Recent story featuring SPARC and SSF in Adirondac
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Hydrofracking - a very risky proposition for everyone which SPARC opposes - please get informed and involved and spread the word
READ The New York Times series “Drilling Down,” on dangers of hydro-fracking>> links from the Citizens Campaign Web site
DRBC Draft Natural Gas Regulations - Open for Comment through March 16
HEARINGS SET BY DRBC were held in late February.
For Talking Points for Hearings and Letters go to: http://www.delawareriverkeeper.org/act-now/urgent-details.aspx?Id=66
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Press Release: for immediate release/ January 24, 2011
SPARC Reschedules Meeting
Meeting will include Discussion on Fracking in State Forests
Following the weather cancellation of SPARC’s meeting on Wednesday, January 19, 2011, a rescheduled meeting date of Wednesday, February 2, 2011 has been set for the Community Room of the Bethlehem Presbyterian Church on Rt. 94 in New Windsor. All are invited to attend and hear about the state’s gas drilling plans and SPARC’s activities. Light refreshments will be served. Call 845 564-3018 for information.
The NYS DEC wants the right to lease our public lands, namely 441 state forests throughout New York State, totaling 786,329 acres, to gas drilling companies for extraction of gas by shale fracturing or 'fracking'. They are also willing to allow the storage of gas and the building of transmission lines and roadways supporting and facilitating the distribution of gas, again on these publicly owned, state-managed lands. Stewart State Forest is, by definition, included in this exploitation scheme. (Only the Catskill Park and Adirondack Park preserves would enjoy protection from this plan.)
This outrageous proposal flies in the face of the DEC's role as steward of these public spaces for outdoor recreation and environmental protection, and SPARC is vehemently opposed to this action by the very agency that is supposed to preserve open space for public benefit.
Just last August 2010 the DEC released their “Draft Strategic Plan for State Forest Management”, held a limited number of hearings, allowed a one month period for public comment, and now has accepted, as of December 29, 2010, the "Final GEIS Strategic Plan for State Forest Management", which will permit 'Fracking'. Without the current statewide moratorium on fracking the NYS DEC could accept industry applications for gas drilling and related supporting activities right now. (Also troubling is foreign interest in fracking, as the magazine ‘Foreign Affairs’ says the Chinese government is eagerly buying up shale extraction rights in the US now.)
SPARC decided in late 2009 to join statewide efforts by such groups as the Catskill Mountainkeeper, Atlantic Chapter of the Sierra Club, and numerous others, to oppose fracking. Members participated in rallies in Albany, presented testimony in Binghamton, and last October SPARC hosted Wes Gillingham of Catskill Mountainkeeper to speak about the gas drilling problems at its annual dinner in Orange County.
But it is only with the acceptance of DEC’s State Forest plan, that the threat of fracking on our public lands has emerged, and SPARC is shocked. SPARC President Sandra Kissam stated, “ It appears the DEC has been charged with using our public open space as a 'cash cow' for state coffers, and that there is a new and ominous agenda which contradicts the reasons that these lands were preserved. We will oppose this agenda and defend our public lands, which belong to the people of our state.” Although Stewart State Forest does not lie on shale formations, it could nevertheless be used for transmission lines, gas storage facilities, or other supporting structures.
In 2005, a coalition led by SPARC, which included the Orange County Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs and the Sierra Club, settled a legal battle with DOT that resulted in the transfer of almost 7,000 acres total from the NYS DOT to the DEC and the establishment of the current boundaries of Stewart State Forest. Then, as part of the settlement, the DEC finalized a Unit Management Plan (UMP) for the Forest in December of 2006. This carefully crafted plan included extensive public input and essentially set recreational and environmental goals for the Forest.
SPARC submits comments and testimony on the DEC's Draft Strategic Plan and Draft Generic Environmental Impact Statement for State Forest Management. Read them here.
Multiple use at Stewart resumes December 13th.
Since this past November 20th and until December 13th, Stewart State Forest is exclusively for the use by licensed sportsmen for the deer season. All other users are not allowed on the lands. However, Multiple Use will resume on Monday, December 13, 2010, which includes hiking, skiing, biking, horseback riding and all other uses. When snow cover is sufficient, there are also trails for snowmobiles.
(A note here: Controlling the size of the deer herd is beneficial for the Forest as it, for example, limits browse damage to young trees and vegetation. Recently there has been a renewed interest in the impact of deer on their habitat.)
Memo from SPARC re Ridge Road Gate closing (Oct 15 2010):
The start of the small game hunting season on October 1st is the reason why this gate is being locked.
The reasons are:
1. The sportsmen hunting small game are allowed to enter the lands in vehicles and locate themselves in small parking areas scattered throughout the State Forest. No other users are permitted to do this and the individual hunters are then restricted to hunting only those lands around their parking space.
2. They are required to enter with their vehicles only at the Weed Rd. entrance.
3. In order for them to move through the roadways to get to their parking spaces, the three internal gates at the Ridge Road parking lot must be left open. (Normally these gates are closed and locked.) This allows them to circulate. However, the main gate to the parking lot must be locked or any unauthorized vehicle from anywhere could access the Stewart Lands and also drive unimpeded through the property onto these internal roads. Obviously, at other times of the year, the open gate at Ridge Rd. does allow parking for vehicles and horse trailers, while the closed road gates at the site (Ridge Road, New Road, Maple Ave.) prevent driving a vehicle onto the internal road system.
4. Multiple use, including biking, walking, hiking, horse riding, etc. is permitted to continue during this small game season. If any of these other users are looking for parking they can use the following: (a) the parking lot at Weed Road adjacent to Rt. 207, or (b) a new parking lot at Barron Rd. South accessible from Rt. 208, or (c) parking outside the gate at Barron Rd. north, accessible from Rt. 17K.
5. Multiple use ends at the start of big game season, sometime around Thanksgiving. At that point only hunting is allowed in the Forest. Multiple use resumes at the end of big game season. For exact start and end dates please contact the DEC Region 3 office in New Paltz.
The main number is 845 256-3000, and you can also call the Forest Rangers at 845 256-3026 or Wildlife at 845 256-3098.
SPARC and Stewart State Forest News
SPARC publishes a newsletter several times a year to keep its members, elected officials, agency reps and others up to date on what's going on with Stewart State Forest, as well the activities of SPARC. To join our mailing list, become a member or send us a note with your snail mail address. We also send occasional e-mails and keep a SPARC Facebook page - please join these to keep up to date and share your experiences on the Stewart lands.
PDF files of recent newsletters: