rford
Less Than Beeko
Meeting notes should have said 3/27/07 Oops!
Yesterday, I attended both sessions of a public hearing that DRBC held for public comment on their proposed FFMP (Flexible Flow Management Program ).
The meetings were held at the Lake Wallenpaupack environmental center in Hawley PA.
First thing I want to preface is that I went to this meeting with my own special interest: to show support for the Coalitions CP2 plan, and how it could affect and improve the upper Delaware tailwater fisheries. Although I left the meeting with the same enthusiasm for the CP2 plan, I also left the meeting with a new appreciation for how many others are impacted by the management or mismanagement of the resources availed by the all the impoundments in New York state as well, Pennsylvania’s reservoirs managed by PPL.
To give you an idea of the tone and imperative of this meetings impact, you must note that there was from my best count approximately 200 people that attended each of the two sessions held at 2:30 and then at 6:30. There were at least 2 different television stations at each meeting and six or more reporters vigorously taking notes.
The DRBC panel chairing the hearing consisted of an alternate representative of each of the 4 states commissions: Dr. Joseph Miri – NJ, Mark Klotz – NY, Dr Harry Otto – DE, Cathleen Curran Myers – PA and the executive director of the DRBC Carol Collier as well the General Counsel of the DRBC Pamela Bush and the hardest working stenographer I have ever seen. Remember here, Alternate is the key word, at the end of the day the Governor of each state is the one whom is actually the member of the DRBC; however they rely heavily on the recommendations of these alternates. There was by my observation no alternate or representation of the 5th member of the Commission , Major General Grisoli whom is the federal delegate appointed by the President of the United States.
The sessions began with a presentation by Mark Klotz whom outlined the FFMP as proposed. For me the details of this plan are important, but it would take too long to explain or list them here and there are those better qualified then I to comment on the actual scientific details. The key thing here is that the current management program (revision 7) expires on May 31, 2007. At this point the DRBC is compelled to implement a new revision to the plan or a new plan altogether, ergo the FFMP.
Now things get complicated and scientific again. There are so many elements to this plan that have been considered, I once again will differ to the experts, but will try and out line what I feel are the key components. First we much consider the purpose of the reservoirs and the general goals of the original plan and its management.
1. To Safeguard the water Supply and manage this system to AVOID drought.
2. To meet flow targets at Montague to impede the downstream Salinity line and provide repulsion.
As far as I am concerned everything after these two points of management were strictly bi-products of the plan, including habitat protection.
The new FFMP plan in great detail as far as water releases, defends its ability to manage the above elements while more thoroughly addressing the issues of Habitat protection from coldwater management, dwarf wedge mussel impact and Delaware Bay ecological health. Oh yes, they deemed to insert “Flood Mitigation “as well, and this brings us back to the meeting itself.
The meeting was attended as a majority of what I will call the trout people. This included many members in support of the Conservation Coalitions CP2 plan : Trout Unlimited Local Chapters and National, The Nature Conservancy, The DRC, Theodore Gordon Flyfishers, Inc and many private individual members as well including Larry Miri ( flytier), Dr. Peter Kolesar, Agust Gudmundsson, Rick E, Brian Cowden(rusty spinner), Jim Serio(big spinner), Jack Stauffer(oasis man) to mention a few whom gave testimony to the panel, supported by a peanut gallery of our own including Joe T, John H, Pat G, BJ Miller, Sam (tight loops) from the WBA and yours truly to mention a few.
The FUDR was represented by testimony given by Dr. Robert Bachman, Mr. Phil Chase, Jim ( Coz) Costolnick and Lee Hartman supported by attendance of Craig Findley and John Warakomoski ( jaydub).
In addition many unaffiliated Trout people, Dwarf Mussel ecologists, Delaware basin Landholders from individuals landholders to business interests (recreational and corporate), Townsfolk from New Hope to Stilesville including the Mayor of Port Jervis and representatives of the National Park Service.
