Summary of Dec. 5 meeting:

The Trail Conference, Sterling Forest Partners, and others contributed toward expert testimony by the following experts *. (Contributions to offset the cost welcome).

* Spider Barbour, Plant ecologist
* Randy Stechert , Herpatologist

Both suggested that the minimum response of the board is to request a supplemental EIS to address the issues that have not been covered thoroughly enough in their areas of expertise in the DEIS.

Many additional local and NJ residents spoke out on how it would affect them.

John Yrizarry pointed out numerous inconsistencies in the DEIS concerning the effects on birds.

JoAnn Dolan continued her fight to save all of the forest.

Jim Gell presented the official position of PIPC which strongly opposes the development. In particular they argue that the 500 foot buffers required should come out of the Sterling Forest Corporation lands not out of the park land.

Walt Daniels and Mike Rea spoke about the effect on the viewshed of the Appalachian Trail. The principles of the USFS Scenery Management System should be applied in a supplemental DEIS. The area is in the middle ground for the Appalachian Trail but in the foreground for the Highlands/Sterling Ridge Trail. The SMS specifies high retention of views in the foreground.

The list of people wishing to speak is long enough that a third session will be scheduled sometime in January. Watch this page for the announcement of the date and time.

Reported by: Walt Daniels

Summary of Nov. 28 meeting:

The Trail Conference, Sterling Forest Partners, and others contributed toward expert testimony by the following experts *. (Contributions to offset the cost welcome).

Numerous towns people, hunters, Sierra Club, National Audubon Society, NJ people concerned about their watershed, several people from Sterling Forest Partnership all spoke as did Ed Goodell for the Trail Conference. All testified against the town accepting the DEIS and suggesting that the minimum response of the board is to request a supplemental EIS to address the issues that have not been covered thoroughly enough in the DEIS.

As with all such hearings about golf courses, the major issue is water. There is never enough of it to water the course, there are always pollution issues from pesticides, and in most cases like here there is too much water in some places (wetlands).

The wetlands problems alone raise serious questions about whether the necessary permits can be obtained.

The town board seemed exceptionally attentive and understanding. It is clear that they will hire their own experts to give them an unbiased opinion in addition to what they have heard so far in the hearings.

PRESS RELEASE
Sterling Forest Partnership, Inc.
7 Spring Rock Drive, Goshen, NY 10924 Phone/FAX: 845-294-3098 sterlfor@magiccarpet.net

ACTION ALERT!            ACTION ALERT!

FIND OUT  WHAT THREATENS STERLING FOREST STATE PARK
and the  RAMAPO / WANAQUE WATER SYSTEMS

Learn About the
STERLING FORGE ESTATES GOLF COURSE DEVELOPMENT PLAN
Monday,  November, 12  from 6:30 to 8:00 pm
Red Apple Rest
Route 17 in Tuxedo

A benign-looking development plan presents shocking environmental problems – and it's right in the middle of Sterling Forest State Park!

Sterling Forest Corporation plans to build a 575-acre golf course and community of 103 luxury homes completely surrounded by the new Sterling Forest State Park. This is the State Park we all worked so long and hard for, the State Park that the Federal Government, the States of New York and New Jersey and private funders spent $83 million to acquire, the State Park that is supposed to protect drinking water for two million people in the Ramapo and Wanaque Reservoir system.

At our public information meeting scientists and experts will present concerns about the issues in connection with:
- Construction of the golf course by major blasting of bedrock, bringing in fill and contouring the land around wetlands.
- Use of mine water to water the greens and use of chemicals to maintain them.
- Potential threat to the quality, quantity and flow of the groundwater system, and how that can degrade the Ramapo and Wanaque watersheds.
- Restriction of public use of the State Park.
... and more

DEIS NEEDS PUBLIC SCRUTINY IMMEDIATELY!

Find out what you can do to help protect the State Park, the Ramapo and Wanaque watershed.

Prepare yourself for making public comment on the DEIS (Draft Environmental Impact Statement) at a public hearing scheduled for Wednesday, November 28 at 7:30 p.m. at the Tuxedo Town Hall.

Pen In These Two Important Dates:

November 12 (Mon.) Information Meeting November 28 (Wed.) DEIS Public Hearing
6:30 pm       Red Apple Rest 7:30 PM       Tuxedo Town Hall
             Tuxedo, NY on Route 17

Directions to Red Apple Rest: From the south, take Rt. 17 north through Tuxedo 4+ miles. About .2 miles beyond the traffic light at Rt. 17/17A the Red Apple Rest is on the right. From the North, follow 17 south. About .1mile beyond Southfields the Red Apple Rest is on the left.

For more information call Mary Yrizarry, Sterling Forest Partnership, 845-783-4302.

