Black Diamond Trail

Final Master Plan!

July 16, 2008

Dear BDTEN:

Good news released today! Notice of Completion of a Final Master Plan Environmental Impact Statement for the BDT!

This means that NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation took the following action: Adoption and Implementation of a Master Plan for the Black Diamond Trail.

For the whole story, go to http://nysparks.com — look under “News and Publications.

Of course we don’t know yet what exactly this means for the construction timeline, which has been predicted repeatedly to be Spring 2009 (predicted by our Finger Lakes Parks Office) — but it’s a great step forward.

All of you who gave written or oral testimony during the SEQR hearing process are listed in the master plan document.

One step closer!

Jan

Ulysses Public Input Meeting

Here’s another good opportunity to make your views known to the decision-makers –

July 10, 7:00 - 9:00 pm at the Franziska Racker Center
(or with a written comment if you can’t attend).

This meeting is especially important to Ulysses residents, yes, but ALL VOICES are welcome since whatever the Town of Ulysses decides will affect all of us who want to use the Black Diamond Trail. The BDT will certainly be a topic of discussion at this meeting, but to make it a BIG topic, we need to speak up.
Please read on — this announcement was sent to BDTEN by Liz Thomas, Ulysses Town Board member. Note the address at the bottom of her message, telling you where to send a written comment if you cannot attend. –Jan

Press Release

Public Input Meeting — Planning for the Future of Ulysses

The Town of Ulysses Comprehensive Plan Committee and consultant Bergmann Associates will hold a public input meeting to help inform the development of a Town Comprehensive Plan on Thursday, July 10, 2008 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the Franziska Racker Center at 3226 Wilkins Road.
The Town’s Comprehensive Plan Committee was appointed by the Town Board and has been meeting for over a year now to update the Town’s Comprehensive Plan. The Plan will be the culmination of a community process undertaken to define a vision for what we want our community to look like in 20 years, and lay out a roadmap for how to get there.
The committee has reached out to residents in the Town through a town-wide survey last year and a series of public workshops this past spring to gain input from a wide variety of community members. As a result of this input the committee identified five overarching policy areas for the Plan. In each policy area, objectives and actions were drafted to support the policy areas. The five policy areas are:
- Environment and Natural Resources
- Sustainable Land Use and Development  - Local Economy
- Community Services
- Community Identity
The Plan will also include a Future Land Use Plan. This is a map that very broadly identifies the kinds of development that would be appropriate and desirable in various areas of the Town. It will serve as a blueprint to guide future land use planning decisions and could inform zoning changes.
Community members are invited to attend the Public Input Meeting to review the Draft Future Land Use Plan that was developed from input at public workshops held in the spring, talk about what it means, and how it could guide future development regulations.
The results of a community character survey that summarizes what kind of development residents already said they like and what they don’t like about Ulysses will also be presented and discussed. The policy areas, objectives and actions for the Plan will also be available at the meeting.
We encourage your input and involvement in this stage of the process.
Current drafts of all the Comprehensive Plan documents are available at the Ulysses Town Hall, the Ulysses Philomathic Library, and on the Town’s web site at www.ulysses.ny.us (under “document downloads”). If you cannot attend the meeting and you’d still like to make comments e-mail them to us at ulyssesCP2008@gmail.com.

Act Now for Multi-Use Trails Bill

The advocacy organization Parks & Trails New York is doing great work for NYS trails. Please read their message below and do whatever you can — call Gov. Patterson, contact Barbara Lifton, and ask your friends and colleagues to do the same. This message tells you exactly how to do it.

Any way we can support NYS trails in general will help us here with the Black Diamond!

