by Lynne Jackson SCHENECTADY: Volunteers for Save the Pine Bush (SPB) were invited by the New York State Department of Transportation (DOT) to participate in a charette regarding eliminating the at-grade crossings at Morris and Cordell Roads in Colonie. The stated goal of the charette was to come up with ideas to allow safe passage … Charette a Charade
Guilderland, NY: A speculator has proposed to sub-divide 7.9 acres of Pine Bush in the full protection area between the New York State Thruway and Lydius Street. The proposal is currently before the Guilderland Planning Board. Last January, Mr. Coles, a real estate appraiser, proposed sub-dividing the property into four lots. There is already one … Speak Out for Pine Bush Preservation
by the Associated Press WILTON — Habitats of the endangered Karner blue butterflies will be preserved under a $321,000 grant announced Wednesday by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The grant will be used to preserve 75 acres of high-quality Karner blue butterfly habitat in Albany and Saratoga counties, according to the federal agency. The … In Flurry of Motion, Lessons Take Wing
ALBANY, NY: The August Save the Pine Bush vegetarian/vegan lasagna dinner was the setting for Mike Venuti, the new director of the Pine Bush Discovery Center, to describe what the Pine Bush Discovery Center will be and the progress on the Discovery Center. Mr. Venuti began by briefly describing his background. He has worked with … Discovery Center
by Sandy Sheridan Birk Try your hand at our first Save the Pine Bush Crossword puzzle! Click here for answer key. Across 1. The Karner Blue Butterfly is currently listed as ____________. 5. Butterfly’s young 8. How many generations of Karner Blue Butterflies are hatched each year in the Pine Bush? 9. These insects often … Crossword Puzzle
by Lynne Jackson ALBANY: Save the Pine Bush celebrated its 25th birthday at the February vegetarian lasagna dinner at the First Presbyterian Church. The dinner began by members telling stories about the early years. Save the Pine Bush was born in the middle of a snow storm on February 6, 1978. It snowed that day. … Save the Pine Bush is 25!
by Lynne Jackson OK, Crossgates has been in the news a lot recently. Actually, they made it into the international news. Save the Pine Bush has received emails from out raged people as far away as Sydney Australia, and California. People are mad. To recap: On Monday evening, March 3, Stephen Downs and his son … Crossgates is a Bad Neighbor
by John Wolcott Have you seen the ads in the newspaper for Avila House? They say, “The reasons for moving to Avila House keep piling up!” Well! The only thing piling up is their hypocrisy. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany is acting disgracefully. It is devastating what had been one of the most beautiful … Avila Keeps Advertising
by Lynne Jackson In 1969, the City of Schenectady passed an ordinance preserving the Woodlawn area, stating that this land should never be sold and kept for public purposes: “WHEREAS, there is now a great shortage of vacant land in the City of Schenectady available for municipal purposes; and “WHEREAS, there is a growing need … City Owned Land Up for Grabs
by Lynne Jackson ALBANY: The Honorable Jack McEneny noted that the last time he had vegetarian lasagna was when he had the pleasure of giving John Wolcott, long-time Pine Bush advocate, an award from the NYS Legislature. He was glad to be back at the May veggie lasagna dinner at the First Presbyterian Church to … The Honorable Jack McEneny Reports on the Legislature
by Lynne Jackson ALBANY, NY: Dr. George Robinson shared his adventures studying and speculations about the mysterious Patroon Creek, Albany’s only remaining above-ground creek at the November SPB lasagna dinner at the First Presbyterian Church. The Patroon Creek begins in Lake Rensselaer, which is in the Pine Bush. The creek is fed by water filtered … The Patroon Creek and the Pine Bush
The October Save the Pine Bush veggie/vegan lasagna dinner was the location of the presentation Mary Ann Johnson of Scenic Hudson made about sprawl. She began by describing how Scenic Hudson formed by citizens who opposed the destruction of Storm King Mountain (along the Hudson River) for an electric plant. It took 17 years, and … Scenic Hudson Visits SPB Mary Ann Johnson Speaks About Sprawl
The new York State Open Space Conservation Plan lists the Pine Bush as its number one priority in Region 4. The Plan states, “Albany Pine Bush: This area of Albany County supports a rare and endangered pine barrens ecosystem. The Albany Pine Bush Preserve Commission adopted a clear, comprehensive set of recommendations in 1996 to … Open Space Plan Released – – The Pine Bush is Top Priority in Region 4
ALBANY: Neil Gifford, Conservation Director of the Albany Pine Bush Preserve Commission, gave a powerpoint presentation to the attendees of the September vegetarian lasagna dinner at the First Presbyterian Church on the new 2002 Pine Bush Management Plan. State Law requires the Albany Pine Bush Preserve Commission (the Commission) to review its management plan every … New Plan for the Preserve – – 2002 Management Plan Revealed
by John Wolcott This year is the three hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the chartering of the community of Albany as the village of Beverwyck. With this in mind, let us quote a reference to the Pine Bush from the records of Beverwyck, January 7, 1753: “The Honorable Abraham Staets having requested that the description … Early Reference to the Pine Bush Discovered in the Dutch Records of Beverwyck
ALBANY: In its pursuit of the proposed landfill expansion, the City of Albany is working on the Environmental review process required under the State Environmental Quality Review Act. The initial part of this process is preparation of scoping document to determine what topics should be included in this review. A public meeting was held at … The Dump Expansion is for Who?