In fact at the 6:30 meeting about 35 people came to the meeting representing the kayakers and canoeing faction all wearing life jackets! It was quite a scene.
What rang true and in kind from one testimony to the next from 2:30 to 8:45 is that the river is mismanaged, and something has to be done now. Probably the loudest of the voices and the one that touched the most heart strings was the message being sent by the heartfelt testimonies of the riverfront landowners from one end of the river to the other. Testimony after testimony of lost homes, bad to no insurance settlements, FEMA’s almost total neglect and a history and most recent history of one devastating flood event after another.
Here is where the moral imperative seems to take a complete back seat at the DRBC. Clearly when a river system is impeded the natural flow of a river is forever changed. Albeit that the eminent domain principal the Supreme Court granted in giving the water rights away in the publics best interest to NYC and New Jersey is vital to the nation’s economy is an imperative. Somewhere in that doctrine the culpability of those benefactors needs to be in the best interest as well of the downstream residents whom have been forgotten. This message was brought home yesterday and indictments where made and suggestions of an investigation as to the DRBC actions or lack there off, were made.
Remember this system was designed to retain water and prevent drought, not to mitigate flood, and now people want change.
As emotions flared in alternating testimony’s the CP2 plan was clearly the pragmatic and available solution at hand. The consensus of testimony after testimony was that this CP2 plan is available; it’s been proven and modeled time and again.
I think however with the insurmountable task of managing the river for flood mitigation, drought avoidance, habitat protection and all special interests on the laundry list of imperatives, that the implementing the CP2 plan will be the DRBC’s first opportunity to show the public it is listening to all parties. From an environmental and habitat perspective it is the plan that must be implemented to start moving in the right adaptive approach. The parties that have worked collectively many thousands of hours should be applauded for their efforts.
I truly believe that this is a juncture in time that the DRBC will listen to the publics input. The timing is right to start contacting your representatives and the means and contact information is on the Coalitions web site : The Coalition's Delaware River Adaptive Release Policy and I strongly suggest you to immediately do so before this issue is voted on in the upcoming weeks.
Ralph
Yesterday, I attended both sessions of a public hearing that DRBC held for public comment on their proposed FFMP (Flexible Flow Management Program ).
The meetings were held at the Lake Wallenpaupack environmental center in Hawley PA.
First thing I want to preface is that I went to this meeting with my own special interest: to show support for the Coalitions CP2 plan, and how it could affect and improve the upper Delaware tailwater fisheries. Although I left the meeting with the same enthusiasm for the CP2 plan, I also left the meeting with a new appreciation for how many others are impacted by the management or mismanagement of the resources availed by the all the impoundments in New York state as well, Pennsylvania’s reservoirs managed by PPL.
To give you an idea of the tone and imperative of this meetings impact, you must note that there was from my best count approximately 200 people that attended each of the two sessions held at 2:30 and then at 6:30. There were at least 2 different television stations at each meeting and six or more reporters vigorously taking notes.
The DRBC panel chairing the hearing consisted of an alternate representative of each of the 4 states commissions: Dr. Joseph Miri – NJ, Mark Klotz – NY, Dr Harry Otto – DE, Cathleen Curran Myers – PA and the executive director of the DRBC Carol Collier as well the General Counsel of the DRBC Pamela Bush and the hardest working stenographer I have ever seen. Remember here, Alternate is the key word, at the end of the day the Governor of each state is the one whom is actually the member of the DRBC; however they rely heavily on the recommendations of these alternates. There was by my observation no alternate or representation of the 5th member of the Commission , Major General Grisoli whom is the federal delegate appointed by the President of the United States.
The sessions began with a presentation by Mark Klotz whom outlined the FFMP as proposed. For me the details of this plan are important, but it would take too long to explain or list them here and there are those better qualified then I to comment on the actual scientific details. The key thing here is that the current management program (revision 7) expires on May 31, 2007. At this point the DRBC is compelled to implement a new revision to the plan or a new plan altogether, ergo the FFMP.