Jan

—————————- Original Message —————————-
Subject: Your action is needed now for the Multi-use Trails Bill
From:  “Parks & Trails New York” <ptny@ptny.org>
Date:  Fri, June 27, 2008 12:17 pm
————————————————————————–
It’s time to ACT!
Contact the Governor Today about the Multi-use Trails Bill

The Multi-use Trails Network Initiative bill (S.2324b/A9317b) that you helped us support has passed both the Senate and Assembly and has been sent to Governor Paterson. This bill will establish a broad-based, multi-agency effort to plan for the creation, maintenance and promotion of a statewide, comprehensive network of multi-use trails that will help ensure that New Yorkers are only minutes from a trail or park.

Governor Paterson has 10 days to sign it. Therefore, the Governor needs to hear from supporters of the bill immediately.

Here is what you can do:

Call 518-474-8390 or email Governor Paterson and ask him to sign this bill
Ask others in your organization to do likewise

If you have a good relationship with a local municipal official (mayor, county executive, etc.), ask him/her to contact the governor’s office and say that this bill is important to the community

When you call, you will not be asked any detailed questions. In fact, the person you reach may try to keep the conversation brief by just taking down the basic “for or against” facts. Feel free to say more - perhaps pointing out that the bill is timely in light of high fuel prices, economic development, concerns about obesity and other health issues related to inactivity, global climate change and overall quality of life, or mentioning your community project that will benefit.

Thank you for taking action today.

If you have questions contact us.

ptny@ptny.org.
Our postal address is
29 Elk Street
Albany, New York 12207
United States

Ulysses Town Board

June 16, 2008 Dear BDT Enthusiasts,

Attending last Tuesday night’s (6/10/08) meeting of the Town of Ulysses Board was well worth the time. They listened to our position; some made positive statements about the trail that are now public record; and we learned a lot about Ulysses government. Fortunately, Parks Planner Sue Poelvoorde was there to clarify some points of dispute.

At least a dozen Enthusiasts attended—fantastic! Marvin Pritts and I introduced BDTEN and laid out our request that the Town of Ulysses lend support to the trail. At least a half-dozen other Enthusiasts used their 2-minute public privilege to expand the arguments!

The good news is that Town Supervisor Doug Austic stated repeatedly that the Town supports the trail. One could characterize his statements as reluctant support, but nonetheless, his statements are now a matter of public record.

Highway Superintendent Jim Meeker stated his willingness to do whatever ROAD work is involved in the trail, that is, work at the intersections of trail and road. He also offered a staging area for supplies. All good. Meeker said that his crew cannot legally work on the actual trail; they are a highway department, not a public works dept. (Town lawyer will look into this, at the request of a board member.) He stated that he has only a four-person crew and they are already stretched to the limit keeping up with roads. We expressed our opinion that cycling/walking trails ARE roads, but that point will take more convincing.

Both Austic and Meeker alluded more than once to the “many” Ulysses residents who are against the trail. There were no opponents at Tuesday’s meeting; neither did we hear much opposition at either of the Master Plan public hearings. But it seems those opponents have made themselves known to some of our Ulysses Town Board.

Let’s get our imaginations working for another chance to keep this BDTrail conversation ALIVE and LOUD.
–Jan

What NYS Park’s New Budget Means for the BDT

Read a detailed report of the Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation’s FY2008-09 statewide budget at http://ptny.org – “Parks a Winner in State Budget” – for overall good news. Certainly our letters played a role in this hefty budget!

Black Diamond Trail is a $150,000 item in this $132 million capital funds budget. Additional funding for design and construction will obviously have to come from other sources. BDTEN asked Parks how the Black Diamond Trail would fare in light of this budget. In an email message (4/10/08), Finger Lakes Regional Capital Facilities Manager Jeff McDonald wrote:

“The BDT is on track — we are currently arranging for the surveys that the consultant needs to design the two bridges between Cass and Taughannock, and will be working with the town and county to see if they can help with accomplishing some other work this year. The bridges aren’t officially scheduled for construction until next spring, but there is so much going on across all of the regions that funds may become available to bid them this fall and start construction a little sooner. –Jeff”

Memorandum from NYS Parks re: State Budget

The following memorandum gives us an idea of the scope of the projects vying for NYS Parks funds, along with the Black Diamond Trail project.

