DIR Return Create A Forum - Home
---------------------------------------------------------
Erie Canal Neighbors Association
HTML https://ecna.createaforum.com
---------------------------------------------------------
*****************************************************
DIR Return to: NY State Agency Announcements & Updates
*****************************************************
#Post#: 1415--------------------------------------------------
Canal Corporation Releases Canal System Revitalization Act
Summary
DIR By: Doug K
Date: March 3, 2021, 7:38 am
---------------------------------------------------------
It appears that the NYS Canal Corporation (NYSCC) is ruffling a
few feathers with the release of their plans for a 21st Century
Canal System and working under their new Leadership from the New
York Power Authority (NYPA).
The new Revitalization Plan details many aspects of how the
Canal Corporation will operate, but also better aligns the NYS
Canal System with goals from both the State level as well as the
Erie Canal National Heritage Corridor group, who also is charged
with Canal Corridor Oversight.
Here's a few excerpts from the first page of the Canal
Revitalization Act Summary
[attachimg=1]
HTML https://www.canals.ny.gov/news/pressrel/2021/CANAL_REVITALIZATION_ACT_SUMMARY.pdf.
Now this change seems to be causing the issues with some local
leaders, and other groups like Boat US, whose membership uses
the Canal System for "looper" route.
The issue with some is the underlined sentence about "phasing
out the Canal Recreationalway Commission (CRC).
Those who do not like this plan are creating a rhetoric that
says New Yorkers are "losing" a valuable ENTITY that helps steer
what gets done with the Canal System, and why. Those folks are
also citing that the CRC group hasn't met in the past 4 years as
they were supposed to, and that upsets them as well.
Sadly nothing of what these folks in opposition are insinuating,
could be further from the truth.
First, understand that "common sense" tells us that a group that
hasn't met in 4 years most likely is not adding any value to the
NYS Canal System. It might be a good idea to understand why
their help wasn't needed, before people start to say they are
necessary for the "survival" of the Canal System.
Some in the Rochester area have stated that the CRC is an
"existential" part of the Erie Canal, which is simply untrue.
Here's the Canal Corporation webpage on the Recreationalway
Commission
[attachimg=2]
HTML https://www.canals.ny.gov/news/crc/index.html
Plainly this webpage is stating that the work of this group,
having formed a plan 25 years ago, is now complete.
And the history of the CRC is not that great when you look at
some of the past Meeting Minutes posted on the NYS website, that
show that much of it's membership really doesn't make "policy"
changes, they are more about steering.
In fact, when faced with having to comply with State Regulations
regarding ethical conduct and transparency, members of the
Commission would rather resign, than have to face increased
scrutiny.
[attachimg=3]
So why wasn't this Commission needed, isn't that the REAL
question?
The answer to that is very simple, the CRC has been supplanted
by another commission, a strategy group that is operating at the
Federal Level, and also comes with FUNDING. It is called the
Erie Canal National Heritage Corridor (ECNHC) Commission and was
put in place by an act of US. Congress.
[attachimg=4]
This new oversight commission from the ECNHC has a website
dedicated to the Erie Canal, and also has a Preservation Plan,
as well as information on it's Leadership. You can read more
about those on the webpages below, which will show that the NEW
group has been very active and understands the issues and
challenges facing the Canal System today.
HTML https://eriecanalway.org/resources/preserve-plan
HTML https://eriecanalway.org/leadership
HTML https://ecna.createaforum.com/the-stop-the-clearcut-argument/pittsford-mayor-corby-tries-to-rally-facebook-group-with-more-fake-news/msg1413/?topicseen#msg1413
And digging a little deeper I also found the ECNHC Commission
Group Charter, which has aligned this newer commission with the
original CRC since it was formed in 2000. After all, the new
National Historical Commission is part of NATIONAL PARK SERVICE,
the same people that oversee Yosemite, Zion and other National
Treasures.
[attachimg=5]
HTML https://www.nps.gov/policy/operating/ErieCanal.pdf
So for those who are objecting to the new Canal System
Revitalization Act, because of claims that New Yorkers will
suffer, along with the Erie Canal National Heritage Corridor,
rest assured that the Erie Canal is being taken care of, has the
needed oversight, and nothing more is going on than an
elimination of "redundant" management.
Of course those same people may not like the change, any change
is hard and many people are reticent about "new things" being
adopted. But most likely these people won't want to see this
change for what it is, elimination of duplicated efforts, and
reduction of "micro-management".
After all, aren't these folks trying to micro-manage the
Legislation of our State Government by objecting to what will be
VOTED on and approved as part of this Revitalization Act by our
State Government?
Something to consider...
#Post#: 1418--------------------------------------------------
Re: Canal Corporation Releases Canal System Revitalization Act
Summary
DIR By: Doug K
Date: March 5, 2021, 9:41 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Read more about this Revitalization Act on our Main Website, we
have a few recent news stories linked there on this topic. One
from Albany, the other from Buffalo, and they are quite
different.
HTML https://ecna.us/reimagine-the-canals/nys-canal-revitalization-act-rebuilding-the-erie-canal-better-but-skeptics-emerge/
*****************************************************
Page 1 of 1