ALBANY: The Nature Conservancy (TNC) acquired an option to purchase the Fox Run Estates property in order to faciliate this land being added to the Albany Pine Bush Preserve. From a letter TNC has written to Albany Mayor Jerry Jennings and NYS DEC Commissioner Denise Sheehan, it is clear that TNC never intended this land to be made into a dump. In part, the letter says:

“It was brought to The Nature Conservancy’s attention this week that the City of Albany (the “City”) has proposed using the Fox Run Estate property (the “Property”), which is located within the Albany Pine Bush core area, as an expansion area for the City’s landfill.

“The Nature Conservancy strongly opposes such use of the Property. We ask that the City follow through with its commitment to dedicate the Property to the Albany Pine Bush Preserve, since the Property was specifically acquired by the City (with The Nature Conservancy’s extensive assistance) as mitigation for the last expansion of the landfill. . .

“The Nature Conservancy would never have expended the effort helping the City acquire the Property but for the City’s commitment to acquire the Property as mitigation for the landfill’s las expansion and dedicate it to the Albany Pine Bush Preserve.

“Furthermore, the Conservancy would never have assigned our Option to acquire the Property to the City without this commitment in place. . .”

(This letter was obtained by Save the Pine Bush under the Freedom of Information Law.)

Published November/December 2005