written by Lynne Jackson << Previous Begin Next>> Water Resources On Page 17 of the DEIS, the Applicant states that the Pine Bush aquifer is not a potential source of municipal water. This is not correct. The Pine Bush is on top of a principle aquifer. A principal aquifer is one that has enough volume and flow to be used as a municipal water supply. The Pine Bush Formation (as the aquifer under the Pine Bush is called) was designated…
written by Lynne Jackson << Previous Begin Next>> Creation of a Viable Preserve The Applicant in the DEIS, goes to great lengths to show that a 2,000 acre fire-manageable Preserve has been attained. However, since the court cases listed by the Applicant, scientific research has shown that a viable preserve must be much larger than originally thought. The Albany Pine Bush Commission’s goal for a viable Preserve, based on scientific research, is set at 4,610 acres, much more than the…
written by Lynne Jackson << Previous Begin Next>> Land Ownership — Identify the Principals The DEIS should identify the current owner of the property. This is a factual matter, and is important because it must be determined if the current owner is or is not the prior owner. Pyramid Corporation, as “Washington Commons Associates” sold the land on 12/29/04 to R.I Heritage Inn of Albany, LLC whose address is 128 Rear Washington Avenue Extension, an empty field and one of…
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written by Lynne Jackson << Previous Begin Next>> Financial & Economic Impacts Employment: The DEIS fails to identify all of the financial impacts of the proposed development. The DEIS indicates there will be both full and part-time employees, but does not show how much the employees will be paid. If employees are paid minimum wage, and given no health insurance benefits, it is possible that the employees may be eligible for Medicaid and/or food stamps and/or HEAP and/or other social…
written by Lynne Jackson << Previous Begin Next>> Questions of Illegal Clearing and SPDES Permit Violations The Common Council must consider that this land was illegally cleared, in violation of the SPDES permit (#4-0130-00007/2002, issued on 7/6/94) given to Pyramid Crossgates. This permit applies to Crossgates Mall, the Karner Blue Hill Preserve, and adjacent properties owned in whole or part or under control of Pyramid Crossgates. Special Condition #7c in the permit states that prior to any further physical alterations…
written by Lynne Jackson << Previous Begin Next>> Karner Blue Habitat First, the Common Council should not accept this DEIS until the Common Council determines what the City of Albany’s policy is on extinction of species. The City of Albany should clearly outline its policy on extinction of species, including whether or not it values protecting species in danger of extinction. Because the entire site is within 200 meters of an occupied Karner Blue butterfly habitat, it must be considered…
written by Lynne Jackson << Previous More Information Next>> April 29, 2005 Richard Nicholson Historic Preservation Planner City of Albany Department of Development and Planning 12 Lodge Street Albany, NY 12207 RE: Residence Inn Draft Environmental Impact Statement VIA FACSIMILE: 434-9846 Dear Mr. Nicholson: Save the Pine Bush is extremely concerned about the Draft Environmental Impact Statement that has been prepared for the Residence Inn development in the Pine Bush in the City of Albany. Our specific comments are detailed…
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For Immediate Release: June 27, 2023 For Further Information: Contact Robyn Gray at (518) 727-6841 or Lynne Jackson at (518) 366-7324 Press Advisory – Tuesday, June 27, 6:45 PM Guilderland Coalition for Responsible Growth, Save the Pine Bush, and Mothers Out Front object to tax abatement and donation of roads through eminent domain for Pyramid Corporation GUILDERLAND, NY: The Guilderland Industrial Development Agency (IDA) is scheduled to make a decision at their meeting on Tuesday, June 26 regarding tax abatement…
by Lynne Jackson Forty-five years ago, Save the Pine Bush came into being. On February 6, 1978, the Albany City Planning Board scheduled a public hearing on four developments in the Pine Bush: the Dunes, Pinehurst, Pine Circle, and a development by Charles Touhey. However, it snowed that day. It snowed so much that the offices of the New York State government were closed by the governor and stayed closed the next day. Just because the entire city was shut…
For Immediate Release: June 25, 2001 ALBANY, NY: Save the Pine Bush filed an appeal to the State of New York Appellate Division, Third Department over the Albany County Supreme Court’s ruling to approve the expansion of the Albany Landfill in the Pine Bush. Save the Pine Bush is appealing on the grounds that the permit approval was illegal because the Department of Environmental Conservation’s authority to grant a variance expired on Dec 31, 1995. Lewis B. Oliver, Jr. filed…