by Lynne Jackson ALBANY: Albany City Commission of the Department of General Services Willard (Bill) Bruce spoke at the May Save the Pine Bush dinner. Mr. Bruce began by showing slides of how landfills are constructed. He emphasized that the Rapp Road landfill is not just a dump, it is a highly-engineered structure and there … Its not a Garbage Problem Its an Economic Problem
All that sand was left by a glacial lake. The Pine Bush ecosystem sitting on that sand, however, may have been created by Native Americans practicing fire management techniques. At least, that’s what some people believe. One of those people is Dr. Harvey Alexander, professor at the College of St. Rose, who spoke at … Save the Pine Bush
ALBANY: The City of Albany has a serious problem: where to throw the garbage. If the City follows the law, and does the right thing, they will not be able to expand the current landfill in the Pine Bush. City officials all seem to want to do the right thing, except when it comes to … What to do with the Garbage
The Pine Bush has played an important historical role in the development of Albany and Schenectady and is enshrined in the literary heritage of the United States. The Song of Hiawatha by William Wadsworth Longfellow is sung by the Indian brave from the Vale of Tawasentha located in the Pine Bush. George Washington wrote of … Save the Pine Bush
Albany: At the July Save the Pine Bush dinner, the Honorable John McEneny, Democratic Assemblyman for the 104th District, opened his speech by noting the last time he had spoken at a Save the Pine Bush dinner was a happy occasion to honor SPB member John Wolcott with an resolution from the NYS Assembly for … Assemblyman John McEneny Speaks about the Landfill
SPB Needs Your Help to Fight Road SPB Needs Your Help to Fight Road by Lynne Jackson Last summer, Judge Thomas Keegan handed down a win for Save the Pine Bush overturning a vote by the Common Council to make the "Loop Road" or Columbia Circle Drive a public road. The problem is, the Common … SPB Needs Your Help to Fight Road
Download a PDF of this letter Richard Nicholson, Planner City of Albany, Dept. of Economic Development & Neighborhood Planning 21 Lodge Street Albany, NY 12207 Re: Supplemental ~Draft-Environmental Impact Statement (SDEIS) Tharaidson Development Company Proposed Residence Inn project City of Albany, Albany County Dear Mr. Nicholson: Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) staff reviewed the SDEIS … Save the Pine Bush
by Lynne Jackson ALBANY: On Tuesday, September 12, at a meeting of the Common Council General Services Committee, the City of Albany made its third proposal to take protected Pine Bush land and turn it into a landfill. It is important to consider the history of the City’s landfill expansion proposals in the past year. … The Albany Common Council The Debate and the Vote
Among the steps people may wish to consider taking are: 1. File lawsuits against the city for reduced property values. Contact your own lawyer or Save the Pine Bush lawyer Peter Henner at 768-8232 or peter@peterhenner.com. 2. Speak about dump issues at meetings of the Common Council of the City of Albany. The Common Council … Action Guide to Citizens
ALBANY: The Albany Common Council voted 11-4 to ask the NYS Legislature to remove land from the Preserve and use it for the landfill expansion. The four who voted for Pine Bush Preservation were the Honorables Dominick Calsolaro, Ward 1, Corey Ellis, Ward 3, Cathy Fahey, Ward 7, and Barbara Smith, Ward 4. The debate … The Albany Common Council The Debate and the Vote
