http://www.yournabe.com/articles/2009/12/10/brooklyn/courier_frontpage_bridgefuror.txt
The latest regarding housing units inside a a new park
see the link above
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Eagle trips email send to BBC website
Dr. S. Marie Kuhnen
Memorial Field Trip Series
Search for Eagles
in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area and Upper Delaware Scenic River
Join John (Jack) Padalino, President Emeritus of the Paul F-Brandwein Institute, partner with the National Park Service Delaware Water Gap NRA by caravan to search for eagles.
WEATHER PERMITTING.
Meet 10:00 a.m. at the Historic Callahan House, 101 Route 209 South @ mile marker 21, Milford, PA –
Dress warmly, bring binoculars, field guides, and a lunch.
The search for eagles will conclude along the Lackawaxen River approximately 4:00 p.m.
IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATE IN A SEARCH FOR EAGLES FIELD TRIP
YOU MUST REGISTER via Email: jack@brandwein.org or
PHONE: 570.296.6752
AND INDICATE WHICH FIELD TRIP(s) YOU WILL BE ATTENDING.
THERE IS NO CHARGE
SEARCH FOR EAGLES – SCHEDULED FIELD TRIPS
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Monday, December 21, 2009
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Eagle observation data that we collect will be shared with the
Eagle Institute and Hawk Migration Association of North America HMANA.
An Eagle identification field guide and a “Search for Eagles” activities hand- out will be provided by the Paul F-Brandwein Institute.
Join us to Search For Eagles, the symbol of our nation.
Memorial Field Trip Series
Search for Eagles
in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area and Upper Delaware Scenic River
Join John (Jack) Padalino, President Emeritus of the Paul F-Brandwein Institute, partner with the National Park Service Delaware Water Gap NRA by caravan to search for eagles.
WEATHER PERMITTING.
Meet 10:00 a.m. at the Historic Callahan House, 101 Route 209 South @ mile marker 21, Milford, PA –
Dress warmly, bring binoculars, field guides, and a lunch.
The search for eagles will conclude along the Lackawaxen River approximately 4:00 p.m.
IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATE IN A SEARCH FOR EAGLES FIELD TRIP
YOU MUST REGISTER via Email: jack@brandwein.org or
PHONE: 570.296.6752
AND INDICATE WHICH FIELD TRIP(s) YOU WILL BE ATTENDING.
THERE IS NO CHARGE
SEARCH FOR EAGLES – SCHEDULED FIELD TRIPS
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Monday, December 21, 2009
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Eagle observation data that we collect will be shared with the
Eagle Institute and Hawk Migration Association of North America HMANA.
An Eagle identification field guide and a “Search for Eagles” activities hand- out will be provided by the Paul F-Brandwein Institute.
Join us to Search For Eagles, the symbol of our nation.
12/8 NY Times arrticle on Hydro fracturing
Dark Side of a Natural Gas Boom
By JAD MOUAWAD and CLIFFORD KRAUSS
Some environmentalists are concerned that a technology
called hydraulic fracturing used to produce natural gas
could be leading to pollution.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/08/business/energy-environment/08fracking.html?th&emc=th
By JAD MOUAWAD and CLIFFORD KRAUSS
Some environmentalists are concerned that a technology
called hydraulic fracturing used to produce natural gas
could be leading to pollution.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/08/business/energy-environment/08fracking.html?th&emc=th
Thursday, December 3, 2009
3 pieces of news info Re Conservation issues; Internship
1) Staten Island rally this Saturday to save Pouch Camp (Greenbelt)
http://www.silive.com/westshore/index.ssf/2009/12/thousands_urge_that_pouch_camp.html
*************
*Pouch Camp rally
Supporters looking to preserve the William H. Pouch Scout Camp in Sea View have organized a public rally.
*When
Dec. 12, 5 to 6:30 p.m.
*Where
Meet in front of Susan Wagner High School, 1200 Manor Rd., Sea View.
*What
The group will march down the street to the camp, then proceed to its Memorial Garden, where the annual holiday lighting will take place.
*Of note
As of last night, more 400 Facebook members had confirmed their attendance and the camp’s head ranger, Gil Schweiger, confirmed that another 1,000 to 1,200 individuals had made verbal commitments.
2)
From Jonathan Wells from Prospect Park Audubon Center; searching for a graduate internship
Hello all,
Hope all is well. I am looking for a graduate student for an internship program I’m running here at the center this spring. If you know of anyone who might be appropriate please let them or myself know. See below a brief description and an attached flyer.
