DEC ACQUIRES 525 ACRES IN WESTERN NEW YORK FOR WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT

 

Parcel Offers Hunting, Fishing, Trapping, and Wildlife Viewing Along Scenic Clear Lake in Erie County

 The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today announced the recent acquisition of 525 acres in the town of North Collins, Erie County, to create the Clear Lake Wildlife Management Area (WMA). The land offers hunting, fishing, trapping, wildlife viewing, and other recreational opportunities and becomes the largest State-owned WMA in Erie County.     

"The new Clear Lake Wildlife Management Area will provide outstanding wildlife-based recreational opportunities for visitors while protecting important habitat for many local species,” said DEC Region 9 Director Abby Snyder. “DEC will continue to work with our public and private partners to conserve critical parcels like this that connect our communities to natural resources.” 

Transferred to DEC by the New York State Office of Mental Health, the Clear Lake WMA includes the Clear Lake Reservoir and surrounding scenic property. The 43-acre lake offers excellent wildlife viewing opportunities and provides important habitat for turtles, salamanders, and waterfowl such as Canada geese, wood ducks, and mallards. The lake was constructed in the 1920s for use as a water reservoir for the former Gowanda Psychiatric Center and was later used by the Collins Correctional Facility. 

OMH Commissioner Dr. Ann Sullivan said, “The Office of Mental Health is pleased to have helped the Department of Environmental Conservation transform an unused parcel of land into a magnificent wildlife area that will provide outdoor recreational opportunities for people and families in Western NY.” 

An ideal location for wildlife habitat, the parcel’s diverse landscape includes mature forest, wetlands, brushland, and open fields that support a variety of species including ruffed grouse, wild turkey, woodcock, white-tailed deer, beaver, muskrat, raccoon, red and gray fox, and migratory songbirds.     

Clear Lake WMA will be actively managed by DEC Region 9’s Bureau of Wildlife with the primary goal of preserving and enhancing the property’s wildlife habitat and providing active wildlife-dependent recreation. In addition, non-wildlife dependent recreational activities such as hiking, kayaking, and canoeing are also allowed as long as these activities do not impede or interfere with the primary wildlife management usage goals of the area. Prohibited activities at Clear Lake WMA include swimming, camping, horseback riding, mountain biking, target shooting, or the use of motorized boats, boat trailers, ATVs, or snowmobiles. Please check on-site signage for authorized activities when visiting. 

Clear Lake WMA can be accessed on the north side of Genesee Road in North Collins, west of Route 75.  DEC recently installed two parking areas to improve public access to the site. The parking area located on the lake’s east side is designated for use by visitors hand-launching small boats, kayaks, or canoes. Please note that use of trailers is not allowed.   

WMAs are lands owned by New York State under the control and management of DEC's Division of Fish and Wildlife. These lands are acquired primarily for wildlife reproduction and survival, as well as providing for wildlife-based recreational opportunities. WMAs provide exceptional areas for the public to interact with a wide variety of wildlife species. There are 123 WMAs across the state, comprising approximately 235,000 acres. 

Since the early 1900s, the WMA program established permanent public access to lands in New York State for the conservation and promotion of its fish and wildlife resources. Clear Lake WMA will be maintained by federal funding from the Pittman Robertson Act, now known as Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration, which apportions revenues generated from the excise taxes on the sale of firearms, ammunition and archery equipment to state wildlife agencies for conservation efforts and hunter education programs.    

Maps and additional information about Clear Lake WMA can be found on DEC’s website at https://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/121437.html. 

Long Lines at First Day of Early Voting

 

Saturday was the first day of Early Voting, and people began lining up at poll sites at 7 AM. The problem was that the Board of Elections was opening the poll sites at 10 AM. When many poll sites opened the line to get in stretched one, two, or even three blocks long. Poll sites closed at 4 PM, but as is the case if you were on line by the time the poll closes you must be allowed to vote no matter how much more time it takes. 

