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Basha Kill Area Association a plus for Mamakating
By Paula Medley
Times Herald-Record
December 18, 2005

Charlie Penna's "My View," "Is town realizing promised benefits of the Basha Kill?" (Nov. 10), as well as his later post-election comments, serve as a catalyst for a long-overdue response to the innuendos, accusations and falsehoods about the Basha Kill Wildlife Management Area and Basha Kill Area Association that have been blatantly promoted by the supervisor throughout his tenure.

Notably, since its inception, the Basha Kill WMA's primary aim has been habitat protection along with sanctioning recreational pursuits that coincide with this purpose. The wetland was never intended to be a major tourist attraction like Cape May nor to be the engine driving Mamakating's economy.

Nevertheless, many visitors are annually drawn to this ecosystem, particularly birders who are influenced by the Basha Kill WMA's prominence as a state Audubon-designated Very Important Bird Area. Consequently, the BKAA strives to meet this interest and to convey other aspects of the WMA's multifaceted dynamics to participants in highly popular educational walks and in other venues like the well-attended Eagle Watch program, where we partner with the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and the Eagle Institute.

Obviously, the Basha Kill's reputation and appeal far exceed the narrow constraints of municipal boundaries. Why is it surprising, then, that numerous supporters of the BKAA's mission, which underscores resource conservation, reside outside Mamakating or even in other states such as Pennsylvania or New Jersey, which are nearby? It is absurd for Penna to imply that there is a furtive motive in our organization accepting financial assistance from an "out of town" populace when innumerable Basha Kill aficionados are from "out of town."

Penna further undermines his arguments and enhances their preposterous nature by suggesting that the BKAA utilizes its money in secretive ways. Funds certainly are not dispensed to board members, since the BKAA is managed solely by volunteers. Actually, a percentage of the group's budget produced a brochure touting the WMA's distinctive qualities, which undoubtedly prompted increased usage and generated a concomitant "ripple effect" positively impacting local businesses.

A field guide scheduled for release next year will likewise be a potent public relations modality. Our group also conducts water testing, sponsors young people to the DeBruce Environmental Camp, provides a scholarship at Sullivan County Community College, and filed a lawsuit against the town Planning Board for failing to take a "hard look" at the environmental impacts of the proposed mushroom plant on the community. All these activities and more are rooted in our mission statement. To insinuate that the BKAA "may be neglecting the Basha Kill itself" cannot be farther from the truth.

Another issue Penna raised is the Basha Kill WMA's contribution to the local tax base. Because of a 1995 amendment of the Real Property Tax Law, DEC Basha Kill properties in Mamakating are subject to taxation for all purposes. According to the Sullivan County Treasurer's Office, the state paid approximately $19,000 in town, county and special district taxes on its Basha Kill lands in January.

Finally, though the BKAA fully accepts accountability for our positions relating to Yukiguni Maitake, Wurtsboro Airport, casinos and Steep Slopes, we strenuously object to being branded the scapegoat for actions that have not involved us simply because of our environmental agenda.

"Environmentalist" is a dirty word only to those who believe that terms like clean air, unpolluted streams and open space also have negative connotations.

Paula Medley of Westbrookville is president of the Basha Kill Area Association.

www.recordonline.com/archive/2005/12/18/opinion-18views-12-18.html