Closing Westchester's Nature Centers: Will the Backlash Succeed?
Federated Conservationists of Westchester County emailed an action alert today, asking Westchester residents to call their county legislators and tell them to restore funding for the six nature centers that County Executive Rob Astorino wants to shut down:
Dear FCWC Members and Friends,
As you may be aware, Westchester County's proposed 2012 budget includes 210 layoffs and further cuts across many departments. A large percentage of these layoffs and cuts have come from the Conservation Division of the Department of Parks, Recreation and Conservation, including the defunding of all six (6) nature centers and the wildlife biology monitoring program. This Division is tasked with protecting the natural resources of County parkland, and these layoffs further erode environmental programs that have already been reduced.
In the past when such cuts have been proposed, FCWC and its members have acted aggressively against them, as they undermine the importance of the environmental aspects of County government and Westchester County as a whole. That time has come again. We urge you to reach out to your local legislators through emails, phone calls, and letters, and to attend one of the public budget hearings to let your concerns with these proceedings be known. Further information on the budget hearings, and a directory of legislators can be found here.
And someone else -- probably Friends of Trailside but I'm not sure -- has started an online petition to keep it open. I read about it in Patch, here.
Dear FCWC Members and Friends,
As you may be aware, Westchester County's proposed 2012 budget includes 210 layoffs and further cuts across many departments. A large percentage of these layoffs and cuts have come from the Conservation Division of the Department of Parks, Recreation and Conservation, including the defunding of all six (6) nature centers and the wildlife biology monitoring program. This Division is tasked with protecting the natural resources of County parkland, and these layoffs further erode environmental programs that have already been reduced.
In the past when such cuts have been proposed, FCWC and its members have acted aggressively against them, as they undermine the importance of the environmental aspects of County government and Westchester County as a whole. That time has come again. We urge you to reach out to your local legislators through emails, phone calls, and letters, and to attend one of the public budget hearings to let your concerns with these proceedings be known. Further information on the budget hearings, and a directory of legislators can be found here.
And someone else -- probably Friends of Trailside but I'm not sure -- has started an online petition to keep it open. I read about it in Patch, here.
Labels: Westchester nature centers
posted by Tom Andersen at 5:12 PM
3 Comments:
The Hudson River Audubon Society is also mobilizing to save Westchester's Nature Centers, thank you for spreading the word!
I'm glad to hear it. Please keep me informed!
It's always heartwarming to read about people caring about the environment:-)
Post a Comment
<< Home