Sample Letter March 9, 2008

Here’s how YOU can make a difference:

1. Send a letter by mail to the Governor. Signature and address a must! If you can, send a copy to Judith Enck, the Deputy Secretary for the Environment. You do NOT need to send Friends of Edgewood a copy this time around!

1. Fax a letter to the Governor. 518-474-1513.

1. Call the Governor. 518-474-8390. State your name, where you are from and just say that you want the Governor to know that it is important to you and your family that he sign the Edgewood bill – S6728-a / A9870-a. The receptionist will likely ask for your zip code and that is all. It’s an easy phone call!

1. E-mail the Governor. http://161.11.121.121/govemail. Click on this link and it will take you to directly to the e-mail page for the Governor.

PLEASE DO IT TODAY. WE ARE ALMOST THERE. Thank you!

See sample letter on page below…

PO Box 162 Deer Park, NY 11729 • 242-7402 box#3 • patricia@friendsofedgewood.com

[Sample letter]

Simply cut and paste into a blank document. If you are a professional or represent an organization or group, please consider putting this on letterhead. Personalizing the letter will have even more impact. It is very important to sign and print your name and address.

July 2008

The Honorable David Paterson

State Capitol

Albany, NY 12224

Dear Governor Paterson,

I am writing today to kindly ask that you sign S6728-a/A9870-a (“the transfer of certain lands to the Edgewood-Oak Brush Plains Preserve”) into law.

The Edgewood-Oak Brush Plains Preserve is the second largest parcel of pitch-pine scrub oak barrens in New York. It is an irreplaceable and fragile habitat, home to numerous species of migratory birds, as well as a wide variety of other wildlife. It is one of nine areas in New York that comprise the State Nature and Historic Preserve, as outlined in our State Constitution. The preserve and adjacent lands provide prime nesting for New York State’s Endangered, Threatened and Special Concern species.

The transfer of these lands will not only preserve more open space in a region of Long Island that has long-experienced environmental neglect and overdevelopment, but also ensure the sustainability of Long Island’s clean drinking water supply by significantly expanding the groundwater protection area, thus satisfying the requirements of the Sole Source Aquifer Act of 1987, which limits development in Deep Flow Recharge Areas.

This is a rare opportunity to ensure that Western Suffolk County remains a place where families can look forward to a bright future, one that includes: clean air, safe drinking water and “forever wild” habitats that future generations of children can both enjoy and learn from. As you know, so much of Long Island’s natural beauty is vanishing at a rapid pace. It is up to each of us to do our part to protect it before it is too late.

Please do not let this moment slip away. Long after specific projects have come and gone, areas preserved in their natural state will continue to attest to the foresight of those who helped protect them. I hope I can depend on you to sign this measure into law.

Thank you for your kind consideration of this important issue and for the work you do every day on behalf of all New Yorkers.

Sincerely,

Cc:

Judith Enck, Deputy Secretary for the Environment

__________________________________________________________________

PREVIOUS ACTION LETTER: Thanks for your help!

Here is a sample letter that you could send to Speaker of the Assembly Sheldon Silver to support legislation to protect the Edgewood Preserve. Please cut, past and printout, or contact us to send you an e-mail or click here for a pdf copy:

-

LETTER IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION

RE: A09870 / S6728: The Transfer of Certain Lands to the Oak Brush Plain State Preserve

February 2008

The Honorable Sheldon Silver
Speaker of the Assembly
Legislative Office Building 932
Albany, NY 12248

Dear Assemblyman Silver:

I support the above-mentioned legislation, which will permanently protect the Edgewood-Oak Brush Plain State Preserve from further development, according to Chapter 635 of the Laws of 1987, which created the preserve. This legislation will save open space in an area of Long Island that is severely overdeveloped and suffering from air, noise and light pollution. More importantly, this legislation will ensure the sustainability of Long Island’s supply of clean drinking water and will satisfy the requirements of the 1987 Sole Source Aquifer Act, which limits development within the Deep Flow Recharge Area.

The Edgewood-Oak Brush Plain State Preserve is part of the State Nature and Historic Preserve (Sec 4, Article XIV of the State Constitution) and is the largest parcel of open space west of Brookhaven and the second largest remnant of pitch-pine scrub oak habitat in New York State. It is an irreplaceable and fragile ecosystem that is home to a wide variety of migratory birds and other wildlife. The preserve and adjacent lands provide prime nesting for plant and animal species that are on New York State’s Endangered, Threatened, and Special Concern lists. Furthermore, the preserve and adjacent lands are part of a Special Groundwater Protection Area, a major source of drinking water for both Nassau and Suffolk counties.

I applaud Senators Johnson, Trunzo and Flanagan and Assemblymen Ramos, Raia and Engelbright for their vision and leadership in introducing this important legislation. I hope I can count on your support to advance A09870 through the Assembly’s legislative process and, ultimately, its enactment into law.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Name:

Address:

Cc: Friends of the Edgewood Preserve, P.O. Box 162, Deer Park, NY 11729