The Empire State Open tennis tournament is to be held at Hempstead Lake State Park May 7-15, during the peak of spring migration. Temporary bleachers and other structures will be installed for an anticipated 60,000 spectators. According to State Parks Commissioner Rose Harvey, the tournament will have "minimal environmental impact to the park and any disruptions will be mitigated."
This is questionable. The construction, noise, and traffic of the tournament will disrupt crucial habitat for the migrants and, as access to the park during this period may be restricted, may hinder birders' access to observation sites as well. Please write Governor Cuomo to protest this disruption of a necessary staging and nesting area for many sensitive species, and urge him to relocate the tournament: The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo Governor of New York State NYS State Capitol Building Albany, NY 12224 In addition, the South Shore Audubon Society is asking birders to photograph the site before and during construction, and during and after the tournament, in order to document any damage to the park. Photos may be sent to ssas...@optonline.net Thank you for your help. Brien Weiner -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
