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March 6, 2010
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Stiles willing to compromise By Jon Alexander denpubs@denpubs.com RAY BROOK — Adirondack Park Agency Chairman Curt Stiles said this week he’s willing to consider some changes to the APA Act, including one that would doubtlessly delight many local leaders. In a commentary released Friday, Stiles wrote that moving enforcement hearings into local courts is a concept with merit. “The use of the local court system for enforcement cases is one idea which merits further discussion,” Stiles said. Local officials argue that the agency’s current role of assessing a landowner ’s compliance with APA regulations, then holding quasi-judicial hearings, determining guilt and imposing fines amounts to one board acting as judge, jury and executioner. Most violations never reach the enforcement phase, however, as landowners and agency staff are usually able to negotiate a resolution. According to the annual 2009 APA report, agency staff resolved about 550 cases, while only a handful moved into enforcement proceedings. In a recent state Supreme Court decision, Acting Justice Richard Meyer concluded that the APA Enforcement Committee and its Chairman, Commissioner Cecil Wray, had overstepped its legal bounds when it attempted to impose jurisdiction over the building rights of town of Essex farmer and former Wall Street executive Sandy Lewis. The agency is currently championing three legislative bills that would amend the APA act. Two of the bills – a community housing bill and a planning fund bill – have garnered support from local governments and officials. “As an administrative agency, the APA has an established role in the revisions and definitions of its rules and regulations,” Stiles said. A third bill meant to streamline the agency application review process has come under greater scrutiny, especially a provision that would remove the agency’s requirement for a public hearing during an application review. The three bills have gained Democratic support in the state Senate and have been sponsored by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Carl Kruger. No members of the Assembly have agreed to sponsor the legislation. Stiles said the agency remains dedicated to its core mission of preserving the beauty and environment of the Adirondacks, while also safeguarding the region’s economy and the needs of its people. “Our staff and Board remain committed to the legislative intent of the Agency’s mission and to the work that must be accomplished for the future of the Park economy and environment,” Stiles said. “Together we share in an important responsibility to the people of the Adirondack Park’s communities, seasonal residents, visitors and environment, as well as to the legacy of what the Adirondack Park will be now and in the future.”
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HOMETOWN HERO Vermontville’s Demong leads U.S. to Olympic firsts By Matt Bosley matt@denpubs.com WHISTLER, British Columbia — Bill Demong has put Vermontville, N.Y., on the map at an international level. With his victory in the individual large hill cross country event Feb. 25, Demong became the first American to claim Olympic gold in Nordic Combined, a sport that combines ski jumping with cross-country skiing. “It definitely has not sunk in,” said Demong the day after the event, “but every hour or so, I get two seconds of a glimpse at that reality and it gives me chills.” After his performance in the jumping portion landed him in sixth place, Demong sailed through the 10 km ski course with a total time of 25 minutes, 32.9 seconds; four seconds ahead of fellow American Johnny Spillane, who took silver. Though it was the first Olympic gold for the United States in Nordic Combined, Demong was hardly a longshot to win the event. Just last year, Demong won gold in large hill at the FIS World Championships, capping off a season where he finished third in the World Cup standings. “Bill has worked very hard for many years, said Ted Blazer, President and CEO of New York State’s Olympic Regional Development Authority. “His impressive performances at
Vermontville native Bill Demong, seen here taking gold in the Nordic Combined large hill event at the 2009 FIS World Championships in Liberec, Czech Republic, inspired the nation last week with his gold medal performance at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, Canada. Demong’s gold was the first ever won by a U.S. Athlete in Nordic Combined and helped earn him the nod as the flag bearer for the games’ closing ceremony. Photo courtesy of NYSEF
See DEMONG, page 4
DEC reschedules public hearings By Matt Bosley matt@denpubs.com
The St. Regis Mountain Fire Tower is one of two Adirondack fire towers that would be slated for demolition if Unit Management Plan amendments proposed by NYSDEC are approved. A public hearing on the UMP amendment for St. Regis Canoe area has been rescheduled for March 10. Photo courtesy of David Petrelli
RAY BROOK — Public hearings that will deal with the future of two historic fire towers have been rescheduled. The state Department of Environmental Conservation has set new dates for public meetings dealing with proposed changes to Unit Management Plans for the St. Regis Canoe Area and the Jay Mountain Wilderness and Hurricane Mountain Primitive area. Both meetings, originally scheduled for Feb. 25, had been cancelled due to poor weather. Among the changes proposed is the removal of fire towers atop Hurricane Mountain and St. Regis Mountain, both of which are listed on the State and National Historic Registers. DEC officials claim the towers are in violation of the respective land classification they fall within because they are man-made structures. Also, stairs to the towers have been removed, making them inaccessible to the public. However, many groups are intent on keeping the towers, namely private organizations that have been working for their preservation as historic landmark. The public meeting dealing with the St. Regis Canoe Area UMP will now be held Wednesday, March 10, 6:30 p.m. in the Freer Science Building Auditorium at Paul Smith’s College. The meeting regarding the Jay Mountain Wilderness and Hurricane Mountain Primitive Area will now be held Thursday, March 11, 6:30 p.m. in the Keene Central School auditorium in Keene Valley. A presentation on Adirondack Park Fire Tower Study will be made at both meetings, followed by a presentation on the draft UMPs or draft amendment. Afterward, public comments will be taken. Comments for the draft UMPs or the draft amendment will be taken at either meeting. For more information about the proposed amendments, contact 897-1291.