Make food-related gift baskets? The state wants to put you on a website

WASHINGTON, DC — New York Senator Hillary Clinton’s office, the governor’s office and Pride of NY are looking to identify farmers, processors and those in the agriculture industry that currently make holiday or special-occasion gift baskets. The ultimate goal is to create a website that would compile this information that can then be given out to New York businesses in time for the holiday season. Interested parties should email sue.santamarina@agmkt.state.ny.us or call 518/457-7229.

Membership in Pride of NY is not required. It will still be possible to get added to the website after it has been created over the next few weeks; however, early responses are suggested to be in good time for the Christmas holiday season.

Flood relief deadline September 12

SULLIVAN COUNTY, NY — The Sullivan County Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security has announced that applications are still available for the Greater Catskill Flood Relief Program (GCFRP). Homeowners in Sullivan County whose homes were affected by flooding after April 1, 2004 may be eligible for participation. The GCFRP may provide funds to the county government to purchase eligible properties at fair market value, demolish the structures and preserve the land for open space, recreation, wetlands or flood mitigation purposes.

Criteria for eligibility include the property’s being a one- or two-family home and the owner’s primary residence, the owner’s total income must be less than 150 percent of the area median income adjusted for farmily size and the current appraised value of the home must not exceed $250,000. For complete information on eligibility or to request an application call the Office of Emergency Management at 845/794-3000, ext. 3100.

Public comment accepted on water plan

BETHLEHEM, PA — The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) will hold a public hearing on September 11 in Northampton County to accept testimony on the draft state water plan being developed in accordance with the Water Resource Planning Act. The meeting will be held in Room 605, Fowler Family Southside Center, at 511 East Third Street in Bethlehem at 7:30 p.m. Those planning to testify should register at kprice@state.pa.us or 717/783-9499, and a written copy of the testimony should be provided to department staff.

The plan will be a blueprint for sustainable water use in Pennsylvania for the next 30 years, and will include inventories of availability, assessment of future demands and an evaluation of resource management alternatives.

Written testimony will be accepted through September 30, addressed to Leslie Sarvis, DEP Water Planning Office, PO Box 2063, Harrisburg, PA 17105-2063.

The draft state water plan is available at www.depweb.state.pa.us, keyword “Participate.”

SRBC okays withdrawals of 59M gallons

HARRISBURG, PA — The staff of the Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC) is recommending for approval the withdrawal of 59,167,000 gallons a day per well in response to 45 applications from drilling companies in the river basin.

This amount does not include what is called “approval by rule,” withdrawals that occur when a drilling company gets its water from outside the watershed.

The commission, which meets only four times a year, may or may not approve all the application requests at its next meeting on September 11.

“Our technology staff, which is very strict about these things, feels that that number of gallons a day could be drawn from the streams, ponds and the Susquehanna River with no threat to water resources,” said Susan Obleski, SRBC spokesperson.

The area has a number of power plants in the river basin which withdraw from nine to 40 million gallons a day without causing a problem, she said.

If the commission refused approval, the decision can be appealed to the area’s federal court, Obleski said.

Web page on Marcellus Shale launched

ALBANY, NY — The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has launched a new web page designed to provide details about drilling processes, leasing, federal and state laws, links to relevant sites and the upcoming review of potential environmental impacts. The new page can be found at www.dec.ny.gov/energy/46288.html#Information.

UDC awards grants

NARROWSBURG, NY — The Upper Delaware Council (UDC) has awarded $30,000 in Technical Assistance Grants for seven projects that will further goals identified in the River Management Plan.

The towns of Tusten, Cochecton, Delaware and Highland (jointly) received $12,000 to undertake a multi-municipal study entitled “Managing Natural Gas Development Impacts: Strategies to Protect Town Infrastructure and Land Use.” The Town of Hancock received $5,000 to develop a Town of Hancock site-plan review law. The Town of Fremont received $3,000 to update the town’s zoning laws to conform to the new Town of Fremont Comprehensive Plan. Pike County, PA was awarded $3,000 to facilitate the development of the Matamoras Borough-Westfall Township Regional Comprehensive Plan and an open space, greenways and recreation plan. The Town of Delaware received $2,500 to update the Town of Delaware Zoning Law to develop standards for alternative energy sources. The Town of Lumberland received $2,500 to compile and print the town’s final comprehensive master plan. Damascus Township, PA was awarded $2,000 to combine and print the township’s subdivision and land development ordinance and zoning ordinance, and the Multi-municipal Comprehensive Plan into one document.

For more information visit www.upperdelawarecouncil.org or call 845/252-3022.