Posted by: Michael Caswell
« on: October 13, 2021, 07:52:47 am »
Posted today by Maier, on the STCC Facebook page.
Virginia Borden Maier shared her thoughts -
This grassroots movement is not misinformed about whether this embankment management plan amounts to a clear cut. It is right in their maintenance manual: “All woody, non-compatible vegetation should be removed in Zones 1, 2A, 4 and 5 of the embankment … In Zones 2B and 3, other than turf grass, only woody, non-compatible vegetation approved by the NYPA Regional Manager – Canals or designee to remain.” What is non-compatible vegetation? “This category includes most brush, bushes and trees.”
I mean, we are just humble volunteers who read documentation, not highly compensated public relations staffers at NYPA, but removing “most brush, bushes, and trees” on the majority of the embankment sounds an awful lot like a clear cut to us. And whether any trees AT ALL remain on part of the embankment is purely up to the regional manager in most areas of the Canal; the only time the public will be consulted will be in very specific circumstances that are currently not met in many communities, including Perinton.
We read the manual. If NYPA wants to improve their public communication process, maybe they should start with reading the same documents we are communicating with them about.
And Agte followed up-- This is a real chuckle -
Why? Does their “engagement officer” continue to say, as if it makes a bit of difference, that this plan will not be implemented for at least a year! Yeah, but in a year, the trees and vegetation will still be gone. And all that understory they want to remove? Because they have not consulted plant biologists, or even some of us citizen scientists, they do not realize their importance. Plants like wild black raspberry grow fast, and with thorns, prevent grazing by deer, and create a cover from sweltering sun. Allowing tree saplings to establish, it’s a perfect tree nursery. Once they grow and penetrate the cover of the black raspberries, the raspberries die back for lack of sun, and the trees are ready to fend for themselves. I lived this, so I know. Do the NYPA engineers at their desks , doing “modeling” know this?
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Well, NYPA Engineers! Did you know this?
These comments are bordering on the 'ramblings' of someone slightly unhinged. Maybe foraging for wild mushrooms isn't such a good idea? We're back to getting plant biologists involved here. Wait! Does that mean Virginia Maier? Well, maybe the NYPA have heard enough of her 'ramblings', or after Lizzies tirade here, perhaps we should call it 'bramblings'?
It's worth mentioning that nowhere do they provide evidence that the embankments can be restored to a SAFE condition according to all the engineers like Rizzo, ASDSA, FEMA and USACE. The slope gradient should should be 3:1, but it's only 1:1. They can't regrade the badly designed slope without removing the trees.
What on earth is a citizen scientist? This is ridiculous in the extreme, and I think its a good sign these two are beginning to realise they are losing their battle.