Thanks so much for any assistance,
Jonathan
Jonathan P. Wells
Manager of Education Programs
Prospect Park Audubon Center
(718) 287-3400 x114
jwells@audubon.prospectpark.org
To be successful in our conservation efforts, we need your help! Sign up for Audubon Alerts and the Advisory at www.audubonaction.org/newyork
To whom it may concern;
This spring the Prospect Park Audubon Center will be offering a graduate level internship to students interested in entering into environmental education, or an environmental administration field. The Internship will give students entry-level experience at the Audubon Center, while receiving internship credits from their respective schools. Please see below a brief internship description, the same information attached as a document, and a flyer for advertising at your organization. Please have any potential candidates submit the below requirements to job102@prospectpark.org. For additional internal information please contact me at the email address below. Feel free to pass this email along to any interested parties.
Thank you for your assistance,
Jonathan Wells
Jonathan P. Wells
Manager of Education Programs / Internship Coordinator
Prospect Park Audubon Center
(718) 287-3400 x114
jwells@audubon.prospectpark.org
To be successful in our conservation efforts, we need your help! Sign up for Audubon Alerts and the Advisory at www.audubonaction.org/newyork
AD COPY
The Prospect Park Alliance, working in partnership with City of New York and the community, restores, develops, and operates Prospect Park for the enjoyment of all by caring for the natural environment, preserving historic design, and serving the public through facilities and programs. Prospect Park is Brooklyn’s 585-acre historic flagship park, designed by the famed Olmsted and Vaux. It is the home of Brooklyn’s only lake and forest, with nature trails, numerous recreational activities, public and school-based educational programs, volunteer opportunities, and the first urban Audubon Center.
The mission of the Prospect Park Audubon Center is to inspire the people of Brooklyn to appreciate, learn about and protect the birds, other wildlife and their habitats in Prospect Park and beyond.
***
The Prospect Park Audubon Center seeks a graduate student intern. The internship provides school credit and work experience for students interested in the fields of environmental education or environmental institution administration. The internship is designed to prepare graduate students entering into the field through training, education, and work experience in four core career components:
1. Non-formal Teaching Experience
2. Environmental Philosophy, Education, and the Inquiry-based Teaching Method
3. Environmental Institution Administration
4. Special Events Management or Staff Development
Interns will obtain the four components by, but not limited to, the teaching of non-formal education programs, assisting in the development of curriculum, participate in the dynamics of a non-profit environmental organization, gaining customer service experience, interpretation of exhibits, learning the nuances of teaching about the natural world in an urban environment, assistance in the execution of special events, and the completion of one of two projects; running a special event at the center, or a staff development session.
The ultimate goal of the semester long internship is to fill the growing need for environmental educators and administrators in urban settings, while simultaneously alleviating the staffing need of this non-profit institution, and training students to become employees grounded in the communities they serve, while solidifying interns as strong candidates for future job opportunities at the Prospect Park Audubon Center.
Internship Duration & Requirements:
· Students must be registered in a graduate level program in environmental education, environmental science, biology, or a related program.
· Internship participants are required to participate during the spring 2010 semester of their respective schools program.
· This is an unpaid Internship.
· Students must receive credit hour approval from their respective school.
· Internship hours committed is based upon respective graduate program requirements, though students must complete a minimum of twelve hours per week in addition to a minimum of eighteen hours of work during weekend public hours.
· Average intern parameters typically constitute 3-4 credit hours and 160 hours in the internship.
· Typical shifts are based upon the centers normal business hours between 9am and 5pm Tuesday through Friday.
· Students are required to receive a background check.
To apply send a resume, cover letter, two references (one academic, one professional), your graduate program advisor’s contact information, and semester start and end date to job102@prospectpark.org . Items must be submitted no later than four weeks prior to the start of a spring semester.
No phone calls, please. Although we appreciate your interest, we will only contact applicants we are considering for interview. The Prospect Park Alliance is an equal opportunity employer.
3)
December 3, 2009
Dear New Yorker,
We want to alert you about a troubling development for New York City's water.
On September 30, 2009, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation released a document proposing new permitting procedures and regulations for natural gas drilling in our state. In effect, this document has left an open path for an unconventional gas drilling technique, known as hydraulic fracturing, to proceed in the land areas that supply our City with its famously clean drinking water.
We are deeply troubled by this prospect. As much as 90 percent of our City's water comes from the Catskill/Delaware watershed. Natural gas drilling, a heavily industrial activity, risks introducing highly toxic chemicals into the City's drinking water. If the water were to become contaminated, the City would have to spend an estimated $10 billion to build a filtration plant and $100 million annually to operate it - further increasing water bills that have already seen double digit increases over the past three years.
If you care as deeply about the future of our City's water supply as we do, please call or write Governor Paterson and ask him and the State Legislature to explicitly ban drilling for natural gas in the City's watershed. We've gone ahead and drafted a letter that folks can easily sign on to and send to the Governor via our website. To access, click
http://council.nyc.gov/html/action_center/drilling.shtml
http://council.nyc.gov/html/action_center/drilling.shtml
Additionally, the State should extend the public comment period on the proposed regulations, which are found in a voluminous document called the "draft Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement. The public comment period should be extended through February 28, 2010.
