by Tom Ellis ALBANY, NY: In late February, the NYS Inspector General released a 40+ page report trashing Ward Stone, accusing him of bullying his subordinates, intimidating his supervisors, misusing state funds, and being some sort of a monster. The report drew considerable news coverage including a February 28 article in the New York … Ward Stone is a Hero
by Tim Truscott, empirestate@worldnet.att.net ALBANY, NY: It was necessary, or so they said at the time. We needed to put our garbage somewhere, and so did other local municipalities. They said they’d only take a little bit of the Pine Bush. But they’ve said that several times, and it’s ended up being a lot … How and why did the City of Albany destroy so much of the Albany Pine Bush?
ALBANY: The Albany Common Council is considering voting on bonding $2.35 million for the restoration project of the Albany landfill. This “restoration” is the extremely expensive project where the capped-over section of the landfill is being “restored” to Pine Bush ecosystem. Common Council Member Leah Golby has said that the Common Council is poised … Bonding for Landfill “Restoration”
SCHENECTADY — The Woodlawn Preserve is getting closer and closer to full protection. After years of negotiations, the City Council finally adopted a management plan for the preserve last week. The plan will help keep the remnants of Pine Bush ecology that remain in the badly deteriorated preserve, and lays out the steps to restore the flora … Schenectady Pine Bush sees Preservation boost
by Grace Nichols ALBANY: For Save the Pine Bush, I foiled for the pesticide records from the City of Albany beginning in September. So far the City has only provided some rodenticide records for the city proper. Sadly, only one City site has replaced anti-coagulant rodenticides, a danger to hawks and other predators, with mechanical … Pesticide FOILS in process
Willow Street Again Drumlin Fields Its Not Over ’til Its Over (There is still time to call your Council Member!) by Lynne Jackson Dramatic events have happened since our last newsletter, when we made an appeal for Save the Pine Bush supporters to contact their Common Council members and ask them to vote “no” … Willow Street Again
by Grace Nichols ALBANY, NY – Neil Gifford, Conservation Director at the Albany Pine Bush Preserve, has been working in the Pine Bush since the early 1990s. He describes the mission of the Albany Pine Bush Commission, a body representing the many different governmental interests in the Pine Bush land, as “to preserve the pitch … Habitat Restoration and Mitigation Project: How it Fits in to the Preserve Goals for Restoration” Neil Gifford Gives Save the Pine Bush Dinner Talk in March, 2011
by Grace Nichols Dr. George Robinson is a professor in the Biodiversity and Conservation Policy graduate program at the University at Albany. He is very knowledgeable about landfills, as much of his work has involved transforming old landfills into positive open spaces which can meet the needs of local wildlife and local communities. Dr. Robinson’s … Dr. George Robinson Sheds Light on Landfills, their Possibilities and Problems Post-closure.
by Sheree At RPI, there are at least two food “waste” projects. One is a prototype small methane digester. The other is a dumpster composter, which digests its load in 7 days. Unfortunately, hardly anyone seems to want the compost, which they have been giving away free. It would be ideal if a farmer picked … Organic “Waste” Composting: A Random Local Update
By Tom Ellis Sometime in January, the General Services Committee (GSC) of the Albany Common Council will hold a meeting at which the city’s solid waste consultants, Clough Harbour @ Associates (CHA) and Bill Bruce, will discuss their response to comments submitted by representatives and friends of Save the Pine Bush on the proposed long-range … Update on Albany’s Solid Waste Management Plan (SWMP)
ALBANY: The October Save the Pine Bush dinner at the First Presbyterian Church was the setting for the birthday party in honor of Ward Stone. The party was a great success. The hall was packed full. We all agreed that the environmental community couldn’t get along without Ward. Speakers included Elise Griffin, Elise Kunz, Tom … Environmentalists Honor Ward Stone
by Tom Ellis ALBANY: Early this year, the City of Albany’s solid waste consultant, Clough Harbour & Associates (CHA), completed a draft long range solid waste management plan for the Capital Region Solid Waste Management Partnership (the planning unit of Albany and the dozen or so municipalities who now dump trash in the Rapp Road … Draft Solid Waste Management Plan Needs Closer Look & Changes
It has been said that environmental problems are often the result of bad government. That certainly is true in the case of the Pesticide Ordinance enacted by the City of Albany in 1998. One of the issues at hand at the time the ordinance was written was the use of pesticides in bodies of water … Time for the City of Albany to Enforce the Pesticide Ordinance
Download a PDF of the New Yorkers for Zero Waste Download a PDF of Jobs Fact Sheet Downlaod a PDF of the Waste Impacts on Climate Change The N.Y.S. Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has prepared a new State Solid Waste Plan that finally recognizes that materials in our waste stream are valuable and need … ew Yorkers for Zero Waste Platform 2010
by Tom Ellis The City of Albany is preparing an update to its 1992 long-range solid waste management plan (SWMP) for the years 2011-2030. A year ago, Mayor Jennings appointed a Steering Committee (SC) to help draft it. The SC met monthly during the last year. During December, the city’s solid waste consultant, Clough … Regional Solid Waste Authority – Inevitable or will Citizens have a say?
