It is more convenient than ever to apply for a Conservation Fund grant. Download the new Conservation Fund grant application form now. For additional details on submitting a request for funding Trout Unlimited Chapters in New York State can contact Jeff Plackis, Conservation Fund VP.
Join the Sierra Club in the protection of our precious Wetlands. Find out more in this PDF document.
Council Newsletter Online
2009
March
6, 2009: Executive Board
Meeting Howard Johnson (former Quality Inn), Binghamton. 9PM
March 7, 2009:
NY Strategic Plan preparation, Dave Rogers from national
assisting 8:30 AM
June 5th
- Executive Meeting at
Catskill Flyfishing Center and Museum, 9 PM
June 6th
- General Meeting at the
Rockland House, 9 AM to 3:00 PM
September 11th & 12th, 2009:
Annual Meeting and Regional VPs Elections, Cold Brook/West
Canada Cr.
September 11h- Executive
Meeting 9 PM
September 12th- General
Meeting 9AM
Again,
they are to be electronically sent. If not able, Council
Chairman can assist as well as
national staff. Also complete
990s to IRS and national.
November
6th- Executive Committee Meeting, Friday 9 PM
November
7th- Full Council Meeting, Saturday 9 AM
November 20, 2009: Embrace A
Stream proposals due to EAS Representative for review.
Belleayre Resort Update
I want to share NY Council TU activities concerning the proposed Belleayre Resort project in the central Catskills and on the planned expansion of the state-owned Belleayre Ski Center. I would like to share our continuing involvement in scrutinizing these projects, as we have proceeded so far contrary to some beliefs.
I. The Belleayre Resort Agreement in Principle
As you will recall, in September 2007, Governor Spitzer announced an Agreement in Principle that would serve as a framework for advancing a lower-build alternative resort development project adjacent to the Belleayre Ski Center on the border of Ulster and Delaware counties in the Towns of Shandaken and Middletown. The Agreement in Principle was signed by the Governor, the developer, the New York City Department of Environmental Protection and seven environmental groups including representatives of the Catskill Center for Conservation and Development, Natural Resources Defense Council, New York Public Interest Research Group, Riverkeeper, Theodore Gordon Flyfishers, the Zen Environmental Studies Institute and Trout Unlimited.
I signed the Agreement in Principle on TU’s behalf, after consultation with our Catskill Mountains Chapter representative, Roy Hochberg, who had participated in the negotiations with the environmental coalition. I did so because I believed that the Agreement in Principle held the promise for significant new actions to protect cold water fisheries in the Catskills. First and foremost, the Agreement in Principle, if successfully implemented, would insure the transfer of more than 1,200 forested acres just east of Belleayre from the developer to the state for inclusion in the Catskill Forest Preserve as “forever wild.” That action, in turn would completely protect the beloved and threatened Esopus Creek, which feeds into New York City’s Ashokan Reservoir, from the proposed resort development.
In addition, the Agreement in Principle provided a framework for a lower-build alternative on a portion of the smaller parcel to the west of the Belleayre Ski Center. Among those benefits, if the Agreement in Principle is fully implemented, are requirements directing that no individual lodging units in the new lower-build project be constructed on slopes steeper than 20 percent, a mandate that the single golf course be operated as organic, and the transfer of a 203 acre conservation easement from the developer to the City of New York. In total 86% of the entire 1,960 acre site (combined east and west parcels) now owned by the developer would remain undisturbed. (Of course, there are still some water quality issues of concern with respect to the lower build alternative development proposed for the parcel west of Belleayre; I discuss them further in Section III of this memo.)
Another important part of the Agreement in Principle was the public participation process that it created. Specifically, the Agreement in Principle committed the state to undertake a full supplemental environmental review of the Belleayre Resort lower-build alternative project, take whatever mitigation measures may be necessary and insure compliance with all laws and regulations before finalizing the supplemental environmental impact statement or moving ahead with the issuances of permits for any lower-build alternative. The Agreement in Principle also allows TU to fully participate in the public comment process on the draft supplemental environmental impact statement. And as noted later, we fully intend to do so.