Finally, please call or write your U.S. representative and U.S. senators and ask them to support the Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals Act of 2009, which would help protect drinking water supplies throughout the country from the serious risks that hydrofracking poses. You can find your representative's contact information by clicking here and your senators' contact information by clicking here. You can also call the Capitol's main switchboard at (202) 224-3121.
Thanks so much for helping us protect our City's water supply.
Sincerely,
Christine C. Quinn
Speaker
New York City Council
James Gennaro
Chair, Committee on Environmental Protection
New York City Council
http://www.silive.com/westshore/index.ssf/2009/12/thousands_urge_that_pouch_camp.html
*************
*Pouch Camp rally
Supporters looking to preserve the William H. Pouch Scout Camp in Sea View have organized a public rally.
*When
Dec. 12, 5 to 6:30 p.m.
*Where
Meet in front of Susan Wagner High School, 1200 Manor Rd., Sea View.
*What
The group will march down the street to the camp, then proceed to its Memorial Garden, where the annual holiday lighting will take place.
*Of note
As of last night, more 400 Facebook members had confirmed their attendance and the camp’s head ranger, Gil Schweiger, confirmed that another 1,000 to 1,200 individuals had made verbal commitments.
2)
From Jonathan Wells from Prospect Park Audubon Center; searching for a graduate internship
Hello all,
Hope all is well. I am looking for a graduate student for an internship program I’m running here at the center this spring. If you know of anyone who might be appropriate please let them or myself know. See below a brief description and an attached flyer.
Thanks so much for any assistance,
Jonathan
Jonathan P. Wells
Manager of Education Programs
Prospect Park Audubon Center
(718) 287-3400 x114
jwells@audubon.prospectpark.org
To be successful in our conservation efforts, we need your help! Sign up for Audubon Alerts and the Advisory at www.audubonaction.org/newyork
To whom it may concern;
This spring the Prospect Park Audubon Center will be offering a graduate level internship to students interested in entering into environmental education, or an environmental administration field. The Internship will give students entry-level experience at the Audubon Center, while receiving internship credits from their respective schools. Please see below a brief internship description, the same information attached as a document, and a flyer for advertising at your organization. Please have any potential candidates submit the below requirements to job102@prospectpark.org. For additional internal information please contact me at the email address below. Feel free to pass this email along to any interested parties.
Thank you for your assistance,
Jonathan Wells
Jonathan P. Wells
Manager of Education Programs / Internship Coordinator
Prospect Park Audubon Center
(718) 287-3400 x114
jwells@audubon.prospectpark.org
To be successful in our conservation efforts, we need your help! Sign up for Audubon Alerts and the Advisory at www.audubonaction.org/newyork
AD COPY
The Prospect Park Alliance, working in partnership with City of New York and the community, restores, develops, and operates Prospect Park for the enjoyment of all by caring for the natural environment, preserving historic design, and serving the public through facilities and programs. Prospect Park is Brooklyn’s 585-acre historic flagship park, designed by the famed Olmsted and Vaux. It is the home of Brooklyn’s only lake and forest, with nature trails, numerous recreational activities, public and school-based educational programs, volunteer opportunities, and the first urban Audubon Center.
The mission of the Prospect Park Audubon Center is to inspire the people of Brooklyn to appreciate, learn about and protect the birds, other wildlife and their habitats in Prospect Park and beyond.
***
The Prospect Park Audubon Center seeks a graduate student intern. The internship provides school credit and work experience for students interested in the fields of environmental education or environmental institution administration. The internship is designed to prepare graduate students entering into the field through training, education, and work experience in four core career components:
1. Non-formal Teaching Experience
2. Environmental Philosophy, Education, and the Inquiry-based Teaching Method
3. Environmental Institution Administration
4. Special Events Management or Staff Development
Interns will obtain the four components by, but not limited to, the teaching of non-formal education programs, assisting in the development of curriculum, participate in the dynamics of a non-profit environmental organization, gaining customer service experience, interpretation of exhibits, learning the nuances of teaching about the natural world in an urban environment, assistance in the execution of special events, and the completion of one of two projects; running a special event at the center, or a staff development session.
The ultimate goal of the semester long internship is to fill the growing need for environmental educators and administrators in urban settings, while simultaneously alleviating the staffing need of this non-profit institution, and training students to become employees grounded in the communities they serve, while solidifying interns as strong candidates for future job opportunities at the Prospect Park Audubon Center.
Internship Duration & Requirements:
· Students must be registered in a graduate level program in environmental education, environmental science, biology, or a related program.
· Internship participants are required to participate during the spring 2010 semester of their respective schools program.
· This is an unpaid Internship.
· Students must receive credit hour approval from their respective school.