At the Columbus High School poll site, the line went all around the building and field short of meeting at the voter entrance. The line continued to be long because over 1,300 people had come to vote or drop off their completed Absentee Ballot into the Drop Box inside the poll site. This was in contrast to the early voting for the June Democratic Primary where throughout the ten days the poll site was open less people voted. That was why extra help was hired and sent to each Early Voting Poll Site. 

Weekend poll site hours are 10 AM to 4 PM, Monday 10/26 from 7 AM to 3 PM, Tuesday 10/27, and Wednesday 10/28 from 12 PM to 8 PM, Thursday 10/29 from 10 AM to 6 PM, Friday 10/30 from 7 PM to 3 PM. Saturday 10/31 and Sunday 11/1 from 10 AM to 4 PM. 

Above - At the Columbus High School poll site the line stretched  almost entirely around the school and field as you can see where Assemblywoman Fernandez was soliciting votes with her Chief of Staff.

Below - Ms. Gloria Gaston and a few others brought chairs to sit on as they waited for the line to move.

Above - The Drop Box for Absentee ballots.

Below- M. Cynthia Prisco was one of the poll workers who kept things moving inside the Columbus High school gym.

Above - Two pole workers signed you in, as a third poll worker took the printed ballot from the printer. 

Below - Bronx GOP Leader Michael Rendino stopped by with his congressional candidate John Cummings.

Bharati Foundation Comes to Assemblywoman Fernandez's Office For Read-A-Long and Giveaway

 

Books, Book Bags, School Supplies, Face Mask, and Hand Sanitizer was given out Friday afternoon as Assemblywoman read to children outside her office. 

The event was sponsored by the Bharati Foundation with Bharati Kemraj the founder of the Bharati Dance Academy has continued her fathers way of giving to others from the church her father was a Hindu Priest.  

Above - Assemblywoman Fernandez reads to children from one of the many books that were given away to the children.

Below - Assemblywoman Fernandez waves hello to a little girl.

Bhariati Kemraj, Assemblywoman Fernandez, and others who helped on the afternoon Read-A-Long and giveaway.

Governor Cuomo Updates New Yorkers on State's Progress During COVID-19 Pandemic - OCTOBER 24, 2020

 

Positive Testing Rate in All Focus Zone Areas is 2.58 Percent; New York State Positivity Outside All Focus Zone Areas Included is 1.13 Percent     

Statewide Positivity Rate is 1.31 Percent  

11 COVID-19 Deaths in New York State Yesterday   

 Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today updated New Yorkers on the state's progress during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.   

"As new cases climb across the country, in New York we are continuing our strategy of aggressively targeting micro-clusters whenever they pop up and implementing measures to stop any potential spread quickly," Governor Cuomo said. "We are able to be surgical in our approach because we have developed such large testing and contact tracing programs. The news from around the country is another reminder that while we have come a long way, this pandemic is not over and we must remain vigilant: wear a mask, wash your hands, socially distance and be New York Tough. The only way to beat this thing is through compliance of public health law and by taking care of one another." 

The Governor noted that the positive testing rate in all focus areas under the state's Micro-Cluster strategy is 2.58 percent, and outside the focus zone areas is 1.13 percent. Within the focus areas, 19,799 test results were reported yesterday, yielding 511 positives. In the remainder of the state, not counting these focus areas, 137,141 test results were reported, yielding 1,550 positives. 

Today's data is summarized briefly below:   

• Patient Hospitalization - 1,045 (+22)  
• Patients Newly Admitted - 152   
• Hospital Counties - 43  
• Number ICU - 231 (+8)  
• Number ICU with Intubation - 113 (+4)  
• Total Discharges - 78,960 (+106)  
• Deaths - 11  
• Total Deaths - 25,718   

New York City Pharmacy Owner Sentenced To 2½ Years In Prison For Committing Multimillion-Dollar Health Care Fraud

 

 Audrey Strauss, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that SAJID JAVED, an owner and operator of a number of pharmacies in the New York City area, was sentenced to 30 months in prison for using his pharmacies to submit more than $7.1 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare and Medicaid.  JAVED previously pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud before U.S. District Judge Vernon S. Broderick, who imposed today’s sentence.

