders!

We are so close, but we need your help now. Please send your email today or tomorrow at the latest and ask your friends and family to do the same.


SAMPLE EMAIL TO LEGISLATORS:


Dear ,

RE: S 5663/ A 8265 (make sure you reference these bill numbers in the subject line of your email)


I am writing to urge your support for Expansion of the Core Preservation Area of the Central Pine Barrens in Brookhaven Town to protect the Carmans River watershed. The bill numbers are A 8265 and S 5663.


The measure would protect 1,100 hundred additional acres of land, most of it in the 0-5 year time-of-travel in the Carmans River watershed. The Pine Barrens region is an important natural resource for all residents of Long Island and an opportunity to preserve more land in the Carmans River watershed must not be missed. Please support this bill.

Sincerely,


CONTACT INFO FOR BILL SPONSORS:


The Honorable Kenneth P. LaValle

Senator, District 1

New York State Senate

Email: lamounta@nysenate.gov (send directly to LaValle’s aide who will expedite delivery to the Senator)


The Honorable Lee M. Zeldin

Senator, District 3

New York State Senate

Email: anziano@nysenate.gov (send directly to Zeldin’s aide who will expedite delivery to the Senator)


The Honorable Robert K. Sweeney
Assemblyman, District 11
New York State Assembly

Email: Sweeney@assembly.state.ny.us


The Honorable Daniel P. LoSquadro
Assemblyman, District 1
New York State Assembly

Email: losquadrod@assembly.state.ny.us


The Honorable Fred W. Thiele
Assemblyman, District 2
New York State Assembly

Email: lombardol@assembly.state.ny.us (send directly to Thiele’s aide who will expedite delivery to the Assemblyman)


The Honorable Dean Murray
Assemblyman, District 3
New York State Assembly

Email: murrayd@assembly.state.ny.us


The Honorable Steven Englebright
Assemblyman, District 4
New York State Assembly

Email: coppolc@assembly.state.ny.us (send directly to Englebright’s aide who will expedite delivery to the Assemblyman)


THANK YOU!

You are subscribed to the Pine Barrens Society email-list. The Pine Barrens Society is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in the State of New York. To unsubscribe or invite a friend, please call (631) 369-3300 or email info@pinebarrens.org. As a subscriber, your contact information will be kept private. For more information on our work, visit www.pinebarrens.org.