· Internship hours committed is based upon respective graduate program requirements, though students must complete a minimum of twelve hours per week in addition to a minimum of eighteen hours of work during weekend public hours.
· Average intern parameters typically constitute 3-4 credit hours and 160 hours in the internship.
· Typical shifts are based upon the centers normal business hours between 9am and 5pm Tuesday through Friday.
· Students are required to receive a background check.
To apply send a resume, cover letter, two references (one academic, one professional), your graduate program advisor’s contact information, and semester start and end date to job102@prospectpark.org . Items must be submitted no later than four weeks prior to the start of a spring semester.
No phone calls, please. Although we appreciate your interest, we will only contact applicants we are considering for interview. The Prospect Park Alliance is an equal opportunity employer.
3)
Email memo sent by speaker of NY city council , Christine Quinn about Hydro Fracturing near the NYC water reservoirs
December 3, 2009
Dear New Yorker,
We want to alert you about a troubling development for New York City's water.
On September 30, 2009, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation released a document proposing new permitting procedures and regulations for natural gas drilling in our state. In effect, this document has left an open path for an unconventional gas drilling technique, known as hydraulic fracturing, to proceed in the land areas that supply our City with its famously clean drinking water.
We are deeply troubled by this prospect. As much as 90 percent of our City's water comes from the Catskill/Delaware watershed. Natural gas drilling, a heavily industrial activity, risks introducing highly toxic chemicals into the City's drinking water. If the water were to become contaminated, the City would have to spend an estimated $10 billion to build a filtration plant and $100 million annually to operate it - further increasing water bills that have already seen double digit increases over the past three years.
If you care as deeply about the future of our City's water supply as we do, please call or write Governor Paterson and ask him and the State Legislature to explicitly ban drilling for natural gas in the City's watershed. We've gone ahead and drafted a letter that folks can easily sign on to and send to the Governor via our website. To access, click
http://council.nyc.gov/html/action_center/drilling.shtml
http://council.nyc.gov/html/action_center/drilling.shtml
Additionally, the State should extend the public comment period on the proposed regulations, which are found in a voluminous document called the "draft Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement. The public comment period should be extended through February 28, 2010.
Finally, please call or write your U.S. representative and U.S. senators and ask them to support the Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals Act of 2009, which would help protect drinking water supplies throughout the country from the serious risks that hydrofracking poses. You can find your representative's contact information by clicking here and your senators' contact information by clicking here. You can also call the Capitol's main switchboard at (202) 224-3121.
Thanks so much for helping us protect our City's water supply.
Sincerely,
Christine C. Quinn
Speaker
New York City Council
James Gennaro
Chair, Committee on Environmental Protection
New York City Council
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Plumb Beach erosion concerns
This article I picked up from the Brooklyn Papers of the Sheepshead Bay locale
Wednesday, December 2, 2009Yournabe.com Home
Residents: Plumb Beach needs more than a band-aid
By Joe Maniscalco
Tuesday, December 1, 2009 9:42 PM EST
Comment (No comments posted.) Email To a Friend
Congressman Weiner looks over a section of the bike path that was destroyed by the last storm surge. Photo by Steve Solomonson
Plumb Beach’s latest thrashing at the hands of Mother Nature has left area resdents demanding a long-term solution to what they see as a rapidly deteriorating situation.
The latest strorm track to batter Plumb Beach last month carried away huge amounts of sand and destroyed a 150-foot sectionof the Shore Parkway Greenway running along the Belt Parkway near the Plumb Beach parking lot.
Emergency stabilization efforts - including the introduction of sandbags and rock boulders - are now underway in an effort to limit the damage.
This week, Rep. Anthony Weiner toured the site and assessed the damage along with local residents and representatives from several governmental agencies.
Those all too familiar with Plumb Beach’s history of storm damage say that this time around the area needs more than a “Band-aid” approach.
“They put sandbags in a few years ago and there’s not even any evidence of them,” Community Board 15 Chair Theresa Scavo said. “This weekend they’re predicting a storm. God forbid if the Belt Parkway is flooded, what will we do?”
The NYC Parks Department says its engineers are working with several other invovled agencies including the Department of Environmental Conservation, National Parks Service, Department of Transportation and Army Corps. of Engineers to “evaluate the long term methods of repairing the affected area.”
Sheepshead Bay/Plumb Beach Civic Association President Kathy Flynn called on Weiner to “quarterback” the effort.
“We’ve been many years questioning this situation and it’s always the same thing - [governmental] agencies passing the buck,” she said.
For the last several years, activists like Flynn have also been calling for dredging the mouth of Sheepshead Bay.
ADVERTISEMENTThey maintain that storm surges like the one that occurred last month not only erode Plumb Beach and threaten the Belt Parkway, they also clog navigation lanes.