II. Belleayre Ski Center Expansion
The Belleayre Resort Project is also related to a second project that has long been on the drawing boards – the creation of additional ski trails at the state-owned Belleayre Ski Center. DEC has stated that it is currently operating 14.5 miles of trails. But it has long been planning to add approximately 9 miles of new trails. Under state law and previously approved amendment to the State Constitution, DEC has existing rights to expand the existing ski center up to a total of 25 miles of trails. So it has been inevitable that some expansion of the ski trails was going to occur, sooner or later. Indeed, it is likely a Ski Center expansion proposal would have been released years ago, but for the ongoing dispute about the proposed Belleayre Resort project. In any event, the details of that expansion and the possible water quality impacts of such a move have yet to be released or analyzed by the public. And of that we are very concerned.
The Agreement in Principle provided a framework for the Belleayre Resort’s lower-build alternative proposed Highmount Spa project to connect to the Belleayre Ski Center via a “ski –in, ski- out’ trail. But the Agreement in Principle dealt with the Belleayre Ski Center expansion only briefly. And it specifically indicated that a draft Unit Management Plan would have to be released in which the details of the proposed Ski Center expansion would be outlined and subject to public review and comment.. And once the Ski Center expansion proposal is released (in the form of a draft Unit Management Plan; UMP), the public (including TU) will have the opportunity to review the specifics of the proposal and its possible impacts on water quality and quantity in detail.
III. Next Steps
I want to emphasize that, despite our significant success in helping to facilitate the transfer of 1,200 acres now owned by the developer to the state for inclusion in the Catskill Forest Preserve and our similar advance in getting New York City committed to acquiring a conservation easement on another 200 acres of the developer’s land on the west, we still have considerable work to do to insure that the Belleayre resort lower-build alternative and the proposed Belleayre Ski Center expansion do not jeopardize Catskills water quality.
The comments prepared on the Belleayre Resort Supplemental Draft EIS by Norman Turner and TU’s Catskill Mountains Chapter are as well written and in detail as the first EIS and subsequent hearings. They are a wonderful set of comments and concerns that again raise many important questions and highlight many critical issues that we believe must be covered in detail in the Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and forthcoming Draft Unit Management Plan.
When the SDEIS is released, we expect to again prepare expert technical comments – once again in great detail. We plan to again ask the hard questions and raise every legitimate environmental question related to protection of cold water fisheries. One particular concern that TU and the six other environmental groups that signed the Agreement in Principle have relates to potential stormwater impacts from the one portion of the roadway in the Highmount section of the proposed lower-build Belleayre Resort lower build alternative project that would have slopes greater than 20%. We have continued to raise questions about that piece of the plan, as well as the 29 individual lodging units that might be built on or above that portion of the road.
In addition, the proposed Belleayre Ski Center expansion raises a host of water quality questions that have not been the subject of TU review to date. Many of these ski center expansion issues have been addressed by the Catskill Mts. Chapter of TU. We would also plan to review these plans and their water quality impacts with great scrutiny, when the draft Unit Management Plan is released and testify as to our findings and concerns at the public hearings that would follow. As was the case when I signed the Agreement in Principle, the focus of our attention in all these future comments and testimony would not be on traffic or social impacts or other areas outside of our expertise, but limited solely to protection of cold water fisheries, which is of course TU’s mission. It was the impacts on cold water fisheries that was our sole focus during our previous involvement in this matter and it is that issue that we want to guide our continuing participation and review of these Belleayre projects.
On this basis, I affirm that the New York State Council of TU through our local chapters will continue our preparation of detailed comments on the Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the lower-build Belleayre Resort alternative project and on the Draft Unit Management Plan for the proposed Belleayre Ski Center expansion. There is a great deal of expertise within TU on the issues of protection of Catskill cold water fisheries and we want to utilize that expertise in a productive fashion in coming months to secure the protection of 1,400 acres of lands now owned by the developer and to insure that whatever development does occur on the west and whatever expansion of the Ski Center does move forward are done in ways that are fully protective of local trout water streams and their aquatic ecosystems.
Ron Urban, Chairman
NY State Council Trout Unlimited
A slippery, stubborn invader
Nasty, woolly-textured algae makes unwanted appearance in waters of the Batten Kill,
by BRIAN NEARING, Staff writer
Albany Times Union
First published: Wednesday, August 8, 2007
SALEM -- Invasive algae with the unappealing nickname of "rock snot" has turned up in a world-renowned trout stream that runs through Washington County, possibly carried there on the wading boots of an angler.
State wildlife officials said Tuesday that Didymosphenia geminata -- a woolly-textured brown algae that has overrun streams in New Zealand since arriving in 2004 -- is in the Batten Kill near the Route 22 bridge south of Salem.
