Upcoming Events, Legislative News, Grant Opportunities, & More
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Saturday, October 22, 2022
Bronx Chamber of Commerce - Bronx Business News You Can Use
DEC Announces 13 Additions to New York State Birding Trail
325 Sites on Statewide Trail Provides Birding Opportunities for All New Yorkers, Regardless of Age, Ability, Identity, or Background
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos today announced the addition of 13 new locations to the New York State Birding Trail. These new locations bring the total number of birding trail locations across the state to 325, providing a variety of quality birding experiences for New Yorkers and visitors to enjoy.
“Fall is one of the most beautiful and scenic times to experience the outdoors in New York and it’s a prime time to visit the new State Birding Trail sites,” said Commissioner Seggos. "Birdwatching is one of New York’s fastest-growing recreation and tourism activities and these areas are open for visitors of all ages, abilities, backgrounds, and experience levels to enjoy. I encourage New Yorkers and visitors to take the opportunity to explore these new locations and experience the state’s world-class birding opportunities.”
DEC manages the New York State Birding Trail in collaboration with partners that include the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. The statewide trail network includes promoted birding locations that can be accessed by car or public transportation, providing an inclusive experience for all visitors to enjoy birds amid beautiful natural settings with little or no cost or investment in equipment.
State Parks Commissioner Erik Kulleseid said, “Exploring the New York State Birding Trail is a great way to for people to see and learn about our state’s fascinating species of birds in their native habitats. These new additions to the trail offer even more places to enjoy and appreciate the natural world – and we encourage all to visit."
The newly added locations are on a mix of public and private lands across the state:
- Capital Region: Albany County Helderberg-Hudson Rail Trail;
- Capital Region: Ann Lee Pond Nature and Historic Preserve;
- Capital Region: Lawson Lake County Park;
- Capital Region: Noonan Preserve;
- Catskills: Landis Arboretum;
- Central – Finger Lakes: Rice Creek Field Station;
- Central – Finger Lakes: Sterling Nature Center;
- Hudson Valley: Hudson Highlands Nature Museum;
- Hudson Valley: 6½ Station Road Sanctuary;
- Long Island: Smithtown Historical Society;
- NYC: Battery Park City;
- NYC: Madison Square Park; and
- Southern Tier: College Lodge Forest.
In addition to State-owned and managed locations for the Birding Trail, publicly and privately managed sites can complete a simple self-nomination process to be considered for inclusion on the trail. Sites all meet criteria to help ensure a positive experience for visitors throughout the state. Additionally, each site will post signage noting it as an official location on the birding trail. For information on the nomination process, see www.ibirdny.org.
New segments of the Birding Trail were opened in a phased approach from October 2021 through August 2022. DEC continues to solicit input from a wide range of New Yorkers and organizations that represent Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities and is making trail information available in both English and Spanish. Bird walks will be held in collaboration with organizations working with BIPOC communities.
The New York State Birding Trail map is available at www.ibirdny.org and provides valuable information on each site such as location, available amenities, species likely to be seen, directions, and more. Digital information on the Birding Trail will be updated periodically, so budding outdoor enthusiasts are encouraged to check back often.
DEC encourages birding enthusiasts to visit I Bird NY for more information on where and how to observe birds, upcoming bird walks, a downloadable Beginner's Guide to Birding (available in Spanish), and additional resources.
DEC manages and oversees nearly five million acres of public lands and conservation easements and plays a vital role in both protecting New York’s natural resources and providing opportunities for people to enjoy the outdoors. From fishing on scenic streams, hiking and rock climbing, swimming and boating, birding, and nature study, or simply relaxing in a tent under the stars, there are endless adventures to be found. Visit http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/
Attorney General James Takes Action Against Central New York Ski Resorts for Unfair and Illegal Practices
AG James Sues Intermountain for Buying Competitor and Shutting It Down to Reduce Competition
Greek Peak Mountain Owner to Pay $195,000 for Illegal Noncompete Agreements
New York Attorney General Letitia James today took two actions to stop unlawful and monopolistic business practices by ski resort operators in Central New York. Attorney General James is suing Intermountain Management (Intermountain) for buying its main competitor, Toggenburg Mountain, then shutting it down to direct skiers to its own ski mountains. In addition, Attorney General James today ended an illegal agreement between the owner of Greek Peak Mountain (Greek Peak), John H. Meier, and Intermountain that prohibited Mr. Meier from competing with Intermountain or hiring any of its employees. As a result of a settlement with the Office of the Attorney General (OAG), Mr. Meier is required to pay $195,000 to the state and will cooperate with the litigation against Intermountain.