by Richard Clark We in Albany County don’t know what to do about the disposal of solid waste. Mayor Gerald Jennings would rather not expand the Rapp Road landfill on land dedicated to the Pine Bush Preserve Commission, but he desperately needs the money and the jobs that landfill generates. He argues that time is … A Plan for Planning
by Sheree Craigue Surprising to many, trash from the NYS Government offices goes to the City of Albany’s Rapp Road landfill. This gives the Rapp Road landfill a “special” legal status, unique among all of NY State’s landfills. This “special” status has been the cause of several Save the Pine Bush lawsuits being lost in … We Have the Power
For Immediate Release: December 10, 2002 For Further Information: Contact Lynne Jackson at 434-1954 or 366-7324 ALBANY, NY: Save the Pine Bush volunteers demonstrated today over the destruction of the Pine Bush for the building of Avila House. Avila House is proposed to be built in the rare Pine Bush ecosystem. The Pine Bush is … Save the Pine Bush
Dear Lynne, Your article “No magic bullet: Solving the Garbage Problem” in the May June of Save the Pine Bush newsletter, is very perceptive. In particular, your sentence, “Customers did not demand the throwaway bottle; it was done to allow the bottling companies to consolidate and grow bigger” is absolutely on target as is your … Letter to the Editor
Save the Pine Bush has a traveling exhibit. We bring it to fairs, schools, and especially every year to the Albany Tulipfest, held on Saturaday and Sunday of Mother’s Day weekend in May. If you don’t have a chance to visit our exhibit in person, we have put the pictures and captions in our exhibit … Save the Pine Bush
The October lasagna dinner was the setting for Kathy O’Brien, Invertebrate Specialist with the Endangered Species Unit of the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, to tell us about the current status of our favorite butterfly. O’Brien began by describing the butterfly. Karners are tiny, about the size of a quarter. The females are brownish, while … Our Favorite Butterfly – The Karner Blue in 2001
The Appellate Court hearing on the SCRAP (Selkirk, Coeymans, Ravena Against Pollution) members’ case against the City of Albany will be held on September 5, 2007 at 1pm on the fifth floor of the Justice Building at the Empire State Plaza (for directions, email Jim Travers at jatrav@yahoo.com). It is the plaintiffs’ contention that the … News from our SCRAP Friends
RENSSELAER, NY: Until mid-March, when the coronavirus slowed organizing efforts, the Rensselaer Environmental Coalition (REC) continued making steady progress towards its goal of closing the Dunn construction and demolition debris landfill in Rensselaer. This 99-acre operation is located right next to the Rensselaer public school campus, and between Rensselaer and East Greenbush neighborhoods. In response … Dunn Landfill
by Lynne Jackson ALBANY: On October 19, Willard Bruce, Commissioner of the Albany Department of General Services, made a presentation to the Common Council about the proposed landfill expansion in the Pine Bush. During the meeting, he told the Common Council members that the City was no longer obligated to dedicate the Fox Run Estate … Albany wants to Dedicate a Dump to the Preserve
Love Of Money The Root Of All…? Love Of Money The Root Of All…? By Daniel Van Riper That’s All? Sheesh. The shoddily built retail travesty known as Crossgates Mall is squawking over paying their fair share of taxes to the town of Guilderland. Recently, the mall doubled in size, an operation which cut into … Love Of Money The Root Of All…?