Acting U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said:  “Sajid Javed fraudulently billed Medicare and Medicaid more than $7 million for drugs that were never actually dispensed, inducing others to forego their prescription medications in return for kickbacks.  Javed contributed to the multibillion-dollar theft of federally funded public health care subsidies.”

According to the Complaint, the Superseding Information to which JAVED pled guilty, court filings, and statements made in public court proceedings:

While owning and operating a number of pharmacies located in Brooklyn and Queens, JAVED conducted a multimillion-dollar scheme to defraud Medicare and Medicaid programs by seeking reimbursement for prescription drugs that were not distributed to customers.  Specifically, from January 2013 through December 2014, JAVED obtained more than $7.1 million in reimbursements from Medicare and Medicaid for prescription drugs that his pharmacies never actually dispensed to customers.  JAVED defrauded Medicare and Medicaid into providing him with these reimbursements by obtaining prescriptions from other individuals, who were willing to forego delivery of the medications in exchange for a share of the reimbursed proceeds, in the form of kickbacks.  JAVED offered to pay, and did actually pay, kickbacks in furtherance of this scheme.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Broderick sentenced JAVED, 49, of Fresh Meadows, Queens, to three years of supervised release and ordered JAVED to make court-ordered restitution in the amount of $6,040,451.32 to Medicare and $1,150,562.16 to Medicaid, and imposed forfeiture in the amount of $7,191,013.48.

Ms. Strauss praised the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General.

Attorney General James Issues Voter Protection Guidance Ahead of the November Election

 

Outlines Legal Prohibitions on Intimidation and Coercive Conduct at Poll Sites; Reminds Voters of Rights  

  Attorney General Letitia James issued guidance to Board of Election offices and law enforcement entities throughout the state to protect New Yorkers from voter intimidation on, and before, Election Day.

“All New Yorkers must be able to exercise their fundamental right to vote without coercion or intimidation,” said Attorney General James. “While voting in New York is safe and secure, I urge anyone who encounters barriers or issues to contact my office immediately. The guidance we are issuing outlines basic protections for voters and serves as a warning that will we not allow anyone to hamper people's access to voting, period.”

Under state and federal law, it is illegal for anyone to intimidate, threaten, or coerce voters with the purpose of interfering with their right to vote. In the guidance, the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) highlights the following types of conduct as potentially constituting unlawful voter intimidation:

• Individuals or groups patrolling outside of polling places and trying to scare people out of the voting line;
• Poll watchers inside a polling place aggressively challenging large groups of voters, leading to long lines, and creating false fears that voters may be illegally voting;
• Poll watchers standing in the vicinity of privacy booths, standing in unauthorized areas, videotaping and/or photographing voters within the polling place, following or harassing voters in the polling place;
• Individuals spreading false rumors or making false statements that there are negative consequences to voting; or
• Individuals or groups displaying weapons or foreign military uniforms or other military paraphernalia outside of polling locations.

Behavior that has been found to constitute voter intimidation under federal law in the past includes:

• Threats of violence;
• Following voters to poll sites and speaking loudly about prosecuting them for illegal voting;
• Civilians dressing as law enforcement officers and harassing voters at poll sites;
• Economic coercion, such as threatening to boycott in response to an individual exercising their right to vote;
• Threatening to evict someone for exercising their right to vote;
• Patterns of baseless arrests and prosecutions in the vicinity of voter registration meetings; and
• Publicly disseminating individuals’ names and addresses, or “doxing,” in an effort to vilify those individuals.

The guidance also clarifies that the following actions are prohibited under New York state law:

• State and local employees interfering with or affecting the election;
• A member of the United States armed forces preventing, or attempting to prevent, a voter from fully exercising their voting rights through force, threat, intimidation, or advice;
• Groups of people organizing as private militias without permission from the state;
• Open carry of handguns, or the possession of machine guns and loaded or unloaded assault weapons, as well as the use of firearms or other dangerous instruments to intimidate or harass;
• Invading the privacy of a voting booth used by a voter; and
• Requiring an individual to show photo ID in order to vote.

Additionally, the guidance emphasizes that media and press are allowed to film or take pictures of individuals in the polling place if they have written authorization from BOE. 

