♦ Press Release ♦
For Immediate Release
May 28, 2010
Contact: Howie Cushing, President
N.Y.S. Conservation Council
Phone: 518-674-2961
E-mail: ccshng3@aol.com
N.Y.S. Conservation Council Rally at Inlet Will Occur As Planned
The N.Y.S. Conservation Council’s rally planned for Saturday, May 29, 2010 at 1:00 p.m. in Inlet at the corner of Route 28 and Limekiln Road will continue as planned. Howie Cushing, President of the Council said, “It has been our intention to continue with the rally whether or not the roads were open for Memorial Day weekend. Despite receiving word that some of the roads to the Moose River Plains will be opened we are moving forward as planned. The Moose River Plains road closings have highlighted some much bigger land use and access issues for us. Opening the roads to Moose River Plains is a great first step, but it doesn’t address the bigger picture issues.”
“The Council will be releasing a position paper the first week of June outlining the Council’s position on state land purchases, land classifications, land use and state park closings. We thought it was time to articulate our position on some issues that are very important to the residents and economy of N.Y. State.” Cushing went on to say, “I’ve been talking with key individuals and working with Walt Paul, Land Use and Access Consultant working with the Council, and we have identified some positions we feel strongly about. The positions include the immediate opening of all state parks and roads recently closed by the state, a moratorium on all state land purchases, a moratorium on Primitive and Wilderness designations and expanding access to state and easement lands for all user groups. The deeper we explore the issues and some of the current practices, the more we realize things have got to change, especially N.Y. State’s approach and thinking on state and easement land use and funding priorities for these areas. For example, buying more land in fee when we can’t take care of what we have just doesn’t make sense; buying more lands when thousands of acres have yet to be surveyed and marked on the ground doesn’t make sense; purchasing lands in fee in the forest preserve and taking this land out of production doesn’t make sense. The Council stands ready to roll up its sleeves and work with the state and others interested in charting a new course. “
For updates, visit the N.Y.S. Conservation Council’s website at www.nyscc.com. The New York State Conservation Council is the oldest conservation organization in N.Y.S. The mission of the Council is to conserve, protect, restore and perpetuate forests, wildlife and scenic and recreational areas.
♦ Press Release ♦
For Immediate Release
May 21, 2010
Contact: Howie Cushing, President
N.Y.S. Conservation Council
Phone: 518-674-2961
E-mail: ccshing@aol.com
Moose River Plains Still Closed
Memorial Day Weekend Rally Planned at Inlet
As Memorial Day approaches, things will look different at Inlet and other towns bordering the Moose River Plains. Roads to the Plains remain closed and the regular users of the area, families looking to spend the day outdoors with their children or with friends fishing, hiking, paddling, birding, picnicking or just plain relaxing, remain locked out by the DEC as a result of N.Y.S. Division of Budget restrictions. To support outdoor enthusiasts of all types and local businesses and towns impacted by the closing, the N.Y.S. Conservation Council will hold a rally on Saturday, May 29, 2010 at 1:00 P.M. at the Town of Inlet, N.Y on the corner of Route # 28 and Limekiln Road.
Howie Cushing, President of the N.Y.S. Conservation Council says, “The gates being locked on Memorial Day weekend is unbelievable. Hard working people who look forward to kicking off the summer season by spending time out-of-doors with family and friends can’t access one of the most popular spots in the state. Besides that, businesses in the area that have struggled to get through the winter depend on the increased traffic over the Memorial Day weekend to get them back on their feet. Hundreds of small towns in N.Y.S. depend on the tourism and the revenues generated by recreational opportunities on state land; to close them just plain doesn’t make sense, especially when you look at the revenue these activities generate.” According to a 2006 survey conducted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1,153,000 anglers spent seventeen million days fishing and contributed almost nine hundred and twenty-six million dollars to the N.Y.S. economy. Wildlife watchers spent 13,521,000 days in the field, spending one and one-half million.
Cushing says, “Access issues have been on the Council’s radar for some time now, so we decided we needed to support outdoor user groups of all types, local business and communities in the area.” The rally begins at 1:00 P.M. on Saturday, May 29, 2010 at the Town of Inlet on the corner of Route #28 and Limekiln Road.
The New York State Conservation Council is the oldest conservation organization in N.Y.S. The mission of the Council is to conserve, protect, restore and perpetuate forests, wildlife and scenic and recreational areas.
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