Now things get complicated and scientific again. There are so many elements to this plan that have been considered, I once again will differ to the experts, but will try and out line what I feel are the key components. First we much consider the purpose of the reservoirs and the general goals of the original plan and its management.
1. To Safeguard the water Supply and manage this system to AVOID drought.
2. To meet flow targets at Montague to impede the downstream Salinity line and provide repulsion.
As far as I am concerned everything after these two points of management were strictly bi-products of the plan, including habitat protection.
The new FFMP plan in great detail as far as water releases, defends its ability to manage the above elements while more thoroughly addressing the issues of Habitat protection from coldwater management, dwarf wedge mussel impact and Delaware Bay ecological health. Oh yes, they deemed to insert “Flood Mitigation “as well, and this brings us back to the meeting itself.
The meeting was attended as a majority of what I will call the trout people. This included many members in support of the Conservation Coalitions CP2 plan : Trout Unlimited Local Chapters and National, The Nature Conservancy, The DRC, Theodore Gordon Flyfishers, Inc and many private individual members as well including Larry Miri ( flytier), Dr. Peter Kolesar, Agust Gudmundsson, Rick E, Brian Cowden(rusty spinner), Jim Serio(big spinner), Jack Stauffer(oasis man) to mention a few whom gave testimony to the panel, supported by a peanut gallery of our own including Joe T, John H, Pat G, BJ Miller, Sam (tight loops) from the WBA and yours truly to mention a few.
The FUDR was represented by testimony given by Dr. Robert Bachman, Mr. Phil Chase, Jim ( Coz) Costolnick and Lee Hartman supported by attendance of Craig Findley and John Warakomoski ( jaydub).
In addition many unaffiliated Trout people, Dwarf Mussel ecologists, Delaware basin Landholders from individuals landholders to business interests (recreational and corporate), Townsfolk from New Hope to Stilesville including the Mayor of Port Jervis and representatives of the National Park Service.
In fact at the 6:30 meeting about 35 people came to the meeting representing the kayakers and canoeing faction all wearing life jackets! It was quite a scene.
What rang true and in kind from one testimony to the next from 2:30 to 8:45 is that the river is mismanaged, and something has to be done now. Probably the loudest of the voices and the one that touched the most heart strings was the message being sent by the heartfelt testimonies of the riverfront landowners from one end of the river to the other. Testimony after testimony of lost homes, bad to no insurance settlements, FEMA’s almost total neglect and a history and most recent history of one devastating flood event after another.
Here is where the moral imperative seems to take a complete back seat at the DRBC. Clearly when a river system is impeded the natural flow of a river is forever changed. Albeit that the eminent domain principal the Supreme Court granted in giving the water rights away in the publics best interest to NYC and New Jersey is vital to the nation’s economy is an imperative. Somewhere in that doctrine the culpability of those benefactors needs to be in the best interest as well of the downstream residents whom have been forgotten. This message was brought home yesterday and indictments where made and suggestions of an investigation as to the DRBC actions or lack there off, were made.
Remember this system was designed to retain water and prevent drought, not to mitigate flood, and now people want change.
As emotions flared in alternating testimony’s the CP2 plan was clearly the pragmatic and available solution at hand. The consensus of testimony after testimony was that this CP2 plan is available; it’s been proven and modeled time and again.
I think however with the insurmountable task of managing the river for flood mitigation, drought avoidance, habitat protection and all special interests on the laundry list of imperatives, that the implementing the CP2 plan will be the DRBC’s first opportunity to show the public it is listening to all parties. From an environmental and habitat perspective it is the plan that must be implemented to start moving in the right adaptive approach. The parties that have worked collectively many thousands of hours should be applauded for their efforts.
I truly believe that this is a juncture in time that the DRBC will listen to the publics input. The timing is right to start contacting your representatives and the means and contact information is on the Coalitions web site : The Coalition's Delaware River Adaptive Release Policy and I strongly suggest you to immediately do so before this issue is voted on in the upcoming weeks.
Ralph
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