“There’s colateral damage,” Flynn said. “The whole north shore is eroding away and the south shore keeps building up.”
Money that could be earmarked for that effort has not been forthcoming.
Weiner has asked all interested parties to “go back to the drawing board” to find a solution to Plumb Beach’s problems.
“Something has got to be done,” Scavo said.
One option being suggested is the installation of some sort of off-shore barrier that could theoretically deflect storm surges.
“Yes, something has to be done,” Flynn cautioned. “In the long-term I’d like to see more of a natural type of barrier rather than a cement or steel bulkhead. This is a natural area and it should be preserved that way.”
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- YourNabe.com Homepage
CNG, YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, YOUR NEWS and YOUR NABE.COM are trademarks of News Community Newspapers Holdings, Inc. and its affiliates.
Copyright © 2009 News Community Newspapers Holdings, Inc. .
All rights reserved. View the YourNabe.com's Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
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Wednesday, December 2, 2009Yournabe.com Home
Residents: Plumb Beach needs more than a band-aid
By Joe Maniscalco
Tuesday, December 1, 2009 9:42 PM EST
Comment (No comments posted.) Email To a Friend
Congressman Weiner looks over a section of the bike path that was destroyed by the last storm surge. Photo by Steve Solomonson
Plumb Beach’s latest thrashing at the hands of Mother Nature has left area resdents demanding a long-term solution to what they see as a rapidly deteriorating situation.
The latest strorm track to batter Plumb Beach last month carried away huge amounts of sand and destroyed a 150-foot sectionof the Shore Parkway Greenway running along the Belt Parkway near the Plumb Beach parking lot.
Emergency stabilization efforts - including the introduction of sandbags and rock boulders - are now underway in an effort to limit the damage.
This week, Rep. Anthony Weiner toured the site and assessed the damage along with local residents and representatives from several governmental agencies.
Those all too familiar with Plumb Beach’s history of storm damage say that this time around the area needs more than a “Band-aid” approach.
“They put sandbags in a few years ago and there’s not even any evidence of them,” Community Board 15 Chair Theresa Scavo said. “This weekend they’re predicting a storm. God forbid if the Belt Parkway is flooded, what will we do?”
The NYC Parks Department says its engineers are working with several other invovled agencies including the Department of Environmental Conservation, National Parks Service, Department of Transportation and Army Corps. of Engineers to “evaluate the long term methods of repairing the affected area.”
Sheepshead Bay/Plumb Beach Civic Association President Kathy Flynn called on Weiner to “quarterback” the effort.
“We’ve been many years questioning this situation and it’s always the same thing - [governmental] agencies passing the buck,” she said.
For the last several years, activists like Flynn have also been calling for dredging the mouth of Sheepshead Bay.
ADVERTISEMENTThey maintain that storm surges like the one that occurred last month not only erode Plumb Beach and threaten the Belt Parkway, they also clog navigation lanes.
“There’s colateral damage,” Flynn said. “The whole north shore is eroding away and the south shore keeps building up.”
Money that could be earmarked for that effort has not been forthcoming.
Weiner has asked all interested parties to “go back to the drawing board” to find a solution to Plumb Beach’s problems.
“Something has got to be done,” Scavo said.
One option being suggested is the installation of some sort of off-shore barrier that could theoretically deflect storm surges.
“Yes, something has to be done,” Flynn cautioned. “In the long-term I’d like to see more of a natural type of barrier rather than a cement or steel bulkhead. This is a natural area and it should be preserved that way.”
Sections
- YourNabe.com Homepage
CNG, YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, YOUR NEWS and YOUR NABE.COM are trademarks of News Community Newspapers Holdings, Inc. and its affiliates.
Copyright © 2009 News Community Newspapers Holdings, Inc. .
