Seneca White Deer

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Brenda
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DEC Proposes Adding Protected Wetlands in Seneca County
Public Comments Accepted Until February 15

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today proposed that 26 wetland areas in the towns of Varick and Romulus, Seneca County, be included in the state's stringent oversight of critical freshwater wetland ecosystems. The wetlands being proposed for mapping - meaning they would be subject to state protection - are primarily located within the boundaries of the former Seneca Army Depot.

Approximately 266 acres of wetlands on and near the former Army Depot property are currently mapped. DEC's proposal would significantly expand the protected area by increasing the mapped wetlands an additional 2,100 acres.

In the fall of 2007, the Seneca County Industrial Development Agency (IDA) passed a resolution accepting an application from L.M. Sessler Excavating and Wrecking, Inc. to develop a portion of the former Seneca Army Depot known as "The Conservation Area." Plans include construction of a conservation lodge and the development of four or five 10-acre parcels for future use. While many details of the proposal are unknown at this time, it is possible the proposal may impact freshwater wetlands on the former Seneca Army Depot.

Region 8 Director Paul D'Amato said, "The Depot area contains important natural resources and as development pressures increase, it is important that they be protected. The amended maps are a critical step in ensuring that any permit applications for proposals at the Depot and neighboring wetland areas receive a thorough and comprehensive environmental review to adequately protect the wetlands and wildlife habitat."

Wetlands naturally cleanse and purify water, provide crucial open space, and protect our communities against flooding by retaining and reducing the volume and velocity of water entering our streams, rivers, lakes and reservoirs following a storm event.

The Freshwater Wetlands Act provides DEC with the authority to regulate certain activities that take place within wetlands 12.4 acres or greater in size, certain smaller wetlands of unusual local importance, and 100-foot buffer areas around mapped wetlands. If proposals seek to disturb or otherwise impact state regulated wetland areas, a DEC freshwater wetlands permit must be obtained. The Act also authorizes DEC to amend maps in order to add, modify or delete wetlands represented on the maps. More information about wetlands and DEC's role can be found at http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/4937.html on the agency's website.

DEC will be accepting written comments on the proposed Freshwater Wetland Map amendments until February 15, 2008. Maps showing the proposed revisions are available at the Region 8 DEC office, 6274 East Avon-Lima Rd, Avon, NY 14414-9519; and at the clerk's office in the village, town and county where the change is taking place. Comments on the proposed Freshwater Wetland revisions may be sent to: NYSDEC Region 8 Office, 6274 E. Avon-Lima Rd, Avon, NY 14414-9519; fax (585) 226-9789; or, e-mail at: [email protected]

A public notice announcing the wetland amendments appeared in the most recent Environmental Notice Bulletin ( http://www.dec.ny.gov/enb/40883.html). In addition, affected landowners and local governments will be notified, and legal notification will be published in the local newspapers serving that area. Upon finalization and publication of the official map amendment notice, no activity subject to Freshwater Wetland regulations in the proposed area may be initiated without a permit from DEC.

http://www.dec.ny.gov/press/41110.html
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ShanaD

This seems like it is very good news
Tarkus

The D&C (Rochester Democrat and Chronicle) published a front page article about the Depot entitled "Battleground."

They outlined some of the proposed businesses and the potential impact on the deer. I do not work with Mr. Money's organization ( http://www.senecawhitedeer.org/ ), but his efforts led me to propose a business idea that I thought would have the interests of the economy and the wildlife in mind. It seems that the idea has gone seriously awry.

I sent this as a "letter to the editor" to D&C (limited to 175 words):
I proposed Project "White Deer” to Governor Spitzer’s gubernatorial campaign in 2006 in response to WIRED’s “Wall Street West” in Allentown, Pa.. I proposed creating a New York disaster preparedness data center for Wall Street firms.

The Seneca Army Depot is geographically remote from New York City. Essential power and telecommunications could be upgraded at the former base and modern, military grade perimeter security could be added for a facility that had limited human presence. I discussed the fiber with Finger Lakes Technology Group following a meeting of the Ontario County Broadband Committee. FLTG, private companies and Project ION had the necessary fiber to obtain diverse path routing to Manhattan.

My intent was to improve the economy of the Finger Lakes Region with remote disaster preparedness for a vital New York institution and to preserve the unique wildlife within the confines of the former base. Placing a private hunting facility in which foreign and domestic individuals carry weapons near a “secure” data center would compromise the very security that the center was meant to preserve.
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That is an interesting proposal, Tarkus. This is the first that I've heard of it. The entire situation is such a mess right now. My stand on it is that I welcome development to improve our economy, but not at the cost of the existing wildlife and habitats. I am strongly against the Sessler/Battaglia plan because it's obvious that it is intended to only benefit the parties involved. I have no knowledge of, or dealings with the Sessler family, but I can absolutely say that I want no part of anything that Mr. Battaglia is involved with! Oh, welcome to the community!
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Here's a link to that article in the D&C
http://www.democratandchronicle.com/app ... 8802170347
Tarkus

Thanks for the welcome,

Finger Lakes Technology Group went in a different direction than I had outlined. I approached them because they are affiliated with the two Local Exchange Carriers that would service the North and South Routes. My proposal was to create a "beachhead" for a future data center. If you are interested, I updated the story and left the original link to the PowerPoint given to the Governor's Are Representative. See, http://www.ceci.org/links/2006/WhiteDeer.htm .

I am not involved in the current project. I found out about FLTG's plans just before an article about it was released in 2007. They are going beyond the beachhead concept and developing a data center, but the end users may not be the Wall Street firms that I had in mind.

I don't think it is in FLTG's interest to have people carrying firearms outside of their facilities. I don't know if they have provided input to the Seneca County IDA. There have been some personnel changes at the IDA since Mr. Cook was there.

The whole point to a secure data center is to have as few people in OR AROUND the facilities. Major firms could look to larger areas for places where their primary and backup people could be stationed.

The wildlife should be able to continue their enjoyment of the depot grounds at the same point in time that businesses within the depot are generating income.

I think that there are several ways in which companies can do business at the Seneca Army Depot which can preserve the aritifical balance of nature that was created by the presence of the Depot over several decades. That does not mean that the wildlife is only relegated to the more toxic areas of the Depot that businesses don't want. It means that the approach to the development of new business should be given towards preserving the enclave for certain wildlife that the Depot has become.

When I consider brining a new busines to the region, I try to think how the people who are in the business will develop modern methods of businesses which preserve or improve the regional environment. That may mean splitting a nature friendly application in one area and a more industrial focus somewhere else.

Tarkus

By the way, I met with our State CIO (she came in from another State). She was asking how the fishing was up in the Finger Lakes region, but I would expect that there is a wide variety of fishing spots throughout New York State to outline on the Fishing discussion board.
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good points Tarkus. Welcome aboard!
Tarkus

Thanks, BTW, great dog photo on your avatar.

Also, we are learning in Ontario County that, once created, these IDAs become quasi public agencies that answer to very few people. The Ontario County IDA has even asserted that it has the power of condemnation, even when the Town (Town of Canandaigua) asserts that it does not want to close a public road sought by the IDA (to extend an airport runway).
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