Amphibian Adventure

Amphibian Adventure!
A Fund-Raiser for WGXC Community Radio

May 21, 2010: 7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Cornell University Cooperative Extension of Greene County Agroforestry Resource Center
6055 Route 23, Acra, NY 12405
518-622-9820

Support your local community radio station and listen to the sounds of our resident frogs – all in one, fun evening! This family-friendly program will include a brief, indoor presentation on frogs and salamanders by Dr. Richard Wyman and an evening walk to the ponds at the Siuslaw Model Forest to hear the dulcet tones of spring peepers and other evening sounds. This program will be recorded for broadcast on WGXC!

DEP opens public lands

From Watershed Post:

This just in from the DEP: The agency that polices New York City’s upstate watershed will open 12,000 acres of city-owned watershed land to recreation. A total of 71,000 DEP-owned acres in the New York City watershed are now open to the public, according to a press release from the agency.

The 71,000 acres includes approximately 30,000 acres of property designated Public Access Areas which were opened in the last three years, where public hiking, fishing, hunting and trapping is allowed without DEP permits. The remaining acres require a DEP permit for access.

Truck festival comes to Catskills

The Truck festival comes to Shandaken April 30 through May 2, with the Hudson Valley’s Mercury Rev headlining with a chamber orchestra. For more information contact the Full Moon Resort at 254-5117.

Film crew sought for area production

Per the Woodstock Film Festival (h/t The 12534), Ulster County-based actress Vera Farmiga (Up in the Air, The Departed) makes her directorial debut with a low-budget production called “Higher Ground” that films nearby and is looking to hire Hudson Valley crew members for May-June film production. Send e-mail with resume to highergroundmovie@me.com. They are looking for: 1st A.D; Art Department Personnel; Caterer; Gaffer; Key Grip; Production Designer; Sound Person, and crew and cast housing. If you have a rental available in Kerhonkson area during May-June, e-mail highergroundmovie@me.com. Farmiga will also star in the film, which is based on This Dark World, a memoir by Carolyn Briggs. The script is by Briggs and Tim Metcalfe, and production is slated to begin here this June, according to /Film.

New DEP rules for NYC watershed

From The Daily Freeman:

Updated regulations for the New York City reservoir system watershed took effect on Sunday. City Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Cas Holloway said the new regulations amend existing regulations to align them with changes made in federal and state law over the past 10 years, and address issues that have been raised during the city’s administration and enforcement of the regulations since their adoption. The previous regulations were adopted in 1997 as part of the Filtration Avoidance Determination issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which allowed the city to continue operating its unfiltered drinking system from the Catskill and Delaware watersheds…. Fourteen sections of the Watershed Regulations have been updated to prevent contamination to and degradation of the city’s surface water supply. Highlights of the provisions, according to the news release, include:

• Enhanced standards for the control of stormwater runoff from certain construction sites. For example, in commercial areas with a large amount of impervious surfaces, the revised regulations will require additional stormwater treatment, such as construction of larger or secondary detention basins. The Department of Environmental Protection has also adopted the requirements of the State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit for construction activities to ensure complementary enforcement of the latest regulatory standards for stormwater runoff.
• New provisions to allow for sewage treatment plants in certain areas of the Croton watershed. This will authorize city agency to grant variances for new or expanded surface discharging wastewater treatment plants in closer proximity to the Croton reservoir.
• Updated criteria defining the quality of drinking water reservoirs consistent with state and federal standards, specifically concerning stricter phosphorus limits for select basins.

The changes that took effect Sunday apply to all counties located within the Croton, Delaware and Catskill watersheds, according to the news release. The city agency said it started the process of revising the watershed regulations more than five years ago and that the revised regulations were published for public review and comment in the City Record in 2008. Public hearings on the proposed changes were held that same year. After reviewing comments, the agency made revisions and the updated regulations were submitted to the state Department of Health in 2009. The agency received approval in February for final publication in the City Record, which occurred on March 3, and the regulations became effective 30 days after final publication, according to the release.

New York State trout season opens April 1

(The brook trout, left, and the rainbow trout, right, from DEC.)

From DEC:

“Trout season opens April 1 in New York State, and anglers can again look forward to a great year of fishing, thanks to the natural diversity of angling opportunities within New York and management of the state’s fisheries by DEC. Due to the existing snowpack and high flow in many of the state’s rivers and streams, anglers are urged to use extreme caution along slippery stream banks and while wading in high water. The early season is a great time to try some of the smaller tributaries. Smaller streams will have more manageable flows, and are also more likely to hold larger populations of wild trout. Although many of the larger, more popular streams are more reliant on stocked fish, last year’s relatively cool, wet summer promises plenty of holdover fish from last year’s stocking. Remember, everyone 16-years-old and over needs a valid fishing license to fish on any of New York’s waters. While children do not require a fishing license, adults who assist a child in taking or attempting to take fish, are considered to be fishing themselves, and therefore need to have a valid fishing license. Anglers and New York fishing tackle retailers are reminded that effective May 7, 2004, the sale of small lead sinkers weighing a half-ounce or less is prohibited in New York State. Selling jig heads, weighted flies, artificial lures or weighted line is not included in this prohibition. Although the law does not prohibit the use of lead sinkers of this size, anglers are encouraged to use non-lead alternatives which are readily available in tackle stores. Ingestion of lead sinkers can result in the death of loons and waterfowl. The general creel limit for brook, brown and rainbow trout is five fish. The open season for trout in most New York State waters runs from April 1 through October 15, but there are exceptions in all DEC regions, so anglers should check the Fishing Regulations Guide before heading out. There are also new procedures for fishing New York City reservoirs. Updated information and permit applications can be obtained using the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (NYC DEP) link below, or by calling NYC DEP at 800-575-LAND.”