9
No Credit Given – A Letter From the Commission
No Credit Given
A Letter From the Commission
By Daniel Van Riper
In their latest newsletter the Albany Pine Bush Management
Commission gives credit for the rehabilitation of the parcel of land
off Apollo Drive that used to be a truck parking lot to 3
corporations, 4 municipalities, 2 state offices, the Girl Scouts and
the Nature Conservancy. Somehow Commission Director Willie Janeway
forgot to mention that this land would now be a cheesy go-cart track
if Save the Pine Bush hadn’t fought the developer in court for two
years. Although we lost, the delay forced the developer to sell the
land to the Nature Conservancy for what turned out to be a hefty pile
of cash. The Commission is a State agency created in 1989 as a result
of the epic Save the Pine Bush landfill suit.
Furthermore, Janeway stole a photograph of a Karner Blue Butterfly
for use in the letter from our giant website
(www.wizvax.net/lynjax/SPB.html) without giving us credit. Here’s
some more highlights from their letter:
1) “Five prescribed fires burn 65+/- acres under controlled
conditions,” much less than the goal of 200 acres a year. It’s more
than high time the Commission figured out how to increase the acreage
burned. What’s the problem?
2) “The Commission is focused on the goal: a 3950 acre
Preserve…” Say what? There are 5800 acres of contiguous Pine Bush
remaining, what happened to the rest?
3) “Five uniformed naturalists start patrolling the Pine Bush.”
Instead of buying land, they hire more employees.
4) Here’s the best item. “Economic growth increases development
pressure in the Pine Bush . . . such projects include:
¥ Rapp Road Office Park proposal, City of Albany
¥ Feeney and Ford residential development, Guilderland
¥ Fox Run Mobile Home Park expansion, Village of Colonie
¥ Route 155 proposals, Colonie, Guilderland and Albany
¥ 300 and 365 Washington Ave. Ext., Albany
¥ Pyramid Crossgates Expansion, Guilderland”
What about the luxury houses at the end of Willow Street in
Guilderland? Not a mention that Save the Pine Bush volunteers are
battling these encroachments at every turn, attending hearings,
fundraising, filing lawsuits, raising public awareness. Meanwhile,
the paid employees at the Commission can’t be bothered to fight for
the Pine Bush, but it’s nice that they mentioned the threats in their
newsletter.
published Aug/September, 98 Newsletter