“Intermountain tried to freeze out competitors to increase its profits and dominate the region’s ski market. Today we are taking action to end these illegal arrangements and protect workers, skiers, and consumers,” said Attorney General James. “Monopolies are not a game. They harm consumers, drive up prices, and limit workers’ opportunities. Intermountain’s greedy behavior left skiers out in the cold all so they could line their own pockets and be on top of the ski market. Illegal and unfair practices by businesses big and small will not be tolerated by my office.”
In August 2021, John Meier, operator of Greek Peak Mountain, sold Toggenburg Mountain — a mainstay for Syracuse-area skiers and snowboarders — to its main competitor, Intermountain. Intermountain owns and operates the only other two ski resorts in the Syracuse area, Labrador and Song Mountains. The OAG lawsuit alleges that Intermountain only purchased Toggenburg to shut out competition, which was made clear when it immediately closed Toggenburg and announced that Toggenburg would not reopen for the upcoming season. Instead of continuing to operate Toggenburg, Intermountain suggested its customers drive to Labrador or Song Mountain, so that Intermountain could capture the additional sales. Intermountain also publicly announced that it would insert a deed restriction barring future buyers from using Toggenburg as a ski resort ever again, thereby asserting itself as the only ski operator in the Syracuse area.
The lawsuit alleges that Intermountain partners Peter Harris and Richard Sykes collaborated on the anticompetitive scheme to buy Toggenburg and establish their monopoly for years, approaching Mr. Meier repeatedly, inviting him to drinks at private social clubs, meals at local restaurants, and even staging a “faux buy” where they approached Mr. Meier through a third party. When Mr. Meier finally agreed to sell, Intermountain’s owners required him to agree that he would not compete with any of the Intermountain ski resorts, including Labrador and Song Mountains, for five years.
The noncompete agreement prohibited Mr. Meier from hiring any of Intermountain’s employees, from janitorial staff to ski lift operators, in what is known as a “no-poach” provision. No-poach agreements and provisions reduce competition for employees and disrupt normal wage-setting mechanisms, harming workers. The OAG’s investigation did not identify any reason for the no-poach provision and determined that its inclusion was unlawful. In addition to the agreement with Intermountain, Mr. Meier had entered into similar agreements with his former partner, Marc Stemerman, and E. James Hickey. The agreement with Mr. Stemerman contained a no-poach provision, and the agreement with Mr. Hickey had a geographic restriction that barred Mr. Hickey from competing within a 70-mile radius around Toggenburg. Ultimately, these illegal agreements harmed workers’ mobility and career choices.
The OAG ended these illegal agreements and Mr. Meier will pay $195,000 to the state, which is the amount he was paid by Intermountain for the agreement. Mr. Meier is also required to cooperate with OAG’s litigation against Intermountain.
As part of the lawsuit against Intermountain, Attorney General James is seeking to require Intermountain to sell one of its resorts and rescind its illegal noncompete agreement. In addition, Attorney General James is seeking monetary relief for the ill-gotten gains from Toggenburg customers forced to move to Intermountain, and civil penalties for Intermountain’s unfair and illegal business practices.
Friday, October 21, 2022
Statement from NYGOP Chairman Nick Langworthy on Winning the Lawsuit Challenging Democrats’ Illegal Absentee Ballot Laws
“Today is another good day for free and fair elections in New York. Just like their illegal Hochulmander and their non-citizen voting scheme, Democrats’ attempt to rig our elections was slapped down by the courts. When I took over as Chairman of the New York GOP, I promised to usher in a new, fighting era that took on Democrats’ brazen lawlessness and this victory is another win for election integrity. As with all of these cases, the Constitution has been on our side and we will continue to fight to uphold the will of the voters and to ensure honest elections in New York."