APRIL 21, 2008

ERIE COUNTY LEGISLATOR REYNOLDS ANNOUNCES MEETING ON STATE OPEN SPACE CONSERVATION PLAN IN BLASDELL APRIL 29

Erie County Legislator Robert B. Reynolds Jr. (D-Hamburg, Evans) is announcing a local session as part of a series of regional meetings to gather input for updating New York's Open Space Conservation Plan, the blueprint for the state's land conservation efforts.

In cooperation with the Region 9 Open Space Regional Advisory Committee, on which Legislator Reynolds represents Erie County, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) will meet to begin updates to Region 9's portion of the Open Space Plan from 7-8:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 29, at the Woodlawn Beach State Park, S-3580 Lakeshore Road (off Route 5 near the Ford Plant) in Blasdell. There will also be a Regional Advisory Committee meeting from, 7-8:30 p.m. Thursday, May 15, at the Woodlawn Beach State Park in Blasdell.

Through these meetings, the committee will gather input to update the regional report of open space conservation to the DEC and the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP). At these meetings, a review of the current open space plan and proposed updates will be presented, and opportunity will be given for the public to contribute input to the 2009 Open Space Plan.

Those planning to present a project proposal should contact Russ Biss at (716) 372-0645 at least one day prior to the meeting. New York State Law requires an update of the plan every three years; the next revision is due in 2009. The Open Space Plan contains a description of programs and policies that affect the conservation of the State's open space resources, major conservation successes accomplished under the plan, a list of priority projects, evaluation and criteria used to determine Environmental Protection Fund spending priorities, and recommendations by the committee, local governments and partnerships, and the public to improve New York's open space conservation program. The current plan is available online at http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/26433.html. For more information, call the DEC at (716) 372-0645. If you cannot attend but would like to contribute suggestions on the plan, you can send them to the DEC at region9@gw.dec.state.ny.us prior to May 15, 2008.

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