It is not possible to eradicate rock snot, and officials, conservationists and anglers agree anyone using the Batten Kill and other water bodies should stop the spread by cleaning boots, boats and other gear after leaving the water.
Once in a creek, the algae grips rocks along the bottom, growing into thick, smothering mats that eliminate fly larvae and other small invertebrates eaten by trout and other fish. The growths, which can reach up to a foot thick, also can cover fish spawning grounds.
Last month, the algae was found in the White and Connecticut rivers in Vermont and New Hampshire, after already contaminating rivers in Arkansas, Tennessee, South Dakota and Montana, as well as British Columbia and Poland. Believed to be native to far northern regions of Europe and Asia, the algae has been on the move into warmer, more nutrient-rich water.
The algae likely got into the Batten Kill from felt-soled wading boots worn by a fisherman who came from tainted water elsewhere, said Steve Sanford, chief of the habitat bureau for the state Department of Environmental Conservation. Felt soles stay damp, allowing microscopic algae to survive for several weeks.
"It's too early to say what this could mean for the river and its fish," Sanford said. "But in New Zealand, it had a dramatic effect on creek bottoms and fish." A researcher for the Battenkill Conservancy, a not-for-profit conservation group, said he notified officials in New York and Vermont after finding large mats of rock snot in the stream in July 2006.
Wandering 29 miles from the Vermont border to the Hudson River, the New York section of the Batten Kill also is popular for kayaking, canoeing and tubing. "Mats began upstream of the Route 22 bridge between Cambridge and Salem, and extended to below Battenville. It was pretty thick all over," said J. Kelly Nolan, the conservancy's Riverwatch coordinator. He said the algae bloom isn't visible there now, but "it's not going to disappear. Once you have it, it's there." The spread of rock snot into a premier trout stream also has sportsmen worried.
"It's just a tank of gas away from being in this river ... or any river in your backyard," said Chris Williamson, owner of Jones Outfitters Ltd., a Lake Placid dealer in Orvis fishing gear that supplies anglers who fish for trout in the west branch of the Ausable River. "You have to educate people to think of themselves as a carrier for these things, to get people to think about cleaning their gear," he said. Jones Outfitters, along with another Adirondack business, the Hungry Trout Fly Shops in Wilmington, have joined with the Lake Champlain and Tri-Lakes chapters of Trout Unlimited, along with the Ausable River Association and Boquet River Associations, to publish a flyer on cleaning techniques.
"We started putting this out two weeks ago at bait shops, tackle shops, places like that," said Ron Urban, state chairman of Trout Unlimited. "We have a big concern over the spread. Any stream that this comes into is at risk."
Trout Unlimited Statement on Delaware River Flows
An official statement from Trout Unlimited has been released on 3/3/08 calling for better protection for the Upper Delaware system. The full statement can be viewed here.
Trout Unlimited Policy Concerning Stream Access Issues
TU’s Board of Trustees approved a policy to govern the involvement of TU staff, councils and chapters in disputes related to public access to rivers, streams, and lakes for recreational purposes. The Board of Trustees hereby revokes the 1999 policy and adopts the policy set forth below.
The purposes of this policy are as follows:
1. To provide an efficient process for the review of public access issues that chapters and councils wish to undertake or confront.
2. To develop categories of access issues that require review and approval of the Executive Committee and categories that do not, and to communicate those distinctions to TU chapters and councils.
3. To provide a better means for the Board and staff to communicate with chapters, councils, and volunteer leaders regarding TU’s policies and practices with respect to issues relating to the public’s right to access rivers, lakes, and streams.
4. To provide a focal point for the collection of information related to all TU participation in access issues and to develop tools and expertise for chapters and councils addressing access issues or advocating for voluntary access programs.
Full details of the plan can be found here.
Preventing The Spread Of Didymo
Didymo is a single-celled micro-organism that can spread from one river or lake to another by the movement of water, equipment, clothing and any other damp item. People and their activities are the main cause of spread. To ensure you don't spread didymo or other aquatic pests, wherever possible restrict equipment, boats, clothing and other items for exclusive use in a single waterway between cleaning.
If you are moving items between waterways, you must Check, Clean, Dry.
CHECK: Before you leave a river or lake, check items and leave debris at site. If you find any later, treat and put in rubbish. Do not wash down drains.
