HEMLOCK —Tuesday night, New Yorkers for Property Rights hosted a public meeting in hopes of educating local residents on government mandated sustainability initiatives, specifically, Governor Cuomo’s Finger Lakes Regional Sustainability Plan and the UN’s Agenda 21.
Presenters Tim Altier and Sue Englert expressed concern that Agenda 21, a UN sustainability initiative drafted in 1992, is being implemented at a regional level through Cuomo’s plan. The Finger Lakes Regional Sustainability Plan involves several points intended to move towards a more sustainable region: promoting and protecting local farmland, revitalization of cities, villages, and rural towns, improvement of water quality, and a decrease in waste generation, among other things. However, Altier warned attendees that these optimistic goals may also come with repercussions.
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“Some of Cuomo’s goals seem more dubious than anything,” said Altier.”Part of the sustainability plan involves restrictions on development to preserve open space, restrictions likely to infringe on local zoning and private property rights.”
This infringement on property rights is just one of many speculated repercussions of what Altier terms “regionalism.” Regionalism involves the grouping together of smaller municipalities to address larger scale needs. Altier fears that government implemented regionalism will disregard local interests in favor of the larger area, and fail to meet the needs of individual property owners.
Altier and Englert urged attendees to educate themselves and other community members, specifically local officials, on how Cuomo’s plan will affect them.
“Attending town board meetings and local planning sessions is a great way to start getting involved,” said Altier. “Contact your state representatives to request answers and action; it’s important to make the public voice heard.”
Between 25 to 30 private citizens attended the meeting.
For more information please visit, http://sustainable-fingerlakes.org.