Environmentalists step up complaints about Irene response
The Adirondack Council issued a letter Thursday afternoon, urging Governor Andrew Cuomo to direct Park residents and local governments to “stop bulldozing rivers.”
The photo shown here, taken by an Adirondack Council staff-member, shows Roaring Brook, which the group says has been converted into “a draining ditch.”
“A lot of environmental damage is taking place in the name of public safety,” said the Council’s Brian Houseal, in a statement.
Along with the release, the Council issued a series of photographs, which it said showed unnecessary damage to Adirondack waterways.
Local government leaders in the Park, and state Senator Betty Little, have urged the state to quickly survey the rivers and approve more dredging, to prevent flooding this winter as ice jams develop.
Governor Cuomo suspended most environmental rules and regulations in the Park, including scenic river and wetland protections administered by the Adirondack Park Agency, so that emergency work could proceed without delay.
During a visit to St. Huberts last week, he said he was proud of the decision and believed it had accelerated the recovery.
Tags: adirondacks, environment, irene
Knuck, Like I said above I agree that these groups can be critical about what needs to be done. I just question they way they are going about it.
“Enviro groups, however, like the Ausable River Association and Adk. Council, DO HAVE THE EXPERTISE on staff to know what they are talking about in this realm. It is crazy to question their motives here. This is their strong suit and we need to trust them.”
Jill, I don’t think that they do. The DEC certainly has a very deep pool of talent when it comes to fisheries biology and other lines of expertise. You don’t have to trust them but they are there working on this.
“The enviro groups bringing these post river repair problems to light DO have the knowledge base, through expert staff, of river science and habitats” Jill, is this accurate?
The DEC certainly does have this staff you describe. You don’t have to “trust” them but they do have the staff and they are working on this.
But yes these groups certainly do have the right to be concerned no one is disputing that.
I apologize for the duplicate response. I didn’t see the other one in the run.
Thank you, Brian, for covering this angle. Every time I drive across to the Northway I get re-incensed by the wanton disregard of the environmental impact of the work done within the riparian zones of the rivers.