CLEAN: There are several ways to kill didymo. Choose the most practical treatment for your situation which will not adversely affect your gear
* Non-absorbent items
* Detergent: soak or spray all surfaces for at least one minute in 5% dishwashing detergent or nappy cleaner (two large cups or 500 mls with water added to make 10 litres); OR
* Bleach: soak or spray all surfaces for at least one minute in 2% household bleach (one small cup or 200 mls with water added to make 10 litres); OR
* Hot water: soak for at least one minute in very hot water kept above 60 °C (hotter than most tap water) or for at least 20 minutes in hot water kept above 45 °C (uncomfortable to touch).
* Absorbent items require longer soaking times to allow thorough saturation.
For example, felt-soled waders require:
* Hot water: soak for at least 40 minutes in hot water kept above 45 °C; OR
* Hot water plus detergent: soak for 30 minutes in hot water kept above 45 °C containing 5% dishwashing detergent or nappy cleaner; OR
* Freezing any item until solid will also kill didymo.
DRY: Drying will kill didymo, but slightly moist didymo can survive for months. To ensure didymo cells are dead by drying, the item must be completely dry to the touch, inside and out, then left dry for at least another 48 hours before use.
If cleaning or drying is not practical, restrict equipment to a single waterway.
NOTE: The thicker and denser the absorbent material, the better it will be at holding moisture (and live cells), the slower it will be to dry out and the more difficult it will be to soak completely with cleaning solutions.
When cleaning gear, we recommend that you:
* Soak absorbent items for longer than specified to ensure thorough saturation of the material with the cleaning agent
* Follow manufacturer's safety instructions when using cleaning products
* Dispose of cleaning waste well away from waterways.
Cleaning options
The standard decontamination treatments are included in the Check Clean Dry message above. Further information is available in a table comparing the effectiveness of methods and products tested on didymo survival, published in the Didymo Survival Study Report. This table includes information on using reduced concentrations of decontamination products for longer soaking times to suit high volume commercial users who wish to soak gear overnight at less expense to themselves, their business and the environment.
* Table of Didymo Survival Results - May 07
Unless otherwise stated, all dilutions are given as volume of cleaning product/volume of total water (v/v). For example, a 5% solution is made by mixing 50 ml of product with water added to make 1000 mls (1 litre) total.
The table below describes in more depth how to clean specific items. Unless stated otherwise (such as for felt-soled waders and boots), all of the decontamination options are effective on all items, provided that absorbent items are thoroughly soaked.
Felt-soled waders and boots
Fishing footwear containing absorbent material, such as felt-soled waders and boots, poses a high risk of didymo transfer-these items are likely to come into direct physical contact with didymo cells (e.g., stepping on or brushing against algal mats), and the moisture retained in these goods helps cell survival.
Choose one of the following treatments specific to felt-soled waders and boots:
Hot water: If hot water alone is used, careful attention is needed to ensure the temperature of the water is maintained at no less that 45 °C for 40 minutes to ensure the interior of the felt reaches a sufficient temperature to kill all cells;
OR
Hot water and detergent: The entire felt sole and boot needs to be completely immersed for 30 minutes in hot tap water kept above 45 °C (uncomfortably hot to touch) containing 5% dishwashing detergent or nappy cleaner.
Ron Urban honored with distinguished service award
Ron Urban’s extensive involvement on behalf of TU’s mission in New York earned him this year’s Distinguished Service Award from Trout Unlimited National. Currently serving as chair of the New York State Council, Ron’s TU experience includes time as a newsletter editor and president of the Catskill Chapter. He is also a member of EarthShare of New York, the Great Lakes Watch and the Delaware River Flows Committee. Ron was the driving force behind a state bill that would afford better protection to New York State’s wetlands and has supported numerous conservation issues in his home state. He has also helped to rejuvenate the Upper Genesee River Chapter and launch the Tri-Lakes Chapter.
Battenkill Project
Bill Wellman demonstrates his casting technique to the Greater Adirondack Resource Conservation & Development Council (GARC&D) at Wulff's Pool, site of the newly created J hook during a recent visit to the Battenkill arranged by Clearwater Chapter's Greg Cuda.
John Rieger, RC&D President, get a quick lesson in fly fishing from Bill Wellman, Region 5 VP and RC&D board member during a recent group visit to Wulff's Pool's new J hook on the Battenkill arranged by Clearwater's Greg Cuda.
Members of Long Island TU shooting a x-section on the carlls as part of their FGR work.
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