AMC Conservation Action Network News
September 1999

Of National Concern:

Land and Water Conservation Fund
Air Quality

Of Regional Concern:

Highlands Protection, New Jersey
Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area Trails Plan
PCB's in the Hudson River, NY
Community Preservation, Massachusetts

NATIONAL

Land and Water Conservation Fund: The Senate did not act on legislation to provide funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) before Congress recessed for the summer. Efforts to ensure that LWCF does not get lost in the federal budget process are in full swing. This month, President Clinton highlighted LWCF in his weekly radio address calling for $1 billion to protect natural treasures and provide new resources to states and communities to preserve farms, urban parks, wetlands, coastal lands and working forests. In addition, he talked about full and permanent funding for LWCF and other associated programs such as Urban Parks Recovery and Restoration Program and Forest Legacy. Senator Lieberman (D-CT) has introduced a new bill supporting full and permanent funding for LWCF and other associated programs.

What you can do:

Now is the time to contact your Senators and your Representative to let them know that these programs are an essential feature of ensuring America's future as a land of beauty and livable communities.

1. Celebrate LWCF's 35th birthday on September 3rd by contacting your Representative or Senators directly through our website: http://www.outdoors.org/Conservation/. Tell your representatives in Congress that parks, boat access areas, bikeways, campgrounds and ball fields are an important part of quality of life. Click on "act now." Or call the Capitol switchboard to reach your Representative's or Senators: 202-224-3121.

2. Sign and send the postcard enclosed in the September issue of AMC Outdoors.

3. Attend a planning and strategy meeting for LWCF advocates on September 17th meeting at the Seacoast Science Center, Rye, NH from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.RSVP to lminnear@amcinfo.org

Air Quality: Fourteen old coal- and oil-burning power plants in New England contribute significantly to our air pollution problems. Built 25-47 years ago, these "Filthy Fourteen" benefit from a loophole in our laws which exempts them from newer clean air emission standards. This loophole allows them to emit up to ten times more air pollution than newer plants. In addition to endangering public health, the pollution from fossil fuel power plants also contributes to acid rain, mercury contamination, summer haze, damaged coastal and inland waters and climate change. Now is the time to close the loophole that allows these Eisenhower-era power plants to be exempted from newer clean air standards. Progress has been made. Governor Cellucci in Massachusetts and Governor King in Maine have pledged to clean up these grandfathered polluting plants in their states, but the job isn't done yet! These governors and those from other states must hear from the public that cleaning up the plants is necessary to protect public health and the environment.

What you can do:

For more information: check out http://www.cleanwateraction.org

REGIONAL

Highlands, New Jersey: The Highlands is a 750,000-acre area that is home to 87 towns in seven North Jersey counties. This region is the source of clean drinking water for more than 56% of New Jersey's residents and provides diverse recreational opportunities within two hours travel time of some 20 million people. Recognition of the Highlands as an "Area of Critical State Concern" would help to bring greater resources to the region and could assist in creating new tools to deal effectively with growth. As New Jersey begins to look to the State Plan for guidance in making important financial and planning decisions, this recognition would assist communities within the Highlands by providing additional state resources to help control growth, preserve open space and protect the special places in this region. Public hearings will be scheduled this fall, likely in late September or October, to discuss the potential "area of critical concern" designation, which already has been approved for the Pinelands and Hackensack Meadowlands.

What you can do:

Send a letter to the State Planning Commission by connecting with http://www.outdoors.org/Conservation/ and click on "act now". To receive timely updates on this issue, visit http://www.outdoors.org/Conservation/ and click on "network news sign up". Choose to receive alerts on the Highlands region.

Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area Trails Plan: Acting Superintendent J. Robert Kirby has released a draft General Management Plan Amendment (GMPA) and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area Trails. The plan identifies three alternatives for designation of a park-wide trails system and analyzes how each of these alternatives will affect the park's nationally significant resources.

For more information: Find the Draft Trails Plan, General Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement at http://www.nps.gov/dewa/trailplan/theplan.html

What you can do:

Send comments by September 30th, 1999, to: Superintendent, Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, 1 River Rd., Bushkill, PA 18324. Comments can be emailed to: dewa_superintendent@nps.gov

PCBs in the Hudson River, NY: For over 30 years, General Electric dumped 1.3 million pounds of PCBs into the Hudson River from plants at Hudson Falls and Fort Edwards. Since 1990 when the EPA began to reassess the degree of contamination in the river, there have been 11 delays on a clean up decision. Now the EPA is requesting public comments on the cleanup of PCBs from the Hudson River. Their latest reports released indicate that the health effects from PCB exposure poses dangers to humans as well as wildlife and plants.

What you can do: Urge the EPA to begin a prompt and thorough clean up of the Hudson River including removal and destruction of the PCBs. Write to Administrator Carol Browner, EPA, 401 M Street SW, Washington, DC 20460.

Community Preservation, Massachusetts: This fall, the Massachusetts legislature will likely act on the Community Preservation Act (S. 1513 and H. 3203). This enabling piece of legislation allows municipalities to vote to adopt either a real estate transfer tax of up to one per cent or surcharge on property tax bills (up to three per cent) to raise funds for historic preservation, open space protection and affordable housing. Both the House andSenate versions do not compel communities to collect the tax. The bills, if passed, provide localities with the choice to protect the local landscape, water resources and historic structures while also allowing communities the choice to provide affordable housing.

What you can do: Urge your state senator and representative to support the Community Preservation Act and urge the state to provide reasonable funding to supplement funds raised at the local level. Write to the State House, Boston, MA 02133. To reach statesenators, call 617-727-1455. To reach state representatives, 617-722-2000.

AMC CONSERVATION ACTION NETWORK

To sign up for special alerts or to unsubscribe, use the Network Sign up form. Choose to receive these alerts about the following subjects: Parks, Trails, and Open Space, the Northern Forest, the Highlands Region, Rivers and Watersheds, or Air Quality. Special alerts are sent out when a crucial issue comes to the fore. If you don't have web access, you can get more information or you can unsubscribe by emailing us: conservation@amcinfo.org