Excerpts from a MEMORANDUM dated April 4, 2008, from Andy Beers & Pete Finn, New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation — addressed to Executive Staff, Regional Directors, Bureau Directors, State Council of Parks:

“The agency’s budget for FY 2008-09 has been finalized and approved by the Legislature. In a difficult budget climate, the budget is a very positive one for State Parks and sets a solid foundation for our Parks Revitalization program.

“Most importantly, the budget includes a total of $132 million in capital funds to improve our State Parks and Historic Sites — comprised of $85 million for the State Parks Infrastructure Fund (SPIF), plus $47 million the agency has secured from other sources (federal grants, legislative items, private contributions, and mitigation projects). This investment — representing a three-fold increase in our “all funds” capital budget — marks the single largest capital infusion in the history of the State Park System, and is a firm demonstration of broad support for revitalizing our parks and sites. These funds are being programmed for nearly 300 capital projects to rehabilitate aging buildings and infrastructure, create new recreational opportunities, address health and safety concerns, and conserve natural and historic resources in 100 State Parks and Historic Sites….

“… The approved amount for the Environmental Protection Fund (EPF), which is contained in the budget for the Department of Environmental Conservation, totals $255 million (a $5 million increase from last year) and includes $21.225 million for Municipal Parks grants, $5.75 million for State Lands Public Access and Stewardship, $3 million for the Hudson-Fulton-Champlain Quadricentennial, $9 million for Zoos, Botanical Gardens and Aquariums grants, and $66.575 million for Open Space acquisition (which we share with DEC).

“The enacted 2008-09 agency budget also includes $8 million for the Walkway Over the Hudson project, which will transform the abandoned Poughkeepsie railroad bridge into the world’s longest pedestrian bridge-trailway and will eventually become a new State Park. In addition, the Legislature added funding for a variety of local projects of interest to our agency, including $250,000 for the French and Indian War Commemoration, $250,000 for the Historic Saratoga-Washington Partnership, $300,000 for the Mohawk Valley Heritage Corridor, and $100,000 for the Long Island North Shore Heritage Area.

“The Legislature’s approval of the first year of our State Parks Capital Initiative is the culmination of a year-long effort by agency staff and advocates as well as the members of the State Council of Parks and Regional Commissions. Please extend our thanks to all. Now comes the hard work of implementing the budget, revitalizing our parks, and delivering the high quality programs and services our visitors deserve.”

Write to your Legislators ASAP!

Now is the time to write to your legislators — before they vote on the budget in April!

Our New York State legislators are meeting in committees right now to decide what will or will not be in the 2008-2009 state budget. The final vote is slated to take place in April. Now is the time to write to your legislators about a bill that will help grass-roots organizations like BDTEN maintain our momentum. Please take a minute to read the letter below, then write one in your own words or using any portion or all of this template, and send it to our legislators. You’ll find their addresses on this website under CONTACTS. If you have time for only one letter, send it to Senator Seward — he’s on the Finance Committee. (FYI, this template was provided by Parks & Trails New York; I added the BDTrail specifics –Jan)

Dear Assemblyman / Senator:

I am writing as your constituent to ask that you include funding for capacity-building grants to not-for-profit trail and park organizations within the Environmental Protection Fund as part of the final 2008-2009 state budget. My own organization, the Black Diamond Trail Enthusiasts Network (BDTEN), in Tompkins county, is one that could benefit significantly from these grants.

The Executive Budget proposes $500,000 within the Environmental Protection Fund for this parks and trails grant program, modeled after the highly successful program for land trusts that has been in place for several years. The budget proposed by the Assembly also includes this funding. I have just learned, however, that the Senate budget dropped this item. I believe it is very important that the joint budget subcommittee restore funding for the program.