Supplemental information to the November 12 meeting notice

STERLING FORGE ESTATES GOLF COURSE DEVELOPMENT PLAN SUMMARY
Scientists and Experts will be on hand to Discuss Fully at Information Meeting on November 12

The Town Board of Tuxedo sees  this proposal as tax positive and a "green" environmentally-friendly land use. However, most of the 575 acres proposed for this development are on very rugged landscape, consisting of steep ridges of exposed bedrock and very thin soils (where there is any soil at all).  The only level areas are composed of wetlands and stream valleys.  Turning this property into a golf course and a slice of suburbia is going to require a massive change to the landscape with far-reaching environmental impacts that will extend beyond the boundaries of the Sterling Forge property into the Sterling Forest State Park, Tuxedo Lake and Tuxedo Park, the Ramapo River, and potentially even into New Jersey as well.

Here are just some of the impacts:

Earth Moving
The DEIS estimates that "911,528 cubic yards of earth and rock will be moved on the site in the construction of the project."   This amount of material would fill 45,577 20-yard dump trucks, 65,110 standard 14-yard dump trucks!  In addition, the proposed project would require importing 220,500 cubic yards of special soil mixes, sand, and gravel.  The DEIS projects that bringing in just this material will require 11,025 truck loads, or an average of 40 truck trips per work day over a total construction period of 20 months.  

Blasting
The Corporation's  "Anticipated Locations of Blasting" map shows massive, quarry-sized areas of bedrock blasting spread throughout the entire parcel.  The map does not even include the blasting needed to build the home foundations!  Most of the 103 home sites are located on steep slopes and rock ridges, which would add significantly to the blasting.  Without the home building calculations, the DEIS states that blasting will amount to 242,300 cubic yards of rock.  Allowing for a  50% expansion when dumping, this volume would fill 25,961standard 14-yard dump trucks!

Groundwater
For two years, geologists have been studying how rock formations in Sterling Forest and the surrounding region effect underground water flow.  The groundwater system on the parcel is totally contained within bedrock cracks and fissures that carry the flow like water pipes..  The blasting program will seriously alter this system of fractures.  The  potential for changing the chemistry, quantity and direction of flow of water into Tuxedo Lake and Sterling Lake is very serious.

Water Quality
Surface water passes through very thin soil cover before it reaches the ground water system, with little or no natural filtration or treatment for contaminants.  Once within the "pipeline" bedrock, all pollutants are delivered directly to receiving areas, such as Tuxedo Lake, Sterling Lake, and the Ramapo River, without any further treatment. The proposed golf course operation will introduce fertilizers and pesticides into this groundwater system.  In addition, the applicant proposes to irrigate the golf course by pumping as much as 400,000 gallons per day from the old deep iron mines underlying the parcel.  Mines in similar geology in the region have been found to have acidic pH levels as low as 2.6 (7.0 is neutral out of a 14.0 scale)!  In addition, the mines also contain other materials, such as heavy metals and potentially even uranium and radium, that could be found dissolved in the mine water.  The Water Quality Testing study contained in the DEIS did not include these metals in its testing, but manganese and magnesium were both found to be present in concentrations that were approximately 10 times normal levels.

Endangered Species
The DEIS biological inventory study makes a mockery of Sterling Forest State Park's own 2-year studies of species within the Park, which has recorded a rich diversity of species from common to rare and endangered.  The DEIS  states that "no endangered or threatened plant species were observed on the project site."  In a contradictory claim, the DEIS cites the Hairy Umbrella Sedge (Fuirena squarrosa) in its list of observed species,  which until now was believed to have been extirpated from the state of New York!  The DEIS also provides limited information on rare and endangered wildlife species, and it does not appear that any specific search for such species was conducted.  

Wetlands
Several wetlands on the property were not even mapped in the DEIS, including one at the southern property boundary which is proposed to receive TWELVE feet of fill for the construction of the 7th green and a portion of the 7th fairway.  

Historic and Archaeological Resources
The project site was part of the Sterling Iron Estate, which was critical in the fight for American independence in manufacturing arms, cannon balls, anchors, and, most importantly, the Great Chain across the Hudson River during the Revolutionary War.  While the mines on the site are well documented, any evidence of other lesser known or unknown features, such as test mine sites, charcoal maker's camps, collier's rings (where charcoal was made), occupation sites, etc., will be destroyed by the massive earth movement, blasting, and development program proposed.

The Corporation's Threat
Underlying this proposal is the implied threat of much more massive environmental impact should the site be developed under the current zoning, of which 413 of the 575 acres is zoned for research office and light industrial uses.  In fact, the alternative analysis in the DEIS states that the property could accommodate up to 20,686,208 square feet of light industrial/office space and up to 55 homes.  However, the analysis leaves out one vital piece of information:  A conservation easement (which would still allow the golf course) has already been purchased by the Palisades Interstate Park Commission on 250 acres that the analysis states is available for development.  If not developed for a golf course, these 250 acres cannot be developed for anything.

Learn more on Monday,  November, 12  from 6:30 to 8:00 pm, at the Red Apple Rest, Route 17 in Tuxedo

For further information call Mary Yrizarry at 845-783-4302.

External news articles

• Article in Bergen Record 12/10/2001