by Barbara Warren In January we expect the DRAFT State Solid Waste Management Plan to be released for public comment and hearings. Background you need to know: The Plan must be connected to Revised Solid Waste regulations but the DEC is still working on revising those and we have not seen them. The Plan … New York State Solid Waste Management Plan
Entitled “Beyond Waste: A Sustainable Materials Management Strategy for New York State” the draft plan is now available for review. Everyone who cares about what to do with the garbage should send their comments. Save the Pine Bush’s position is this: 1) We need to move toward a zero-waste policy. Zero waste is achievable, … Draft New York State Solid Waste Management Plan Deadline for Public Comments: August 16, 2010
by Lynne Jackson ALBANY: Ward Stone, NYS Wildlife Pathologist and environmental hero, spoke at the May Save the Pine Bush vegetarian/vegan lasagna dinner at the First Presbyterian Church. Ward began by describing how he met Rezsin Adams on the very first Earth Day in April, 1970, at the University at Albany. That day, Ward gave … Ward Stone, Environmental Hero, Speaks
Albany Common Council held it’s first Ad Hoc Committee Meeting on Pesticides in June. We are making headway in that the City admitted to longstanding violations of its pesticides policy. The committee has dedicated itself to making positive changes. Our voice are very much needed to 1) Advocate for pesticide reductions in the plans for … Speak Out on Pesticides
Last Chance to Say No to Besicorp! STOP BESICORP! STOP A POWER PLANT AND A PAPERMILL, TWO OF THE MOST POLLUTING INDUSTRIES, FROM COMING TO OUR COMMUNITY! Besicorp promises jobs and tax revenues. Is it worth it? Besicorp will make $340 Million in revenues in the first year, but… it will pay the City of … Last Chance to Say No to Besicorp!
by Lynne Jackson ALBANY: Grace Nichols spoke about pesticides at the June Save the Pine Bush vegetarian lasagna dinner at the First Presbyterian Church. Pesticides include herbicides, insecticides and rodenticides. Grace explained that unlike other types of pollution which are a by-product of making something, pesticides are designed to kill organisms. Pesticides are a whole … The Great Pesticide Hunt
by Tom Ellis, Citizens’ Environmental Coalition Save the Pine Bush and friends won a partial victory in late February when Clough Harbour & Associates (CHA) revised the preliminary draft solid waste management plan it had issued in mid-December on behalf of a “steering committee” appointed by Albany Mayor Gerald Jennings. CHA faced considerable pressure from … Zero Waste or Waste Authority?
by Lynne Jackson Update: Alas, on January 7, 2008, the Karner Blue came in second in the vote for NYS Butterfly. Here are the election results. ALBANY: Karina Franke spoke at the November Save the Pine Bush vegetarian/vegan lasagna dinner at the First Presbyterian Church. Karina began by explaining how she became involved in her … Karine Franke Vote for the Karner Blue for New York State Butterfly
by Diane H Peapus UPDATE: Diane Peapus has put up the Nature Cache site. Check it out here. Save the Pine Bush is a shining example of the power of public participation in conservation. We can only imagine how our landscapes would look if a larger portion of the public had the sense of land … Albany Pine Bush Nature Cache: Participation Encourages Public Land Stewardship
The New York State Thruway is proposing massive changes to the thruway from exits 21 to exit 25. The Pine Bush is bisected by the Thruway, and exits 24 and 25 are located in the Pine Bush. Changes in the Thruway could have a major impact on the Pine Bush ecosystem. Save the Pine Bush … Hearings Set for the Albany Corridor Study by the NYS Thruway
ALBANY, NY: Just when you thought it was safe to go to the mall, Pyramid Crossgates proposes yet another project to destroy Pine Bush and potential Karner Blue habitat. Albany City Hall was the setting for Pyramid to describe to the Albany Common Council Zoning Committee how its proposal to build a residence inn hotel … Crossgates Casts a Dark Shadow Over the Pine Bush
SPB Awarded Stewardship of Aquifer We couldn’t resist. . . What can I say? My husband, Daniel W. Van Riper, and I were strolling through a fair in Scotia, New York, when we came upon an exhibit from the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). They were handing out applications to adopt bodies of water … SPB Awarded Stewardship of Aquifer
Ward Stone Gives ‘Em Hell! Declares Support for Save the Pine Bush Ward Stone Gives ‘Em Hell! Declares Support for Save the Pine Bush by Daniel W. Van Riper, Aug./Sept. 90 At the June 20 Pine Bush dinner, NYS Wildlife Pathologist, Ward Stone, avowed enemy of polluters and brain-dead bureaucrats, offered praise and encouragement to … Ward Stone Gives ‘Em Hell! Declares Support for Save the Pine Bush
Last Chance to Say No to Besicorp! Last Chance to Say No! No to what could be the biggest and ugliest industrial complex ever built on the banks of the Hudson River: a papermill and cogeneration plant called Besicorp, to be sited in the City of Rensselaer, next to the historic Fort Crailo neighborhood and … Last Chance to Say No to Besicorp!