Save the Pine Bush Action Alert! Action Alerts! December, 1998/January 1999 Albany Residents – Call/Write To Your Alderman to Oppose the Drumlin Fields Office Complex Capital District Residents – Call/Write to Local Elected Officials Please call/write to Oppose these Guilderland and Albany Developments ACTION ALERT!! Write or Call Your State Legislators Today Ask for Money to Buy Pine Bush Your Voice Makes a Big Difference! The New York State Budget is being prepared and it’s that time of year when…
Friday, March 22, 7:30 p.m. A Sense of Wonder one-woman play about the life and work of Rachel Carson “A Sense of Wonder,”is a one-woman play about the life and work of Rachel Carson, will be performed at RPI’s Chapel and Cultural Center (2125 Burdett Avenue, Troy). Rachel Carson was a marine biologist and zoologist whose book Silent Spring (1962) alerted the world to the dangers of chemical pesticides. She has been called “the patron saint of the environmental movement.”…
ALBANY, NY: Lynne Jackson was asked to speak at Jim’s memorial service. Here are her edited comments. Jim was a passionate advocate for the environment. With Save the Pine Bush, he worked tirelessly opposing the expansion of the Albany Landfill in the Pine Bush. But, he especially worked to stop the City of Albany from operating a landfill on 361 acres of beautiful woodland in the Town of Coeymans, where he lived. Jim read and researched landfills extensively. He knew…
ALBANY, NY: Mark Plaat was one of the founders of Save the Pine Bush in February, 1978. He led many hikes, cleanups, and organized a cross-country ski race. Here is his obituary. On May 13th, Mark Plaat, loving husband and father of two boys passed away at the age of 72. Mark was born on May 8, 1950 along with his twin sister Tina, in Bronx NY to Shirley and Julius Plaat. He left home to attend SUNY Albany where…
On Wednesday, April 20, 2022, Tina Lieberman and Bill Reinhardt of the Capital District Community Energy delivered the following presentation, via Zoom to the Save the Pine Bush Virtual Meeting. Links and accessible text are available below. Down To Earth: Practical Steps You Can Take to Reduce Carbon Emissions & Save Our Climate Tina Lieberman, Vice Chair, Albany Sustainability Advisory Committee Bill Reinhardt, Albany County Legislator, Co-Chair Solarize Albany Founding Chairs, Capital District Community Energy, Inc. Notes: One main takeaway…
by Tom Ellis ALBANY, NY: Lynne Jackson spoke about current developments in the Pine Bush and Steve Downs about The War on Terror – Twenty Years Later, at the February 23 Save the Pine Bush virtual meeting. After thanking SPB members for their financial contributions to assist one of SPB’s dinner chefs, Adam Baldwin, with his sudden medical bills, Lynne thanked Andy Arthur for creating an on-line “event sweeper” that quickly identifies proposed projects in the pine barrens sections of…
by Lynne Jackson ALBANY: On March 23, the Supreme Court, Appellate Division Third Judicial Department heard Save the Pine Bush’s appeal of the dismissal of our case against the Town of Guilderland and Pyramid over the proposed apartments, Costco and office buildings. Todd Ommen, of the Pace Environmental Litigation Clinic argued for Save the Pine Bush. The main argument was that the issues Save the Pine Bush raised in our case in Supreme Court have never been heard. Residents in…
by Tom Ellis ALBANY, NY: Lou Ismay died on October 12. He was 96. One of the great environmental leaders and educators of the last half-century, he pioneered a unique course–the Environmental Forum–at the University at Albany where students chose and worked on important short- and long-term environmental projects that were often handed over to new students who took the course the following semester. Some projects continued for years. NYS government employees often provided tips for projects. The course was…
by Lynne Jackson ALBANY, NY: Save the Pine Bush has filed an appeal in January to the Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Third Judicial Department in the matter of Save the Pine Bush vs. Town of Guilderland and others over Pyramid Corporation’s proposal to build apartments, office buildings and a Costco in the Pine Bush. Originally, SPB filed suit in NYS Supreme Court. The NYS Supreme Court judge dismissed the case, saying that a previous decision in favor of the Town…
Guilderland and Pyramid look for second suit, filed by Save the Pine Bush, to be dismissed Monday, August 2, 2021 – 19:13 Enterprise file photo — Michael Koff The not-for-profit group Save The Pine Bush, in November 2020, celebrated when Westmere residents won a lawsuit (which was recently overturned) that stopped construction of two Pyramid projects. GUILDERLAND — With one win in hand, the town and Pyramid are looking to run up the score, asking the judge in a second lawsuit…
ALBANY: On Sunday, May 23, a fire ripped through John Wolcott (one of SPB’s Founders) and Linda Becker’s Sheridan Avenue home. The fire began in the house next door and leapt to the roof of John and Linda’s house. Fortunately, John and Linda were away on vacation and are safe. Unfortunately, the house was a total loss. And, inside, were many historic documents and maps, collected by John for over six decades. The day after the fire, Albany fire fighters…