If you observe any prohibited conduct, please immediately contact the OAG's Election Protection Hotline by calling 1-800-771-7755 or emailing election.hotline@ag.ny.gov. Any incidents involving potentially dangerous conduct should be reported to local law enforcement immediately.

DEC ENCOURAGES NEW YORKERS TO HELP PROTECT STATE’S BAT POPULATIONS DURING ‘BAT WEEK’

 

Annual Halloween Week Observance of Bat Week Raises Awareness to Reduce Human Disturbance to Threatened Bats

 In observance of Bat Week, an internationally recognized weeklong focus to raise awareness about the important role bats play in our environment, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos today urged outdoor adventurers to avoid visiting caves and mines that may serve as seasonal homes for hibernating bats. Human disturbance is especially harmful to the State's bat populations since the arrival of the disease known as white-nose syndrome, a fungus that has killed more than 90 percent of bats at hibernation sites in New York.

"Exploring caves can be a fun adventure, but it can lead to disaster for New York's bat populations," Commissioner Seggos said. "Hibernating bats are highly susceptible to even the quietest cave visits. If disturbed, bats will temporarily increase their metabolism and expend significantly more energy than normal, making them more susceptible to disease. During hibernation months, it’s better and safer for visitors to stay out of caves altogether, but if you do come across hibernating bats in a cave, I urge you to leave quickly and quietly.”

DEC reminds the public to follow all posted notices restricting access to caves and mines. When bats are disturbed during hibernation it forces them to raise their body temperature, depleting fat reserves. This stored fat is the only source of energy available to the bats until the weather warms in spring.

Bat Week is observed through Oct. 31, and is organized by representatives from conservation groups and government agencies in the United States and Canada. 

Two species of bats are currently protected under federal and State endangered species law. The Indiana bat, which is sparsely distributed across New York, is a federally endangered bat listed before white-nose syndrome began affecting bat populations. The northern long-eared bat is protected as a threatened species under federal and New York State Endangered Species law. The current population for this formerly common bat is approximately one percent of its previous size, making the species the most severely affected by white-nose syndrome. Nonetheless, northern long-eared bats are still widely distributed in New York and their presence has been documented in most of the state’s 100 or so caves and mines that serve as bat hibernation sites.

Anyone entering a northern long-eared bat hibernation site from Oct. 1 through April 30, the typical hibernation period for bats, may be subject to prosecution.

There is currently no treatment for bats suffering from white-nose syndrome. Along with the New York State Department of Health, DEC is partnering with researchers from the National Wildlife Health Center in Madison, Wisconsin, and experts at several universities across the country to better understand the disease and develop a treatment. This collaborative effort helped identify that reducing disturbances at hibernation sites during the winter can help the remaining animals survive. For more information about white-nose syndrome, visit the White-Nose Syndrome Response Team website. Details about the protection of the northern long-eared bat can be found on DEC's website.  

MAYOR DE BLASIO LAUNCHES NYC ELECTION OBSERVERS CORPS TO BOLSTER VOTER PROTECTION

Mayor Bill de Blasio today announced the launch of the New York City Election Observers Corps, a volunteer effort to bolster voter protection efforts across the city. 

 

“The right to vote must be protected. That is a core, fundamental responsibility of any government,” said Mayor de Blasio. “The Election Observer Corps will add to the efforts of invaluable community groups that have worked for years to ensure voters know their rights. Voter intimidation is a crime and we will stand united together as a City to protect voters.”

The NYC Election Observers Corps will recruit civically-minded New Yorkers to be trained by DNYC and the Law Department to serve as volunteer, non-partisan observers outside poll sites throughout the city. On Election Day, November 3rd, volunteer observers will be available to direct voters to relevant voter assistance hotlines and notify appropriate channels about any instance of voter intimidation, suppression, or harassment.

NYC Election Observers Corps volunteers will report instances of voter intimidation to a group of central staff, who will coordinate with law enforcement, the State Attorney General and the Board of Elections as needed. DNYC will lead the effort and will coordinate with other non-partisan election protection operations where appropriate.