All rights reserved. View the YourNabe.com's Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Powered by Townnews.com
Monday, November 30, 2009
Staten Island Greenbelt habitat in jeopardy
PETITION (LEFT LOWER SIDEBAR) ---> http://www.savepouch.com/index.html
For a visual of the property on a trail map, look at Boy Scout Pouch Camp to the right of "Bloodroot Valley". The private camp lies in the heart of the Greenbelt
http://www.sigreenbelt.org/Trails/trailmap.pdf
Conjuring environmental battles of decades past, a Scout camp's proposed sale imperils a key piece of the Staten Island Greenbelt
By Karen O'Shea
November 25, 2009,
The Boy Scouts of America is looking to sell Pouch Camp.STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. --
It's the worst time to ask the city and state to pony up $30 million to buy Pouch Camp in the Greenbelt -- a unique Staten Island wilderness that has been used by thousands of Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts for nearly 60 years -- but that's precisely what the Greater New York Councils Boy Scouts of America is doing now. And if the Boy Scouts don't get government to pay for a conservation easement to preserve the campgrounds, the nonprofit will sell the 120-acre William H. Pouch Scout Camp and 20-acre Ohrbach Lake to private developers. Boy Scout executives said yesterday that the Island camp is one of only two key assets that can be leveraged to raise funds for the cash-strapped organization. "It's certainly not a threat. It's absolutely very real," William Kelly, a Boy Scouts spokesman, said of the announcement that the organization would begin marketing the wooded property off Manor Road for sale. "We don't want the outcome to be a sale of the property. We want the outcome to be a conservation easement that preserves the land for children in perpetuity, but if that doesn't happen we have to look at other options and the other options are a full or partial sale," he added. Yesterday's press release, a copy of which was obtained by the Advance hours before it was released by the Greater New York Councils, did not set a price for a potential sale, but several people said a conservation easement would cost government roughly $30 million, or half the $60 million appraised value. An easement would allow the Boy Scouts to continue to operate the camp in exchange for giving up the right to develop the property, which is zoned for housing. Kelly said the Boy Scouts executive committee voted last week to pursue a sale, and the organization is in the final stages of selecting a real estate firm to market the property. The site represents the largest and one of the only privately owned parcels in the Greenbelt, which bisects the Island and includes parks, a golf course and other city and state land. "We are not going to put a for sale sign up outside, but we are just going to quietly market it to people who might be in a position to work with us," Kelly said.
SURPRISED OFFICIALS
The timing of the announcement surprised some public officials, who spent yesterday morning working the phones, trying to drum up dollars for a purchase at a time when the state and city are facing unprecedented budget holes. But those same officials also said they had been talking to Boy Scout executives for some time about a conservation easement. "What this announcement does is it shows the urgency that we need to make sure we preserve this land," said Assemblyman Michael Cusick (D-Mid-Island). Cusick and other Island politicians met with Boy Scout executives last spring, and talks about an easement date to least three years ago. In 1992, the camp was added to the state's open space plan, a land acquisition wish list that makes it possible to purchase and preserve private lands with public money. Charlie Greinsky, vice president of relationships and intergovernmental affairs for the Staten Island Council of the Boy Scouts of America, said he was "blindsided" by yesterday's announcement. The native Islander, an Eagle Scout who earned badges at Pouch Camp and worked there as well, said he had a discussion with Kelly just Saturday -- and the subject of a possible sale never came up. "The lack of camp improvements under legislative grants was discussed and I wanted to know what were the delays," Greinsky said. "I was to have gotten a call on Monday. But I never got one." State Sen. Andrew Lanza (R-Staten Island) said he had an agreement in early 2008 to secure $15 million toward a Pouch Camp easement. But elections in November last year resulted in Republicans losing the majority in the Senate and Lanza's losing the money, he added. A devastating financial collapse on Wall Street was happening at the same time. "I'm not surprised; I am disappointed," Lanza said of the potential sale of Pouch Camp to private developers. "The time has come for us to figure out how to do this. I think it is a good use of taxpayer dollars, even in tough times," he said of an easement. But squeezing any extra dollars from state and city administrations won't be easy. The city must close a $4.1 billion budget gap and the state is facing a $3.2 billion deficit. "These are the tightest financial times we've had in years and years," said Borough President James Molinaro. "But under no conditions can we lose this. It would not be good for the Boy Scouts or for Staten Island."
SLASHED BUDGET
The Boy Scouts, meanwhile, slashed their own budget from $15 million to $10 million but still lost $5 million in charitable donations over the last 18 months. The organization purchased the first piece of Pouch Camp in 1949 from the estate of Ernest Flagg, the Island architect who famously designed the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. The second parcel was acquired from the city in 1956. The total cost to assemble the camp, which was named for a Scout and benefactor, was $113,300. Over the years, thousands of Scouts have used the summer day camp and weekend camping facilities, where they have learned to fish, build campfires, tie knots and practice other survival skills. The Boy Scouts also pay for low-income campers to attend Pouch, and the YMCA uses the camp. Assemblyman Lou Tobacco (R-South Shore), an Eagle Scout who earned several merit badges at Pouch Camp, was reaching out yesterday to the mayor's office, various state agencies and the Trust for Public Land, which helped broker the $25 million sale of Mount Loretto to the state. '
ANOTHER TODT HILL'
A staffer in Tobacco's office said Pouch Camp could become "another Todt Hill" if sold to a private developer. The site has the same restrictive residential zoning that permits only large, single-family detached houses on 10,000-square-foot lots. That notion doesn't sit well with Kathleen Vorwick, president of the Greenbelt Conservancy, which partners with the Parks Department to care for and raise funds for the Greenbelt. "The heart and soul and lungs of the Greenbelt would be destroyed," she said of a private sale of Pouch Camp. The Boy Scouts also said yesterday that they are considering "cash-producing" options at the 12,000-acre Ten Mile River Scout Reservation in upstate Narrowsburg.---twitter.com/siadvance
© 2009 SILive.com. All rights reserved.