There’s a solution to Albany’s garbage problem — the same one for the better part of the last 20 years — but most city officials don’t want to hear it, and despite a few protestations, the state Department of Environmental Conservation has remained sympathetic. The reason is money, which is understandable as far as the … Editorial: End excuses for Albany landfill
The Proposed Albany City Charter: For Better or For Worse The Proposed Albany City Charter: For Better or For Worse by Rezsin Adams Is the new charter the best the city of Albany can have? Absolutely not. Can we get a better deal? Who knows. Harold Rubin, Albany City Charter Commission Member, gave a … 9
ALBANY, NY — Save the Pine Bush and the Alliance for Environmental Renewal filed suit February 2 in the United States District court for the Northern District of New York against Pyramid Crossgates over its violation of its waste water permit for the past three years. Pyramid Crossgates has a State Pollution Discharge Elimination System … Save the Pine Bush Sues Crossgates Mall
by Rezsin Adams ALBANY: According to Daniel Bogan, who spoke at the Save the Pine Bush dinner on November 10, the challenge today to wildlife is urban sprawl, which results in habitat loss and increased interaction between animals and humans. New York State was originally covered with forests but in the 1800’s the forests were … Roads in the Pine Bush – John Poorman Speaks about the CDTC
Below is a copy of the Final Scoping document for the proposed hotel adjacent to the Karner Blue Butterfly site. For more information about the project, please see the following: Crossgates Wants to Build a Hotel in the Pine Bush, Will they never go away? (Sept/Oct 04) Save the Pine Bush Sues Crossgates Maul and … You Can Help Save the Pine Bush in The Town of Colonie
Roman Catholic Diocese Proposes Senior Housing in the Pine Bush Karner Blue in Serious Trouble It is with great sadness that Save the Pine Bush reports that the Roman Catholic Diocese has proposed Avila House Independent Senior Campus in the Pine Bush. This proposed housing would be located behind the Teresian House on Washington Avenue … Roman Catholic Diocese Proposes – Senior Housing in the Pine Bush – Karner Blue in Serious Trouble
ALBANY — If the crowd at the Polish Community Center on Wednesday ran the state Department of Environmental Conservation, Albany would not get permission to expand its Rapp Road dump in the environmentally-sensitive Pine Bush Preserve. Several hundred people packed the DEC hearing on the city’s request, with loudest applause going to dump opponents, like … Dump expansion rapped
ALBANY, NY: Paul Tick and Tina Lieberman spoke at the January 15, 2020 SPB dinner about plans by Lafarge to burn tire at its cement factory in Ravena, twelve miles south of Albany. Paul began his comments with saying that when he moved to the capital region 32 years ago, he immediately looked for activists … Burn Tires vs. Clean Air
SPB Sues City & DEC Over Illegal Landfill in the Pine Bush SPB Sues City & DEC Over Illegal Landfill in the Pine Bush ALBANY, NY: Save the Pine Bush filed suit in July against the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the City of Albany over the permit approval for the City … SPB Sues City & DEC Over Illegal Landfill in the Pine Bush
Exploring Bus Service to the Pine Bush Exploring Bus Service to the Pine Bush by John Wolcott One can reach the Pine Bush from Albany by bus. However, it is, at one point, difficult and unsafe. At another point, it is awkward, and, as yet, uncertain. A couple of weeks ago, I tested part of … Exploring Bus Service to the Pine Bush
Action Alert! Call your Common Council Member- Ask to Vote No on Touhey Action Alert! Call your Common Council Member – Ask to Vote No on Touhey Charles Touhey is back with his proposal to construct an office complex in the Pine Bush. So far, Save the Pine Bush has sucessfully stopped Mr. Touhey … 9
They Don’t Ever Quit-But Neither Do We They Don’t Ever Quit But Neither Do We By Daniel Van Riper Not Again, Charlie We’ve been graciously alerted by Alderwoman Carol Wallace that the Albany Common Council Zoning Committee is being treated to a rerun of developer Charlie Touhey’s proposal to build the “Pine East Office Park” … They Don’t Ever Quit-But Neither Do We
Late Breaking News Late Breaking News By Lynne Jackson On May 15, 1996, the Zoning Committee of the Common Council of the City of Albany voted to recommend the Common Council approve the 13-acre Charlie Touhey office park development located in front on the Dunes, off Washington Ave. Ext. Only Zoning Chair, Carol Wallace, abstained. … Late Breaking News
by Grace Nichols ALBANY, NY: On May 13, 2019, Save the Pine Bush, Environmental Advocates of New York, Radix, beekeepers, farmers, the League of Women Voters, the Working Family Party, the Upper Hudson Greens, and many other activists, joined Grace Nichols and six county legislators who sponsored the bill, to speak out for a policy … Albany Now a Pollinator-Friendly County