9/23/10: Public hearing on NYS DEC's State Forest Management Plan

Public hearing tonight (9/23):
6:30 to 9:30 PM
DEC Region 3 Headquarters
Main Conference Room
21 South Putt Corners Road
New Paltz

The NYS DEC's Draft Strategic Plan for State Forest Management includes information about how DEC will proceed with leasing our state forests* for natural gas exploration and use of water for gas extraction once the DEC's SGEIS on hydraulic fracturing ("fracking") is finalized.

Meeting agenda:
6:30 to 7 PM - Sign in (and sign up if you want to speak)
You can also speak "one-on-one" with DEC personnel at this time
7 PM - Welcome
7:10 PM - Presentation about the draft plan (20 to 30 minutes)
7:40 to 9:30 PM - Public comments on all aspects of the draft plan

Let's ask DEC to remove the entire Mineral Resources section (pages 225 to 242) from this document, and ask that our state forests never be leased to the gas industry.

For the full plan and information about the public hearings, go to:

http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/64567.html

Written comments will be accepted through October 29.

For more information about fracking, go to:
http://frackaction.com/
http://gaslandthemovie.com/

* These forests include 786,000 acres, but not do not include the Adirondack or Catskill Forest Preserves.