Mr. Jeff Wiegert
21 South Putt Corners Road
New Paltz, NY 12561-1696

November 3, 2003

Dear Mr. Wiegert,

I am writing you regarding the “Model Forest” that I understand will encompass several hundred acres of the Mt. Nimham area in Putnam County. Being a resident in the community for many years, I cannot possibly see the overall benefit of this project and perhaps you can enlighten me to the thinking behind it, and offer me a logical explanation of why this needs to be done.

I live near other residents who were forced to install water filtration systems for their drinking water because of arsenic and high iron content within the water. Every month or so the tanker truck rolls through and refills the tank on my neighbors property. This can become quite expensive, not to mention the fact of possible running out before the next delivery. With awareness at an all time high concerning arsenic poisoning I do not feel that disturbing the surrounding area would be beneficial to the drinking water.

Mt. Nimham has always been a place of peace and tranquility for all to enjoy. Starting a logging operation would destroy what nature has taken hundreds of years to accomplish. The residents within the community would be affected dramatically once this operation went into affect. We would have the noise of chainsaws; heavy equipment and the use of herbicides, not to mention the damage logging trucks would create on narrow country roads.

On a mountain that has already been know to contain arsenic, my question is why DEC would start a logging operation in an area that could potentially be more dangerous than it’s worth. Do we need to pollute our local streams and reservoirs by our own stupidity?

Anxiously awaiting your reply.

Sincerely,

GT
Kent

cc. Gov. Pataki