For a visual of the property on a trail map, look at Boy Scout Pouch Camp to the right of "Bloodroot Valley". The private camp lies in the heart of the Greenbelt
http://www.sigreenbelt.org/Trails/trailmap.pdf
Conjuring environmental battles of decades past, a Scout camp's proposed sale imperils a key piece of the Staten Island Greenbelt
By Karen O'Shea
November 25, 2009,
The Boy Scouts of America is looking to sell Pouch Camp.STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. --
It's the worst time to ask the city and state to pony up $30 million to buy Pouch Camp in the Greenbelt -- a unique Staten Island wilderness that has been used by thousands of Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts for nearly 60 years -- but that's precisely what the Greater New York Councils Boy Scouts of America is doing now. And if the Boy Scouts don't get government to pay for a conservation easement to preserve the campgrounds, the nonprofit will sell the 120-acre William H. Pouch Scout Camp and 20-acre Ohrbach Lake to private developers. Boy Scout executives said yesterday that the Island camp is one of only two key assets that can be leveraged to raise funds for the cash-strapped organization. "It's certainly not a threat. It's absolutely very real," William Kelly, a Boy Scouts spokesman, said of the announcement that the organization would begin marketing the wooded property off Manor Road for sale. "We don't want the outcome to be a sale of the property. We want the outcome to be a conservation easement that preserves the land for children in perpetuity, but if that doesn't happen we have to look at other options and the other options are a full or partial sale," he added. Yesterday's press release, a copy of which was obtained by the Advance hours before it was released by the Greater New York Councils, did not set a price for a potential sale, but several people said a conservation easement would cost government roughly $30 million, or half the $60 million appraised value. An easement would allow the Boy Scouts to continue to operate the camp in exchange for giving up the right to develop the property, which is zoned for housing. Kelly said the Boy Scouts executive committee voted last week to pursue a sale, and the organization is in the final stages of selecting a real estate firm to market the property. The site represents the largest and one of the only privately owned parcels in the Greenbelt, which bisects the Island and includes parks, a golf course and other city and state land. "We are not going to put a for sale sign up outside, but we are just going to quietly market it to people who might be in a position to work with us," Kelly said.
SURPRISED OFFICIALS
The timing of the announcement surprised some public officials, who spent yesterday morning working the phones, trying to drum up dollars for a purchase at a time when the state and city are facing unprecedented budget holes. But those same officials also said they had been talking to Boy Scout executives for some time about a conservation easement. "What this announcement does is it shows the urgency that we need to make sure we preserve this land," said Assemblyman Michael Cusick (D-Mid-Island). Cusick and other Island politicians met with Boy Scout executives last spring, and talks about an easement date to least three years ago. In 1992, the camp was added to the state's open space plan, a land acquisition wish list that makes it possible to purchase and preserve private lands with public money. Charlie Greinsky, vice president of relationships and intergovernmental affairs for the Staten Island Council of the Boy Scouts of America, said he was "blindsided" by yesterday's announcement. The native Islander, an Eagle Scout who earned badges at Pouch Camp and worked there as well, said he had a discussion with Kelly just Saturday -- and the subject of a possible sale never came up. "The lack of camp improvements under legislative grants was discussed and I wanted to know what were the delays," Greinsky said. "I was to have gotten a call on Monday. But I never got one." State Sen. Andrew Lanza (R-Staten Island) said he had an agreement in early 2008 to secure $15 million toward a Pouch Camp easement. But elections in November last year resulted in Republicans losing the majority in the Senate and Lanza's losing the money, he added. A devastating financial collapse on Wall Street was happening at the same time. "I'm not surprised; I am disappointed," Lanza said of the potential sale of Pouch Camp to private developers. "The time has come for us to figure out how to do this. I think it is a good use of taxpayer dollars, even in tough times," he said of an easement. But squeezing any extra dollars from state and city administrations won't be easy. The city must close a $4.1 billion budget gap and the state is facing a $3.2 billion deficit. "These are the tightest financial times we've had in years and years," said Borough President James Molinaro. "But under no conditions can we lose this. It would not be good for the Boy Scouts or for Staten Island."
