Committee Chair   Sara Hart   Conservation [at] amc-ny [dot] org

Letters Needed Now to NJ Assembly - Ban Fracking in New Jersey!

The New Jersey Senate Environment and Energy Committee unanimously approved the New Jersey Frack Ban Bill S246 to ban hydraulic fracturing in New Jersey on February 9; the Bill will next go to the full Senate for a vote. The Assembly Environment and Solid Waste Committee has not yet scheduled a Hearing on the Bill; we need to advocate for them to do so. Primary sponsors of the bill: Assembly members Connie Wagner, Reed Gusciora, Valerie Vainieri Huttle, Herb Conaway, Jr., and Ruben J. Ramos, Jr. Co-sponsors of the Bill are Assembly members Ralph R. Caputo, Charles Mainor, Vincent Prieto, Peter J. Barnes III, Linda Stender, Daniel R. Benson, Upendra J. Chivukula, Patrick J. Diegnan, Jr., and John S. Wisniewski.
Please write the members of the Assembly Environment Committee (see below) and ask them to support the Ban Bill and send it to the full Assembly for a vote. It is important that this bill get moved now, before the Legislature goes into the all-encompassing budget session.

For information on fracking's impacts on New Jersey and the struggle for a ban in the State: Click here. to see fact sheet

Please take a moment and send a letter to the Committee members by clicking here.

Fracking Friday

Join the RIVERKEEPER event every Friday by calling Governor Cuomo and tell him not to frack with New York water.

Proposed New York Hydrofracking Regulations

New York State DEC issued a draft of regulations for high-volume hydraulic fracturing on September 28. The comment period ended on January 12.

Read what the League of Conservation Voters and the New York Times wrote about the record-breaking response.

For the proposed regulations click here
To learn more about AMC’s work on natural gas development and to read our energy policy statement.click here

Setback for Fracking in Delaware River Basin

On Nov. 17, the governor of Delaware announced that the proposed Delaware River Basin Commission regulations on fracking lack sufficient health and safety protections, therefore he would vote against the commission's regulations.

To read more about this click here and here

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Climate Change

Can you tell fact from science fiction? Test you climate change knowledge with this short quiz from the Union of Concerned Scientists.

275, 392, 350. Do you know what these three numbers represent? Do you know how much CO2 is in the atmosphere? Do you know how much CO2 in the atmosphere is considered by many scientists to be a safe upper linmit? Learn about atmospheric CO2 levels from 350.org.

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Energy Conservation

The Energy Department has a fun game for kids that will teach them about saving energy.

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Response to Susquehanna Roseland DEIS

On January 31 the Delaware Riverkeeper provided feedback to the NPS on the DEIS for the Susquehanna Roseland transmission line.

Susquehanna Roseland Power Line Video

Watch this short video from the Delaware Riverkeeper about the powerline.

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Northeast Senators Stand Up for Clean Air and a Healthy Outdoors

An overwhelming majority of Northeast and Mid-Atlantic U.S. Senators voted for clean air and a healthy outdoor environment when they defeated a resolution that would have overturned the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule. The Northeast can suffer from poor air quality when winds deliver pollutants across state borders to our coastal and mountain regions. This rule will help downwind states meet clean air standards by targeting power plant pollution from upwind states. AMC research has shown that even healthy hikers suffer declining lung function when they breathe polluted air, in part because when people exercise they breathe more air. It is very important to let our Senators know we appreciate their vote, and urge them to continue to prioritize clean air and a healthy outdoor environment. Below is the list of Senators who voted for clean air. Please take a moment to call and thank your Senators for their NO vote on S.J. Resolution 27, and their support for clean air and healthy outdoor recreation. Ask them to continue to defend our air quality. You can call through the Capitol Switchboard: 202-224 3121.

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Volunteer Opportunities

Naturalist
The Conservation Committee is looking for volunteers interested in helping with its naturalist program at AMC's southernmost destination - the Mohican Outdoor Center. Bring your love for the woods, waters, and wildlife of the Mid-Atlantic region! Add to that your knowledge about either our local ecology, geology or human history. Cover topics of your own personal interest such as the natural changes vs. threats to the mid-Atlantic deciduous forest, biodiversity, local wildlife habitat, native endangered snakes, bear safety, Leave No Trace principles, fungi, mosses, or songbirds, or climate change.
To volunteer or for more information contact the Conservation chair at conservation [at] amc-ny [dot] org.