In April, their petition was denied, in part because it was deemed premature - the NPS has not yet made an official decision regarding the path. An official environmental assessment on the project, a collaboration between the NPS and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is due to be released this summer. The objective of the environmental assessment is to see how the path will impact wildlife, Avrin noted. If environmentalists can live with NPS s preferred alternative, the controversy could wind down. The proposal seemed acceptable to most of the organizations involved when it was discussed at a meeting in February, said Friends of Gateway Representative Schlossberg.
Conservationists still have serious concerns about construction of the path.
I m hopeful that the process of public hearings will lead to further modifications in the project to address environmental concerns. All Rights Reserved. Inc. All Rights Reserved.