NYCTU Fundraising
Goals: The Fund-Raising Committee will be responsible for identifying potential funding sources and implementing appropriate fund raising activities, such as the annual appeal, grant applications and other fund raising activities.
Current Members: John Field (Chair), Michael Parks, Matt Pallai, Alan Cross
(download Fundraising Action Plan
)
CATSKILL FLOODING AND NYCTU APPEAL
By Wayne Tusa, Conservation Chair
On June 27th and 28th of 2006, approximately nine inches of rain fell in the Catskill region. The resulting runoff, exacerbated by nine inches of rain earlier that month, resulted in extremely high stream flows in most of the local rivers and tributaries. In some streams, flow rates reportedly approached the estimated flows for a one in five hundred year storm event. For example, the maximum recorded flow rates in the Beaverkill were approximately 62,000 cubic feet per second (CFS), as compared to average monthly flow rates in June of 200 CFS. Similarly, the maximum flow rates in the West and East Branches of the Delaware were reportedly 40,000 and 78,000 CFS, as compared to average monthly flow rates of 400 and 500 CFS, respectively.
As a consequence, massive flooding occurred throughout the Catskills region. This resulted in the unfortunate loss of three lives and substantive damage to homes, businesses, local government facilities and public infrastructure. More specifically:
- Most of the downtowns of the local villages situated on the banks of the Willowemoc, Beaverkill, and the East and West Branches of the Delaware were flooded with up to several feet of stormwater.
- Thousands of homes were substantively damaged or totally destroyed.
- Numerous businesses were physically damaged and/or suffered substantive revenue loss. Hundreds of local farms suffered severe damage, including crop losses, erosion and loss of top soil.
- Many local government facilities were severely damaged. A few examples include the Deposit and Callicoon sewage treatment plants, the Roscoe post office and library, the Callicoon Youth Center and 135 school buses in Hancock.
- Public infrastructure throughout Sullivan and Delaware Counties was severely damaged. Local bridges, roadways and stormwater management systems were damaged at hundreds of locations. Many roads were closed for up to two weeks and bridge repair work is still in process. The estimated repair costs in some local towns are an order of magnitude or greater than their respective annual budgets for infrastructure maintenance.
Many damaged facilities were particularly well known to fishermen, including the Antrim Lodge, Roscoe Motel, West Branch Angler, Delaware River Club and numerous other campgrounds, motels and sporting good stores. In addition, substantive damage was done to a large number of stream conservation related facilities, such as stream edge buffers, cattle control devices and public assess sites. To view a slide show of some of the flood damage, please see www.co.delaware.ny.us/flood2006.htm.
Fortunately, a broad array of public and private resources began to mobilize to provide support to individuals, businesses and local government entities soon after the flooding occurred. (See www.mofo.com/about/NYFlood.pdf for a resource summary). However, most of these resources focus on physically repairing damage caused by the flooding - rather than minimizing the impacts of future flood events. In the past, the resources provided in response to flooding have been sometimes used in ways, such as extensive streambed dredging and channeling, which often exacerbate the effects of future flood events.
To address this issue, Trout Unlimited, with financial support from The Nature Conservancy, TGF, New York State Council TU, Delaware River Foundation, NYCDEP and several TU chapters, has engaged a highly qualified fluvial geomorphic consultant (Integrative River Solutions) to provide free science based technical advice to local counties, towns and landowners on natural stream dynamics and implementing more effective approaches to mitigating flood damage. The response to date from the program participants has been very positive - with many expressing their interest in additional site specific consulting, training and long range planning. In response, TU is planning several workshops for this coming spring and summer.
NYCTU has enthusiastically committed to supporting the above program. To that end, NYCTU has committed to match dollar-for-dollar all donations we receive from our members from this Appeal up to $1,000. Please forward your checks made out to New York City Trout Unlimited (with a notation referring to the Catskills flooding) to our Treasurer: Michael Parks, 815 Bloomfield Street, Apt. 1, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5009. Should you prefer instead to donate to our general operating funds, please note the same on your check.
If you would also like to donate to one or more of the other Catskills related charities, several possibilities are as follows:
· The Salvation Army, “Flood Relief NY”, 127 Washington Street, Binghamton, NY 13901
· The American Red Cross, “Flood Relief NY”, 620 East Main Street, Endicott, NY 13760
· The Livingston Manor Community Center, “Rockland Relief Fund”, PO Box 903, Livingston Manor, NY 12758
· Sullivan County Chamber of Commerce, “Flood Relief”, 59 North Main Street, Suite 300, Liberty, NY 12754
Finally, should you prefer to more actively participate, there will be a need for a substantive amount of on-stream physical work this coming spring. We will try to keep you posted. And thank you for your support!