By Tom Ellis, June/July 2021 Save the Pine Bush Newsletter ON THE INTERNET: Long time Albany Pine Bush Preserve Commission (APBPC) Conservation Director Neil Gifford began his April 17, 2021 SPB meeting comments saying, “Thirty years of managing the world’s best scrub oak pitch pine barrens has taught us a lot.” His topic was “The Pine Bush and the Pandemic: Update on the Preserve.” He offered an update on land protection, management and monitoring. His comments focused on paleoecology. He…
It is with great sadness that we observe the passing of our dear friend, Louise Burch. Louise was a stalwart volunteer for Save the Pine Bush for decades. She folded newsletters and drove Rezsin and the newsletters to the post office. But, most important of all, she selflessly washed the dishes at the dinners, so that others could enjoy the food and the listen to the speakers. She did those behind the scenes important necessary tasks that needed to be…
ALBANY, NY: At our February Save the Pine Bush dinner, two speakers, Keith Schue and Ward Stone, spoke about how toxic pollutants continue to impact the Sheridan Hollow neighborhood in Albany and how it might get even worse. Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York Power Authority (NYPA) had planned to install a new Gas Power Plant in Downtown Albany at the old Sheridan plant, built in 1911, and still operates with steam from electricity derived from fracked gas shipped…
It has come to my attention that Ehrlichiosis and Anaplasmosis may have arrived in our beloved Pine Bush. These diseases are borne by ticks. Until the early 1990s, there were no ticks in the Pine Bush. Now, the Pine Bush seems overrun by these disease carrying insects. What are these diseases? Below is information from the National Institite of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, reprinted directly from their website at: http://www.niaid.nih.gov/topics/ehrlichiosisanaplasmosis/ – Lynne Jackson, Editor Cause – Ehrlichiosis is caused by…
Dear Mr. Wemple and the Guilderland Conservation Advisory Council, Thank you for letting me send you some maps and my comments. Save the Pine Bush opposes the proposed sub-division of 10 New Karner Road. Please see map below for location of items mentioned. 10 New Karner Road is proposed to be subdivided. 10 New Karner Road borders land to be dedicated to the Preserve. For the developer to argue that the parcel to be developed is not contiguous to land that…
Below are excerpts from an article about Peter Buttner from the Altamont Enterprise: Peter J.R. Buttner was a man who, by his own reckoning, worked to build a brighter future no matter how dark the present. He did this in his personal life and in his professional life as director of Environmental Management for the state. He also did this for his community; when he lived in Guilderland, Dr. Buttner led a citizens’ board that pushed to have toxic…
ALBANY: It is with great sadness that Save the Pine Bush announces the passing of one of its founders and long-time leader, Rezsin Adams. Rezsin, born in Brooklyn on February 13, 1927, died peacefully yesterday at the age of 93. Rezsin met her husband, the late Dr. Theodore Adams, while attending college at the University of Rochester. After marrying in 1947, and receiving a masters degree in physiology, Rezsin and her family moved to the City of Albany Center Square neighborhood in 1959….
Albany — A blizzard howled on the evening of Feb. 6, 1978, when a shrinking remnant from the last Ice Age faced the prospect of the bulldozer. Anyone who cared that land in the Pine Bush — glacially created sand dunes and pitch pines at the city’s western edge — was slated for an office building would have to brave the storm to complain at the sole city hearing on the issue. The storm was so bad that the state…
In celebration of the centenary of Vladimir Nabokov’s birth, Kurt Johnson and Steve Coats wrote Nabokov’s Blues, about Nabokov’s passion for butterflies and scientific investigations into blue butterflies. Our own Karner Blue butterfly has its own chapter called “Dancing with Fire” in the book. Here is a brief excerpt which describes Nabokov’s feelings for the Karner Blue. “Nabokov developed a deep, lifelong affection for this [the Karner Blue Butterfly]. In 1975, when he found out that The New York Times…
ALBANY: The NYS Appellate Division dismissed Save the Pine Bush case’s case suing the Town of Clifton Park Planning Board over a proposed development on Wood Road that is occupied Karner Blue. The Court said Save the Pine Bush does not have standing or the right to bring the case to court. Save the Pine Bush lawyer, Peter Henner, said of the case: “I am very disappointed by the court’s ruling. Although it has become very difficult for any environmental…
Letters to Save the Pine Bush Letters to Save the Pine Bush Here is a sampling of letters written to Save the Pine Bush and some responses written by Lynne Jackson: From: rngeorge@gw.dec.state.ny.us (Richard Georgeson) To: pinebush@aol.com To Lynne Jackson: Lynne – In your history of Save the Pine Bush section of your web page, you incorrectly state, “In September of 1978, there were no environmental laws in effect in New York State.” However, in 1978 there…
