Mountainkeeper and over 100 orgs Present New Yorkers Against Fracking Concert

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ALMOST SOLD OUT – GET YOUR TICKETS NOW!
New Yorkers Against Fracking – All Star Rally/Concert in Albany on Tuesday, May 15
Catskill Mountainkeeper with our coalition partners are pleased to present this important rally and powerful multi-media concert to support a ban on fracking in New York State.  The concert will feature Natalie Merchant, Medeski Martin & Wood, Joan Osborne, the Felice Brothers, Ida, Dan Zane, The Horse Flies, and friends, along with emcees Mark Ruffalo and Melissa Leo. It promises to be a powerful afternoon and evening of political strength, impressive performances from great artists, and sincere testimonies.

The Rally:
 Where: The West Capitol Lawn, Albany, NY
When: Tuesday, May 15th at 4:30 PM – 6:00 PM

The Concert:
 When: Tuesday, May 15th at 7:00 PM – 9:30 PM
Where: The Egg, Empure State Plaza, Albany, NY 12223
Tickets: 518-473-1845 or CLICK HERE

Tickets will sell out, soon! Cost: $40 Per person with a limited number of “Pit” tickets at $150.
 Get on the bus!

MARCH 8, 2012 – WE NEED YOU TO CALL NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY SPEAKER SHELDON SILVER TODAY. HERE IS WHY.

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Negative impacts on human health have accompanied gas drilling using hydrofracking wherever it has been done. Despite that, the permit conditions proposed by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to “govern” fracking makes little mention of the health impacts of fracking.
That is why Catskill Mountainkeeper and our coalition partners are demanding that the legislature require that an independent comprehensive Health Impact Assessment (HIA) be done prior to any further discussions of shale gas.
In October 2011, 250 physicians and medical professionals wrote a letter to Governor Cuomo calling for a comprehensive public health impact assessment. This was sent because the concerns outlined in a previous letter sent to The department of health and the Governor were clearly ignored in the draft Supplemental generic environmental Impact statement (SGEIS) .
A health impact assessment, which is defined by the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences, “INCLUDES MANY TOOLS THAT HELP ENSURE THE VALIDITY OF THE FINDINGS AND HAVE MULTIPLE PLACES FOR PUBLIC INPUT TO THE DOCUMENT.”
This will tell New Yorkers what the “true” costs of gas drilling are.
Certainly the risk to the human and animal health in New York State justifies that such a health Impact assessment be done.
On Tuesday our allies in the Assembly worked to have this attached to the budget as a resolution.
Now the industry is pushing hard to have it removed.
The Cuomo administration keeps calling for science not emotion. This is the science. Call Assemblyman Sheldon Silver today!
Thank him and ask him to continue the fight to keep a Health Impact Assessment in the Budget. It is very important that he hears from you now.
New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver Contact Information:

District Office
212-312-1420

Albany Office
518-455-3791

Catskill Edible Garden Project Launches in Sullivan County

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PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release
May 9, 2012

Contact:
Emily Deans, Catskill Mountainkeeper, 845-482-5400
Denise Frangipane, Sullivan Renaissance, 845-295-2443

Catskill Edible Garden Project Launches in Sullivan County

(Youngsville, NY) – Catskill Mountainkeeper and partnering organizations –Cornell Cooperative Extension, Center for Workforce Development, Green Village Initiative and Sullivan Renaissance – are pleased to announce the launch of the Catskill Edible Garden Project – Growing the Next Generation of Food Entrepreneurs.  The project involves working with area schools and educational institutions to install and maintain edible gardens, and will additionally seek to provide resources to assist in the development and implementation of garden and food-based curricula integration.

“The Catskill Edible Garden Project will offer the opportunity for a hands-on youth development experience and exposure to food and agriculture as important aspects of our culture and community, and potential career opportunities,” said Emily Deans of Catskill Mountainkeeper.

The Project will enhance youth understanding of the food web; raise awareness of the components of a local healthy food system and its connection to healthy communities, and increase understanding of food systems as complex and interconnected aspects of community development.  During May, the construction and installation of three gardens will begin; two are located at schools -  Roscoe Central School and the Sullivan West campus in Jeffersonville ; a third will be at Cornell Cooperative Extension in Liberty.  The Cornell garden will promote the CCE “Eat Smart New York” program.

Build days for the gardens are as follows:  Cornell Cooperative Extension – May 14  8:30 AM;Sullivan West – Jeffersonville Campus – May 19 – 8:00 AM; Roscoe Central School – May 22 – 1:00 PM.   Community volunteers are welcome to participate! Click here to get involved.

The Catskill Edible Garden Project will also feature a summer youth employment program in partnership with the Center for Workforce Development. Select students from each participating school district will be employed to maintain the gardens throughout the summer.  These students will also participate in agriculturally-based community outreach and CCE’s ‘Choose Health Ambassador’ program.

The Catskill Edible Garden Project is a collaboration between Catskill Mountainkeeper, Center for Workforce Development, Cornell Cooperative Extension, Sullivan Renaissance, and Green Village Initiative – a Connecticut-based not-for-profit that has been involved in the development of school garden programs throughout Western Connecticut.

TODAY’S LOCAL NEWS BRIEFS for Tivoli, New Paltz, Margaretville, Poughkeepsie, Kingston

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Following the film, there will be a discussion with Kathy Nolan of Catskill Mountainkeeper and woodland owner Gerald Davison, who will talk about forest taxation policies that could encourage land preservation. For more information about the Mid …Daily Freeman · 4/16/2012