OntheWilderSide

!!ACTION ALERT!!

from Friends of the Edgewood Preserve

The legislation to transfer land to the Edgewood Preserve

passed the Senate (48-5) on June 12^th and the Assembly (100-0) on June 24^th!

Thank you to everyone who supported and helped get this far.

We would not have been able to make this incredible journey without you and would not have accomplished what we have without your efforts.

BUT WE NEED YOUR HELP ONE MORE TIME!

The bill will soon be sent to Governor David Paterson for his signature.

There are some powerful forces out there pushing for a veto of this bill, including the editorial board of Newsday – bowing to pressure from the DOT.

It is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT that the Governor hear from you,

your family, friends, co-workers and neighbors ASAP!

Here’s how YOU can make a difference:

1. Send a letter by mail to the Governor. Signature and address a must! If you can, send a copy to Judith Enck, the Deputy Secretary for the Environment. You do NOT need to send Friends of Edgewood a copy this time around!

1. Fax a letter to the Governor. 518-474-1513.

1. Call the Governor. 518-474-8390. State your name, where you are from and just say that you want the Governor to know that it is important to you and your family that he sign the Edgewood bill – S6728-a / A9870-a. The receptionist will likely ask for your zip code and that is all. It’s an easy phone call!

1. E-mail the Governor. http://161.11.121.121/govemail. Click on this link and it will take you to directly to the e-mail page for the Governor.

PLEASE DO IT TODAY. WE ARE ALMOST THERE. Thank you!

See sample letter on page below…

PO Box 162 Deer Park, NY 11729 • 242-7402 box#3 • patricia@friendsofedgewood.com

[Sample letter]

Simply cut and paste into a blank document. If you are a professional or represent an organization or group, please consider putting this on letterhead. Personalizing the letter will have even more impact. It is very important to sign and print your name and address.

July 2008

The Honorable David Paterson

State Capitol

Albany, NY 12224

Dear Governor Paterson,

I am writing today to kindly ask that you sign S6728-a/A9870-a (“the transfer of certain lands to the Edgewood-Oak Brush Plains Preserve”) into law.

The Edgewood-Oak Brush Plains Preserve is the second largest parcel of pitch-pine scrub oak barrens in New York. It is an irreplaceable and fragile habitat, home to numerous species of migratory birds, as well as a wide variety of other wildlife. It is one of nine areas in New York that comprise the State Nature and Historic Preserve, as outlined in our State Constitution. The preserve and adjacent lands provide prime nesting for New York State’s Endangered, Threatened and Special Concern species.

The transfer of these lands will not only preserve more open space in a region of Long Island that has long-experienced environmental neglect and overdevelopment, but also ensure the sustainability of Long Island’s clean drinking water supply by significantly expanding the groundwater protection area, thus satisfying the requirements of the Sole Source Aquifer Act of 1987, which limits development in Deep Flow Recharge Areas.

This is a rare opportunity to ensure that Western Suffolk County remains a place where families can look forward to a bright future, one that includes: clean air, safe drinking water and “forever wild” habitats that future generations of children can both enjoy and learn from. As you know, so much of Long Island’s natural beauty is vanishing at a rapid pace. It is up to each of us to do our part to protect it before it is too late.

Please do not let this moment slip away. Long after specific projects have come and gone, areas preserved in their natural state will continue to attest to the foresight of those who helped protect them. I hope I can depend on you to sign this measure into law.

Thank you for your kind consideration of this important issue and for the work you do every day on behalf of all New Yorkers.

Sincerely,

Filed under: Action Alert!, activism, Babylon Politics, Ecology, Environment, grassroots democracy, green, long island, Long Island Politics, nature, New York State Politics, News, Political Websites Tagged: | Edgewood Preserve, Environment, Governor David Paterson, nature