Catskill Center Submits Two Comment Letters
One addresses NYCDEP water filtration avoidance; the other, the State’s Climate Plan
The Catskill Center recently submitted a comment letter pertaining to the proposed continuation of a Filtration Avoidance Determination (FAD) for New York City’s Watershed, essentially supporting the avoidance of building a multi-billion-dollar filtration system for the Catskill/Delaware portion of the City’s water supply. In doing so, we’re calling on NYS agencies to require the NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to expand a Catskill Center/DEP program that protects water quality in streams of the northeastern Catskills through the purchase of streamside lands (the Streamside Acquisition Program, or SAP).
The Catskill Center was one of the original signatories to the 1997 Memorandum of Agreement between local stakeholders and the City that provided for City land acquisition in the Catskills in balance with local needs.
We urge the State to require NYCDEP to expand the SAP to the full West-of-Hudson Watershed and commit a minimum of $8 million in new funding to the Catskill Center to implement the expanded SAP.
“The SAP focuses on protecting properties that make the biggest difference for water quality,” said Lee Alexander, Streamside Acquisition Program Director. “Most of the land the SAP acquires consists of streams, floodplains, wetlands, or other lands within 300 feet of streams. We encourage landowners to keep their more developable lands in private hands, and sell the wetter areas to the SAP. Because of this targeted approach, the SAP can conserve important water resources while leaving other lands available for local development.”
We filed our other comment letter in response to the Draft Scoping Plan for the New York State Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, which provides a framework for how the State can reach ambitious reductions in climate-changing emissions. The Catskill Center supports the plan’s ambition and many of its proposed strategies, but we also emphasize the importance of smart planning, particularly to ensure that the Catskills’ abundant forests remain healthy to sequester carbon. Plus, we urge the State to improve forest management for other purposes, such as water quality and climate resilience.
“Smart planning that ensures both healthy forests and healthy communities has been a longstanding goal of the Catskill Center. Our comment letter reinforces this core principle,” said Jeff Senterman, Executive Director of the Catskill Center. “In addition, we hope the final plan considers greater efficiencies when it comes to delivering technical assistance to municipalities, especially for renewable energy production.”
The Catskill Center also strongly recommends that the state consolidates public outreach and education initiatives under a single effort.
Comment Letters: