New council could boost sales of locally grown products

ALBANY, NY —Governor Eliot Spitzer has signed an executive order establishing a New York State Council on Food Policy. The council will coordinate state agriculture policy and make recommendations on developing food policy that will help ensure the availability of safe, fresh, nutritious and affordable food for all New Yorkers, especially low-income residents, senior citizens and children. It will also look at ways to increase sales of New York agricultural products to New York consumers, with a special emphasis on expanding the consumer market for locally grown and organic food. The sale of organic food is an emerging market, with more than $13 billion spent on organic food in 2005.

Spitzer said that “by expanding the sale of locally grown products, we can help struggling farmers, and expand the local agriculture and state economy.”

Clinton adds voice to call for more NIETC-power line hearings

WASHINGTON, DC — Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton has called on the Department of Energy to hold additional public hearings on the proposed Mid-Atlantic National Interest Electric Transmission Corridor. Similar requests have been made recently by New York Congressman Maurice Hinchey, as well as a number of their colleagues representing affected areas. Clinton is especially concerned that none of the currently scheduled hearings are along the proposed New York Regional Interconnect (NYRI) route.

In a personal letter to Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Bodman, Clinton wrote, “I am very concerned by the Department of Energy’s attitude towards residents and communities in upstate New York who stand to be directly impacted by the NYRI. Neither of their scheduled hearings on the National Corridor proposal are in areas along the NYRI route. Whether this is a deliberate decision on DOE’s part or simply incompetence, it is unacceptable.”

Bonacic promotes economic development plan

ALBANY, NY — State Senator John J. Bonacic (R/I/C - Mount Hope) has endorsed a Senate economic development plan targeting the lagging economy of upstate New York. The 10-point plan is designed to spur job creation and revitalize communities throughout upstate.

The provisions are intended to lower taxes for small businesses, manufacturers and key industries; reduce energy and promote energy independence; encourage emerging technology companies to do research and development upstate; invest in critical state-of-the-art infrastructure; lower health-care costs for small businesses; revitalize main streets; attract new manufacturing investments; create a one-stop business startup and support program; market the region’s recreational, cultural, and tourism opportunities; and provide crucial workforce development programs.

“The Senate’s Upstate NOW plan needs to be implemented now. It is my hope the Assembly will join in our efforts to move upstate’s economy in the right direction,” said Bonacic.

Clinton would restore FEMA director to cabinet status

WASHINGTON, DC — Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton has reintroduced legislation to restore the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to an independent, cabinet-level federal agency. Under the legislation, the director of FEMA would report directly to the President and would have full authority to coordinate with all agencies and to take necessary action to ensure needed resources and recovery personnel are deployed to disaster areas.

FEMA had been moved from an independent, cabinet-level rank to a sub-agency of the Department of Homeland Security in 2002, but has since then fallen under heavy criticism for failures in managing crises like Hurricane Katrina. Recently, the Inspector General for the Department of Homeland Security found that FEMA awarded $3.6 billion worth of Katrina contracts for the maintenance of trailers for hurricane victims to companies with no ties to the Gulf Coast region, bad paperwork, and other instances of mismanagement costing billions of dollars and leaving many victims without help.

Hinchey fights to preserve endangered species protections

WASHINGTON, DC — A recently leaked internal Interior Department document shows that the agency is drafting new regulations that would remove protections for endangered species habitat, limit the listing of new endangered species, and allow logging, development, and other industrial practices to continue even if those activities threaten an endangered species. In response, Congressman Maurice Hinchey (D-NY), Congressman Jim Moran (D-VA), and Congressman Christopher Shays (R-CT) have led a number of their colleagues in urging Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne not to revise the law without working with Congress.

They wrote, “We object to any attempt to rewrite the Endangered Species Act that does not involve the United States Congress. Broad changes to a law that is such a cornerstone of conservation in America deserve and require the full deliberation of Congress, not its exclusion from the process.”

Rendell will hold Pennsylvania

nature forums

STATE COLLEGE, PA — Five public meetings will be held across Pennsylvania to present findings from the recent Governor’s Outdoor Conference and solicit additional ideas and recommendations about keeping people connected to nature.

In Northeastern PA there will be a meeting on Thursday, May 31, at the McGowan Building, King’s College, in Wilkes-Barre.

The meetings will be structured in a way that participants will be asked specific questions in order to gather additional ideas on how to tackle the most pressing issues.

The presentations made at the meetings will be available for use by organizations and individuals who wish to inform and solicit ideas from their constituents and stakeholders.

For more information visit www.connectoutdoors.state.pa.us.