For Release: Tuesday, April 22, 2008

DEC Region 5 Commemorates Earth Day

Every day is Earth Day at the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). With 18 different divisions and nine regional offices, DEC is in the streams, the streets, the woods and the halls of government working to enhance the health and safety of New Yorkers, as well as the state's environment and natural resources.

Officially, Earth Day is April 22, a day to celebrate our planet and take part in activities beneficial to the environment. But Earth Day-related events will be ongoing throughout the spring.

DEC Region 5 Natural Resources staff will having a tree planting event on Friday, April 25, on the Bartlett Carry Road between Saranac Lake and Tupper Lake from 1 PM to 2 PM. Fourth grade students from Petrova Elementary School in Saranac Lake will plant tree seedlings in a former gravel pit.

Some DEC Region 5 staff are also attending Earth Day events at their children's schools, presenting information in classrooms on the importance of protecting and conserving the earth.

To commemorate Earth Day 2008, DEC Region 5 Director Elizabeth Lowe also highlighted the following events and efforts the agency has taken in recent weeks:

DEC Region 5 has established a "Green Team" which will identify, examine and support the implementation of measures that ensure that regional facilities are more environmentally responsible. These include but are not limited to energy conservation measures, alternative energy sources, and pollution reduction techniques. The intent is not to only educate regional staff but also to provide a good example and outreach to the public.
DEC Region 5 Ray Brook Headquarters has joined a national program called Call2Recycle!™ that allows staff and the public to conveniently recycle their cell phones and portable rechargeable batteries. A collection box is located in the lobby for staff and visitors to use. Once the box is full, it will be shipped to the INMETCO recycling facility in Pennsylvania.
DEC Region 5 fisheries staff partnered with the Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation sponsored a free fishing clinic and fish stocking event at Geyser Brook in the Saratoga Spa State Park. Hundreds of children and their families attended the event. Each child was able to stock one trout into the brook. Many people and children also took advantage of the free fishing opportunity.
DEC Region 5 staff continue their efforts to conserve open space in high priority areas such as the Adirondacks, Lake Champlain Watershed, the Upper Hudson River Watershed, and other areas of the region to protect natural resources and provide public recreational opportunities. The Region 5 Open Space Conservation Committee, comprised of volunteers from the region's eight counties, have initiated efforts to update the regional portion of the State Open Space Conservation Plan and is in the process of recommending and prioritizing land conservation initiatives for the future protection of environmentally valuable areas .
DEC Region 5 staff working through the Lake Champlain Basin Program, with their counterparts in Vermont and Quebec are working to update the Lake Champlain Basin Opportunities for Action Plan. This comprehensive long-term management plan guides efforts to protect and enhance the environmental integrity and the social and economic benefits of the Lake Champlain Basin.
Governor David Paterson recently announced the awarding of $1 million dollars in Smart Growth Grants for communities within the Adirondack Park. 14 regional communities were awarded over $822,000 to help counties, towns, villages and their partner organizations develop plans that link sustainable development, environmental protection and community livability.
DEC Commissioner Pete Grannis sent letters to seven municipalities in Region 5 advising them that they will be receiving $80,495 in state grants under DEC's Brownfield Opportunity Area Program to aid these communities in the restoration of contaminated areas. The recipients include the Town of Malone, the Village of Malone, and the Town of Queensbury.
Commissioner Grannis announced grants to land trust organizations across the state to aid in the protection of valuable lands, including $101,750 to local organizations. Recipients include the Agriculture Stewardship Association, Washington County; American Farmland Trust, Saratoga County; Lake George Land Conservancy, Warren County; and Saratoga P.L.A.N., Saratoga County.
DEC Region 5 staff continue to reinforce and refine all aspects of their efforts on a daily basis to conserve, improve and protect the natural resources and environment of New York State and control water, land, and air pollution.

Earth Day History

United States Senator Gaylord Nelson is credited with the founding of Earth Day. After years of unsuccessful attempts to persuade the federal government to add environmental concerns to its agenda, Senator Nelson announced at a conference that there would be a nationwide grassroots demonstration in the spring of 1970 on behalf of the environment, and he invited everyone to participate. His call met a tremendous response.

Twenty million demonstrators and thousands of schools and local communities across the country participated. Environmental awareness and activism has grown in the 38 years since that first Earth Day, spawning both businesses and government agencies. Children now routinely learn about the environment in school, and colleges and universities confer degrees in environmental sciences.