Had a chance to speak with my DEC contact, the person who drafted the access easements. As of now, all the easement corridors are in place, including some parking areas and new corridors. They have been agreed on by all parties.
For land that DEC is purchasing outright (i.e. Cheney Cobble - North River, Boreas Ponds, others), those lands are tied up waiting for NYS Environmental Protection Fund $$ to be freed up to allow the transfer to NYS.
Where there are sportman's clubs in place, DEC has a 10 year phase out plan.
In the first 3 years, the camps have exclusive use of the land. In the subsequent 2 years, they clubs have exclusive use for the 2 months of the big game season and the first 2 months of the trout fishing season. For the last 5 years, the clubs are allowed to keep their camps but the land is open year round to all.
My understanding is that the calendar is already moving on this. If the land transfer happens in another year or two, we're already into the first 3 years of the agreement.
For the lands with easement corridors, those easements are designated on maps but the financial holding company still holds rights to all the lands they purchased and the easements have not been opened and waiting for NY dollars for purchase. Likely these easements are at least a couple of years off.
I have an appointment at DEC in a couple of weeks to take a look at the maps and specific easement locales and will update this.
If anyone would like to hurry the process along, consider writing to Governor Patterson. You might want to mention that the NYS Legislature already authorized the purchase of the land and easements, and the NYS Division of the Budget is holding up the Environmental Protection funds that are already earmarked for the acquisition.
There is more at jeopardy here than just timing. The Open Space Institure and The Nature Conservancy are organizations that acquire land. They purchase important lands before they are turned into McMansions and are smaller and more agile, allowing a quick acquistion before the land is bought by developers. If the Division of the Budget and the Governor's office continues to feel that OSI and TNC can just carry the note on the land, it will make those non profits much more wary about jumping on new purchases and all of us will suffer for it when additional land we all want saved comes available in the future.
A group of very influential people who want to see the purchase and easement funds released met with the head of the Division of the Budget last week to express their displeasure. Your letters and emails to Gov. Patterson will assist.
For land that DEC is purchasing outright (i.e. Cheney Cobble - North River, Boreas Ponds, others), those lands are tied up waiting for NYS Environmental Protection Fund $$ to be freed up to allow the transfer to NYS.
Where there are sportman's clubs in place, DEC has a 10 year phase out plan.
In the first 3 years, the camps have exclusive use of the land. In the subsequent 2 years, they clubs have exclusive use for the 2 months of the big game season and the first 2 months of the trout fishing season. For the last 5 years, the clubs are allowed to keep their camps but the land is open year round to all.
My understanding is that the calendar is already moving on this. If the land transfer happens in another year or two, we're already into the first 3 years of the agreement.
For the lands with easement corridors, those easements are designated on maps but the financial holding company still holds rights to all the lands they purchased and the easements have not been opened and waiting for NY dollars for purchase. Likely these easements are at least a couple of years off.
I have an appointment at DEC in a couple of weeks to take a look at the maps and specific easement locales and will update this.
If anyone would like to hurry the process along, consider writing to Governor Patterson. You might want to mention that the NYS Legislature already authorized the purchase of the land and easements, and the NYS Division of the Budget is holding up the Environmental Protection funds that are already earmarked for the acquisition.
There is more at jeopardy here than just timing. The Open Space Institure and The Nature Conservancy are organizations that acquire land. They purchase important lands before they are turned into McMansions and are smaller and more agile, allowing a quick acquistion before the land is bought by developers. If the Division of the Budget and the Governor's office continues to feel that OSI and TNC can just carry the note on the land, it will make those non profits much more wary about jumping on new purchases and all of us will suffer for it when additional land we all want saved comes available in the future.
A group of very influential people who want to see the purchase and easement funds released met with the head of the Division of the Budget last week to express their displeasure. Your letters and emails to Gov. Patterson will assist.
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