Tom Ellis ALBANY, NY The Albany County Legislature is considering legislation that would extend the ban on the use of one-time use (take-out) food and beverage polystyrene foam containers from restaurants and eateries with fifteen or more establishments in the US (enacted three years ago) to all restaurants and eateries in the county. A public … Albany County & Banning Styrofoam
A Stunning Victory! Zoning Approvals Overturne A Stunning Victory! Zoning Approvals Overturned by Daniel W. Van Riper, Mar./Apr. 92 March 5-State Supreme Court Justice George L. Cobb today overturned two zoning approvals by the City of Albany in the Pine Bush at 300 Washington Ave. Ext (Charlie Touhey’s office development in front of Dunes) and … A Stunning Victory! Zoning Approvals Overturne
How Destruction Of The Pine Bush Raises Taxes How Destruction Of The Pine Bush Raises Taxes Step #3 Beautiful Pine Bush Destroyed Previous Step in Scheme * * * Next Step in Scheme Vegetarian Lasagna Dinner Pine Bush Hike Current Newsletter About Save the Pine Bush Virtual Photo Exhibit Action Alerts Volunteer Nights Articles … How Destruction Of The Pine Bush Raises Taxes
Rao Disaster Rao Disaster End Of The Legal Road By Daniel Van Riper Continuing a puzzling and illogical shift in politics by the NY State court system towards environmental cases, the State Court of Appeals denied a motion by Save the Pine Bush to reopen the case of SPB vs. the Guilderland planning board over … Rao Disaster
How Destruction Of The Pine Bush Raises Taxes How Destruction Of The Pine Bush Raises Taxes …Again and Again and Again It’s an endless cycle. Every office “park” and housing “development” is an extension of the City of Albany’s infrastructure. This means new roads, sewerlines, waterlines, powerlines, new services such as police, fire, ambulance, administrative. … How Destruction Of The Pine Bush Raises Taxes
by DINA CAPPIELLO, Staff writer They are the trees that have survived it all — the bouts of disease, the axes of loggers, the lightning storms that uproot a forest like a gardener’s hand pulls weeds. Most would be older than your great-great-great-great grandfather, if he were still alive. But until this Saturday, there was … COUNTING FORESTS’ SENIOR CITIZENS
ALBANY – On a warm, moonlit night in the Albany Pine Bush Preserve, a group of biologists listened at the foot of a grassy dune for the lilting, three-note song of a once-common nightbird that has now become rare. “We were pretty excited to hear the whippoorwill here again,” said Neil Gifford, conservation director of … Surveys seek to define status of night birds
Willow Street Again Council Member Richard Conti Declares his Opposition to Drumlin Fields Ms. Rezsin Adams 112 Chestnut Street Albany, NY 12210 Dear Rezsin: Thank you for taking the time to let me know of your opposition to Drumlin Fields, a proposal to re-zone a portion of the Pine Bush for commercial office development. … Willow Street Again
Existing view, looking east Home Proposed facility with plumes, looking east from McCarty Avenue
by Claire Hughes, Staff writer Excessive development of rural countryside, which leads to the loss of some animal species there, could be the reason the Capital Region and other areas of New York have seen recent spikes in rates of Lyme disease, according to a study being published this week. A group of researchers, including … Study Links Lyme Disease, Rural Building
GUILDERLAND – A man who wanted to send a message of peace by wearing a T-shirt with anti-war slogans was arrested Monday at Crossgates Mall after he refused to remove the shirt or leave the mall. Stephen F. Downs, 61, of Selkirk, was charged with one count of trespassing, a violation. Police said he was … Peace’ T-shirt prompts arrest Mall patron faces trespass charge
