Letter to Dept of Environmental Conservation

Sent to Commissioner, Asst Commissioner for Natural Resources, District Commissioner, my State Assemblyman (Al Stirpe) and my State Senator (John DeFrancisco).

Dear Sir,

I am writing to you today to express my serious concern about the recent elimination of bridges in the Clay Marsh recreation area. I recently spoke with Gary Pratt, the wildlife biologist for the northern wildlife areas. I understand that the deterioration of the bridges has created liability concerns, and I understand that maintaining the bridges is not financially viable. What I don’t understand is how the DEC arrived at the conclusion that Clay Marsh is not utilized by the public. Mr. Pratt informed me that removing the bridges would have no impact because “no one” uses the area. That is patently and demonstrably untrue. I use the area almost daily to walk my dog and I see other people year around - walking their dogs, skiing, hunting, etc. I also see ample evidence of other use, including fire pits, beer bottles, and used condoms.

I respect the department’s need to make a judgment call about public use, but I’m troubled by the method utilized to come to this conclusion. I never saw any official personnel in the park assessing usage. I never heard of any public hearing on the topic of usage. I never received any correspondence regarding usage. I never even saw a sign informing the public that the bridges would be removed and not replaced.

As a concerned citizen who took the time to inquire about public space, I was taken aback to be blithely informed by a public official that “no one” uses the area. I’m not “no one” - I’m a voter and a tax payer. As such, I am not out of line requesting a more thorough explanation.