|
Friends,
This past week has been quite wonderful and I
wanted to share the good news and keep you all informed.
Last Monday as many of you may remember, the
Kent Town board unanimously approved a resolution telling the
NYS DEC that the town preferred that our f
orests be allowed to grow old naturally and not
"managed" or "treated" with chainsaws. Because
of this, State Assemblywoman Sandra Galef began to draft a letter
to DEC Commissioner Erin Crotty about the issue. That meeting
generated a NY Journal News article that is available for review
at:
http://www.thejournalnews.com/newsroom/121003/b0110kentlog.html
Last Wednesday, Joshua Adrian (a 20 year old
from Lake Carmel who has been working on this project with me)
and I drove to New Paltz to meet with DEC Regional Director Marc
Moran. Our intention was to learn how to change DEC's proposed
management plans for their Hudson Highlands Unit. However, Director
Moran never allowed the meeting to progress to that point so we
still don't know how citizens can effect change within the DEC.
We tried before, at a meeting in November with foresters Jeff
Weigert, Bob Herberger and Bill Rudge (whom we've come to like
and respect) and came away unsuccessful there as well.
Perhaps because the meeting with Director Moran
ended in disagreement and rather abruptly, Josh and I came out
feeling even more energized and determined to save these lands
and many of you have pitched in to help - with amazing results...
Thursday evening last week we met with activists
at the Independent Media Center in
Danbury, Connecticut [http://www.madhattersimc.org/] and they've
organized a hike to the mountain to see the forests we've asked
them to help us try to protect.
Monday morning, amid slushy and icy roads, I
taped a TV show with Assemblywoman Sandra Galef about the issue
of even-aged management of DEC's local forests that will appear
shortly on cable networks in the area. And, yesterday morning
I taped a radio show for fellow Kent resident Tai Aguirre for
his national investigative radio show.
Last night we presented our case to The Concerned
Residents of Southeast [www.crse.org] and they have agreed to
support our position and write the Commissioner and Governor.
This morning, Josh, Kent sculptor Mike Keropian
and I had a very successful meeting with State Senator Vincent
Leibell where he promised his support and will work with Assemblywoman
Galef on a letter to Commissioner Erin Crotty and try to arrange
a meeting for us. I urge a call to the Senator's office to say
"thanks!".
County Legislators Arne Nordstrom and Terry Intrary
are both now supporters of our efforts and last week we met with
State Assemblyman Willis Stephens who has offered his help and
support. (Willis has long been a supporter of the fire tower restoration
project on Mount Nimham.)
This means that every elected official that represents
the town hosting DEC’s “management” plans are
in favor of a different kind of management than the DEC is used
to: managing our native forests for old growth and recreation
and the re-establishment of natural eco-systems on our mountains
instead of cutting them off in their prime.
Josh is working on an "action" plan
that will involve youth and activist organizations in the area
and along with retired Carmel science teacher Ray Maniero is creating
a brief of the science of the issue as part of a packet being
made available to volunteers and others who want to learn more
about the issue. All of this will be posted to the website as
soon as we complete the work.
I'd like to say a special "Thanks!"
to Mike and Laura and Vincent and Russell and Charlotte and Chuck
for their financial support. Thanks!
Keep those cards and letters coming, especially
those to Commissioner Crotty and Governor Pataki. Their addresses
and contact information is here:
http://www.planputnam.org/highlands/introduction.htm#letters
Lastly, for those who would like to learn more
about a group who saved a forest, I recommend the film "Pickaxe".
PickAxe revolves around a struggle to save the Warner Creek forest
in Oregon from logging.
|