It is with great sadness that we learned that Chet Burch passed away on New Year’s eve. Chet was a long-time volunteer with Save the Pine Bush, becoming involved more than 40 years ago. Most recently, Chet volunteered at dinners, making sure the church was open and available for our monthly lasagna dinners. A beautiful tribute to Chet was published in the Times Union. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Save the Pine Bush, c/o Lynne Jackson,…
by Tom Ellis ALBANY, NY: At the March 16 SPB dinner, Albany County Executive Dan McCoy spoke about Environmental Accomplishments and the Agenda for the Future. Mr. McCoy began with, “There is so much we’ve done” and “You’re organization — Save the Pine Bush — has been the rock of our community.” Mr. McCoy grew up in Albany and still lives in the city. He said his love of nature and being out in it resulted in…
It’s a tale that could end up on a milk carton. Tender youngsters are snatched from their cradles and carried off to underground lairs, never to be seen again. “The one thing we know is that the Karner Blue Butterfly eggs are disappearing,” said Dr. Peter Spoor, speaking at the SPB lasagna dinner on May 24, 1990. “I think they are being taken by ants, but at this point that’s just conjecture. It’s not very scientific.” He also reports discovering…
Save the Pine Bush Raises Money Save the Pine Bush Raises Money If you asked me what my least favorite activity is, I would say "fund-raising". Its no fun. But, we have discovered that our work to preserve the Pine Bush costs money. And because a lot of people believe as we do, we have raised far more money than I ever expected. SPB has no full-time, salaried staff. We are all volunteers, and have been known to put thousands…
Karner Blue Butterfly eggs are being cut open and eaten, and still no culprit has been found. The ants, however, have not been ruled out as suspects. Dr. Peter Spoor gave an update on his investigations into the lifestyle and habits of the friendly butterfly at the Sept. 26 dinner at the Unitarian Church. Stunning slides of their eggs under an electron microscope failed to reveal what sort of creature is leaving it’s marks along the broken edges. Other excellent…
Save the Pine Bush Action Alert! Coyotes in the Moonlight Response to the Commission’s Final Implementation Guidelines by Lynne Jackson "It was a cold night in January, snow on the ground, full moon, not a creature moving a muscle," began Jerry Mueller, at the January Lasagna Dinner. He had to get out of the house and decided to take a walk in the Pine Bush, off Sand Creek Road near the Northway. He heard a noise, "Sounds like coyotes," thought…
Save the Pine Bush Volunteers Spread the Word Save the Pine Bush Volunteers Spread the Word Sometimes, school teachers or students will invite members of Save the Pine Bush to speak. We have had many adventures talking to students. Here is a sample. Ed. SPB Visits Elementary School Elementary school students at the D. H. Robbins Elementary School in St. Johnsville, New York invited Lynne Jackson, SPB Board Member, to speak to them about what it is like to be…
Proposed Hotel in the Pine Bush Hotel Update: Oral Arguements in the NY Court of Appeals Tuesday, September 15 at 2:00 The Court of Appeals is next door to Albany City Hall. This is an extremely significant case, and could, if we win change who has standing in SEQRA cases. Click here to read Amicus briefs Read attorney Steve Downs’ commentary about the hotel case here. Action Alert! Hear the Oral Arguments in the NYS Appellate Division Friday,…
Save the Pine Bush Loses First Round on Landfill Save the Pine Bush Loses First Round on Landfill Clean Water takes a Dive to Garbage Albany, NY – Save the Pine Bush lost its challenge to the expansion of the Albany City Landfill in the Pine Bush in Supreme Court in October. The Judge ruled that the Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Conservation has the discretion to allow a landfill to be constructed over the principal aquifer in the…
Save the Pine Bush Enjoys Another Victory – Adventure Park Parcel Added to the Preserve Save the Pine Bush Enjoys Another Victory Adventure Park Parcel Added to the Preserve by Lynne Jackson The Albany Pine Bush Management Commission purchased 34 acres of land on September 24, 1996. Included in this purchase a key parcel that had been slated to become an adventure park consisting of go carts and miniature golf until Save the Pine Bush stepped in and filed suit…
Save the Pine Bush Sues the Town of Colonie Late-Breaking News: Save the Pine Bush Sues the Town of Colonie by Lynne Jackson Yesterday, October 7, Save the Pine Bush sued the Town of Colonie over its acceptance of the Lisha-Kill – Kings Road Generic Environmental Impact Statement (GEIS). This GEIS would have a devastating affect on the Pine Bush in the Town of Colonie, and SPB has sued to get it tossed out. Watch for a more comprehensive article…