#2008-06: March 4, 2008 Environmental Signatories to AIP Respond to Belleayre Final Scoping Document On February 28, 2008 the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) released the final scoping document for the Belleayre Mountain Ski Center, the modified Belleayre Resort at Catskill Park, and cumulative impacts of both of these projects. As the final scope indicates, the next step in the environmental review process is the preparation by the DEC of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Ski Center expansion, and preparation by Crossroads LLC, the resort sponsor, of a Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement regarding the Belleayre Resort. Importantly, the final scope includes a third part addressing the combined effects of both the Ski Center expansion and the Belleayre Resort. The seven environmental organizations that signed the Agreement in Principle (AIP), today welcomed the release of the final scoping document. The groups expressed general satisfaction with the detail and thoroughness of the final scope, and with the comprehensiveness of the upcoming review that the scope foreshadows. They applauded the State’s decision to drop the proposed Belleayre East trails and lift from consideration at this time. However, they also noted specific concerns with elements of the proposed projects, particularly with potential water quality impacts associated with the proposed Belleayre Ski Center expansion. The seven environmental organizations that signed the Agreement in Principle (AIP), today welcomed the release of the final scoping document. The groups expressed general satisfaction with the detail and thoroughness of the final scope, and with the comprehensiveness of the upcoming review that the scope foreshadows. They applauded the State’s decision to drop the proposed Belleayre East trails and lift from consideration at this time. However, they also noted specific concerns with elements of the proposed projects, particularly with potential water quality impacts associated with the proposed Belleayre Ski Center expansion. Deborah Meyer DeWan of The Catskill Center for Conservation and Development said "additional ski development in this environmentally sensitive region runs the risk of damaging the watershed and trampling upon lands adjacent to those that would be protected as ‘forever wild’ under the AIP, particularly given the importance of the protecting the ecological integrity of the Forest Preserve and the character of the region. Therefore, we are pleased that DEC has removed the eastern trails and ski lift from its proposal." "We are expecting the draft environmental studies for the proposed Belleayre Resort and the proposed Ski Center expansion to be comprehensive and thorough in every respect," said James L. Simpson, a staff attorney with Riverkeeper. "Among the many issues that Riverkeeper will be looking for in the supplemental draft environmental impact statement for the Belleayre Resort will be an evaluation of salt storage and road salt alternatives, the impacts to wetlands ecologically or hydrologically connected off-site, and an analysis of pervious surfaces for parking lots." "The Agreement in Principle envisioned a comprehensive environmental review process of the proposed lower-build resort and the ski center expansion; we are glad that this process is now getting off the ground, as signified by the release of a 148 page scoping document. We signed the Agreement in Principle not only because it offered a framework for substantial environmental benefits, including the potential to preserve more than 1,200 acres of land comprising the entire eastern parcel of the original Belleayre Resort development site. We signed because we were promised that an exhaustive, by-the-books supplemental review would assess both the lower-build resort proposal and the long-simmering ski center expansion plan at the same time," said Eric A. Goldstein, attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council. "While there are many useful analyses and data that can be expected from the forthcoming environmental studies and while we can not overlook the importance of preserving the 1,200 acres to the east of Belleayre, we remain concerned about potential water quality impacts from these developments, especially the water quality impacts from the proposed ski center expansion. And we will be reviewing these documents with utmost care," said Roy Hochberg from the Catskill Mountains chapter of Trout Unlimited. The environmental group signers have been participating actively in the new SEQRA process, submitting comments on the draft scope of review and urging their members to do the same. The groups stated today that they will continue to work to ensure that the supplemental environmental review studies meet both the heightened protocols contained in the AIP and all requirements of state, federal and local environmental law. And they indicated that they will be heavily involved in reviewing and analyzing the draft environmental documents in coming months. "The execution of the AIP has been a major step toward preserving the environment that thrives on and around Belleayre Mountain and protecting the sensitive Catskill resources that are nourished by the unique ecosystems of this region," said John Barone of Theodore Gordon Flyfishers. "We want to emphasize that in addition to our continued review of the Belleayre Resort Development, we plan to scrutinize the forthcoming details of the proposed Ski Center expansion, and will pursue plans to advance the development of a Route 28 corridor management plan." For a copy of the full Agreement in Principle go to: http://riverkeeper.org/campaign.php/watershed_development/we_are_doing/1217. For more information about the SEQRA review process go to: http://riverkeeper.org/campaign.php/watershed_development/we_are_doing/1409.