Subscribe to "Dinner with Save the Pine Bush" on iTunes! Table of Contents Dan Van Riper from albanyweblog.com speaks about The Proposed Sewage Treatment Plant in Lincoln Park, May 16, 2019 Anne Pope, Rev Sam Johnson and Stephanie Woodard speak about The Rapp Road Historical Association, January 16, 2019 Ward Stone, Former NYS Wildlife Pathologist and Keith … Podcasts
by Lynne Jackson ALBANY: Dr. Gary Kleppel, professor of biology at the University of Albany, outlined the economic and environmental costs of sprawl at Save the Pine Bush’s June veggie lasagna dinner at the First Presbyterian Church in Albany. Dr. Kleppel opened his presentation by challenging conservation groups with the most important mission, “curbing urban … Sprawl Costs Money
How Destruction Of The Pine Bush Raises Taxes How Destruction Of The Pine Bush Raises Taxes – Step #2 Braindead Common Council Approves Scheme Previous Step in Scheme * * * Next Step in Scheme Vegetarian Lasagna Dinner Pine Bush Hike Current Newsletter About Save the Pine Bush Virtual Photo Exhibit Action Alerts Volunteer … How Destruction Of The Pine Bush Raises Taxes
Michael J. Kernan was appointed to the Solid Waste Management Plan as a representative of CANA – the Council of Albany Neighborhoods. Below is an edited version of the comments he summited on the Steering Committee (SC) SWMP Preliminary Report* Preliminary Report Conclusions (PR) 1. Public authority vs formal consortium I disagree with the assumption … Comments on the Solid Waste Management Plan by Mike Kernan
Crossgates Shouldn’t Expand – But Who Will Stop Them? Crossgates Shouldn’t Expand But Who Will Stop Them? By Daniel Van Riper Here are some reasons why the Pyramid Corporation’s Crossgates Maul shouldn’t be allowed to double in size again: (1) They don’t pay their taxes. After the last time Crossgates doubled in size, the town … Crossgates Shouldn’t Expand – But Who Will Stop Them?
RENSSELAER, NY: Rensselaer residents took a big step toward closing the Dunn (Waste Connections) construction and demolition (C&D) debris landfill in November when they elected Mike Stammel as mayor of their city. Mr. Stammel, also chairman of the Rensselaer County Legislature, has taken an anti-dump stance and works with locals eager to immediately close the … Dunn Landfill — Stinks Up the School; Parents and Residents Protest
Action Alert! Touhey Gets A Boost Politicians Defy Voters Action Alert! Touhey Gets A Boost Politicians Defy Voters By Daniel Van Riper The Zoning Committee of the Albany Common Council handed stubborn developer Charlie Touhey a key approval of his proposed destruction of Pine Bush at 300 Washington Avenue Extension. By a vote of 3 … Action Alert! Touhey Gets A Boost Politicians Defy Voters
By Matthew Hamilton Albany: There is an unmistakable glow that illuminates the Albany skyline each night. For tourists, the lights are an attraction to the largest city on the Hudson River north of Yonkers. For nocturnal migrating birds, it’s also an attraction — and that’s the problem. The state is set to announce Monday that non-essential … New York state going dark to save birds
New York State Historic Archaeological Site Inventory Form Stanford Home Hearing Information Hearing Notes January 23 Hearing Canadians are Coming! Archeological Information Photos – Outdoor Photos – Indoor Bonding Editorial Preservation Donate Contact New York State Historic Archaeological Site Inventory Form NYS OFFICE OF PARKS, RECREATION & HISTORIC PRESERVATION (518) 237-8643 For Office … New York State Historic Archaeological Site Inventory Form
Bonding that threatens historic Stanford homestead Stanford Home Hearing Information Hearing Notes January 23 Hearing Canadians are Coming! Archeological Information Photos – Outdoor Photos – Indoor Bonding Editorial Preservation Donate Contact December 15, 2006 Dear Concerned Citizens, Friends of Stanford Home, Health Care Advocates, and Niskayuna Neighbors, Bonding that threatens historic Stanford homestead … Bonding that threatens historic Stanford homestead