SLASHED BUDGET
The Boy Scouts, meanwhile, slashed their own budget from $15 million to $10 million but still lost $5 million in charitable donations over the last 18 months. The organization purchased the first piece of Pouch Camp in 1949 from the estate of Ernest Flagg, the Island architect who famously designed the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. The second parcel was acquired from the city in 1956. The total cost to assemble the camp, which was named for a Scout and benefactor, was $113,300. Over the years, thousands of Scouts have used the summer day camp and weekend camping facilities, where they have learned to fish, build campfires, tie knots and practice other survival skills. The Boy Scouts also pay for low-income campers to attend Pouch, and the YMCA uses the camp. Assemblyman Lou Tobacco (R-South Shore), an Eagle Scout who earned several merit badges at Pouch Camp, was reaching out yesterday to the mayor's office, various state agencies and the Trust for Public Land, which helped broker the $25 million sale of Mount Loretto to the state. '
ANOTHER TODT HILL'
A staffer in Tobacco's office said Pouch Camp could become "another Todt Hill" if sold to a private developer. The site has the same restrictive residential zoning that permits only large, single-family detached houses on 10,000-square-foot lots. That notion doesn't sit well with Kathleen Vorwick, president of the Greenbelt Conservancy, which partners with the Parks Department to care for and raise funds for the Greenbelt. "The heart and soul and lungs of the Greenbelt would be destroyed," she said of a private sale of Pouch Camp. The Boy Scouts also said yesterday that they are considering "cash-producing" options at the 12,000-acre Ten Mile River Scout Reservation in upstate Narrowsburg.---twitter.com/siadvance
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Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Scenic Hudson urgent request to protest cuts to land conservation
Trouble viewing this e-mail? You can read it on-line.To ensure receipt of our e-mails, please add our address (takeaction@scenichudson.org) to your address book.
Dear Peter,
We need your help. The word from Albany is that Gov. Paterson and NY State lawmakers are proposing placing a moratorium on all state funding for land protection and acquisition. The portion of the Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) dedicated to direct land protection already is less than 1/1,000th of the overall state budget -- and now they're proposing bringing it all the way down to ZERO.
We understand that NY is facing a budget crisis, but eliminating all state land preservation would be a dreadful mistake. Here are three reasons why:
1. Developers are gearing up for a post-recession wave of buildingBuilders are using their current downtime to plan and seek approvals for the next wave of residential construction. The latest estimates suggest that 100,000 new housing units have already been proposed for the Hudson Valley, many of which will eliminate farmland and mar the iconic views that have made the valley a world-famous attraction.
2. Depressed real estate prices are creating great conservation opportunitiesGiven a choice, many property owners would prefer to see their land conserved than sell it to a developer-especially in this economy, when buyers of any kind are scarce. By placing a moratorium on land purchases now, New York is turning away from some unprecedented land protection bargains.
3. State land protection programs are a proven winnerUnlike many aspects of state government, the program that makes EPF funds available for land protection projects is highly efficient. This small part of the state budget brings big benefits to New Yorkers with very little waste. Let's not mess it up!
As most of you know, the governor and lawmakers have already robbed the EPF of half a billion dollars -- this year's EPF has been reduced by nearly 25 percent from funding levels passed into law in 2007. Don't let our lawmakers cut it further by enacting this wrong-headed moratorium. Please visit this page to send them a letter today.
Sincerely,
Ned Sullivan President
P.S. I know this is a busy time of year, but sending this letter is really important. Thanks for all that you do.
This message was sent to prosbird@aol.com. To stop ALL email from Scenic Hudson, click to remove yourself from our lists.Click here to unsubscribe
Dear Peter,
We need your help. The word from Albany is that Gov. Paterson and NY State lawmakers are proposing placing a moratorium on all state funding for land protection and acquisition. The portion of the Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) dedicated to direct land protection already is less than 1/1,000th of the overall state budget -- and now they're proposing bringing it all the way down to ZERO.
We understand that NY is facing a budget crisis, but eliminating all state land preservation would be a dreadful mistake. Here are three reasons why:
1. Developers are gearing up for a post-recession wave of buildingBuilders are using their current downtime to plan and seek approvals for the next wave of residential construction. The latest estimates suggest that 100,000 new housing units have already been proposed for the Hudson Valley, many of which will eliminate farmland and mar the iconic views that have made the valley a world-famous attraction.
2. Depressed real estate prices are creating great conservation opportunitiesGiven a choice, many property owners would prefer to see their land conserved than sell it to a developer-especially in this economy, when buyers of any kind are scarce. By placing a moratorium on land purchases now, New York is turning away from some unprecedented land protection bargains.
3. State land protection programs are a proven winnerUnlike many aspects of state government, the program that makes EPF funds available for land protection projects is highly efficient. This small part of the state budget brings big benefits to New Yorkers with very little waste. Let's not mess it up!
As most of you know, the governor and lawmakers have already robbed the EPF of half a billion dollars -- this year's EPF has been reduced by nearly 25 percent from funding levels passed into law in 2007. Don't let our lawmakers cut it further by enacting this wrong-headed moratorium. Please visit this page to send them a letter today.
Sincerely,
Ned Sullivan President
P.S. I know this is a busy time of year, but sending this letter is really important. Thanks for all that you do.
This message was sent to prosbird@aol.com. To stop ALL email from Scenic Hudson, click to remove yourself from our lists.Click here to unsubscribe
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