There are hundreds of volunteer organizations like the Black Diamond Trail Enthusiasts Network around the state that are working in partnership with local and state agencies to create, connect, and maintain trails within and between communities. Because we have no staff and limited resources, we face many challenges to our efforts, ranging from publicizing our project to raising needed funds and coordinating volunteer activities. We are exactly the kind of organization that the capacity grants program is intended to help. Relatively small “seed money” grants can enable organizations like ours to take significant steps forward in bringing trails to places where New Yorkers live and work. In our case, the proposed Black Diamond Trail, which will connect Taughannock State Park to Allan H. Treman State Park, will be an 8-mile transportation corridor for bicycle commuters as well as a recreation way. Our community came out in force ot the SEQR public hearings on the Master Plan in December 2007 to voice our strong support for this Black Diamond Trail project.

Consider the multiple benefits trails offer — alternative transportation, opportunities for healthful physical activity and recreation, increased tourism, and improved local economies, to name a few — it seems critically important to me that New York State begin investing now in strengthening groups like ours that are building the sustainable, green infrastructure of the future.

Therefore, I ask you to ensure that this very modest amount of funding be included in the final budget. Thank you for your attention to this request.

Sincerely,

[your name, address,
Black Diamond Trail Enthusiasts Network (BDTEN)
http://blackdiamonddtrail.org]

March 18 Trails Advocay Day!

Join us on March 18 in Albany for Trails Advocacy Day! A good chance to talk to legislators about our Black Diamond Trail!

The plan is to meet at 10:00 a.m. at Parks & Trails New York office to go over talking points and then go together to the first appointment at 11:00 a.m.

The Parks & Trails office is located at 29 Elk Street, Albany, NY 12207.

Contact person: Fran Gotcsik, Director of Programs and Policy

Tel: 518-434-1583  Ext#206

www.ptny.org

Meetings are scheduled with the following NYS legislators:

• Assemblyman Robert Sweeney (Chairman, Environmental Conservation Committee);

• Assemblyman Steve Englebright (Chairman, Committee on Tourism, Recreation and Sports Development);

• Assemblywoman Francine Delmonte ( she is the sponsor of the Community Trails Initiative bill);

• Senator Mary Lou Rath (Chairman, Senate Standing Committee on Tourism, Recreation and Sports Development); and

• Senator Owen H. Johnson (Chairman, Senate Finance Committee).

Email BDTEN if you’d like to carpool to Albany with fellow BDTEN members.

Two Important Pieces of NYS Trails Legislation

On March 18 in Albany, we’ll voice our support for two important pieces of NYS legislation that could have a huge impact on the future of trails and trail organization in our state.

1) Grants for park and trail groups. $500,000 from the Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) is slated for grants to strengthen not-for-profit park and trail organizations!

2) Community Trails Initiative Bill to establish a taskforce to develop a plan for a comprehensive statewide, interconnected system of multi-use trails.

Read more at www.ptny.org

Commissioner Reeves “adopts” the BDT

We are excited to report that Finger Lakes Parks Commissioner Carol Reeves has “adopted” the Black Diamond Trail!

Commissioner Reeves lives and works in Ithaca. She told us that her role as ‘adopter’ is “to take more of an interest and active role in the Trail. That means visits to the site, attending public hearings, attending Friends group meetings, and being a liaison between Finger Lakes Parks and the Friends group.” This is great news for BDT enthusiasts.

FYI, BDTEN is not officially a “Friends group” — that’s a formalized status groups make in partnership with the Parks Office, a step BDTEN can consider once we understand better what it entails and how it might affect our activities. In the meantime, we anticipate that Commissioner Reeves will work creatively with our unofficial BDTEN. She has already been instrumental in arranging a productive meeting between BDTEN and three Finger Lakes Parks officials on January 9, 2008 (see “Next Steps“) .

Heads-up on another topic — In a day or two you’ll get an update about the March 18 Advocacy Day in Albany.