Drawing the winners at a New York BHA Pint Night. Photo by Kevin Koehler

After an extremely busy winter, BHA-NY has set its sights on events and activities for the Spring and Summer months. Oh yeah, and some turkey hunting and a whole lot of fishing mixed in too!

First off, BHA-NY joined the conservation community in celebrating the public lands package, S.47, going through Congress and being signed into law by the president. This was a huge victory for the American People and our beloved wild places, and we are proud of our members for all their hard work, commitment, and advocacy. We’d also like to thank our BHA-NY members, in particular, for contacting their state representatives to ensure full and dedicated funding for our state’s Environmental Protection Fund, New York’s version of the LWCF.

On April 10, several BHA-NY members attended a hearing to discuss the proposed Dragon Springs development which has caused some concerns about potential adverse impacts to the Basher Kill, Neversink River, and the surrounding areas. The Basher Kill and Neversink River are important ecosystems that support a variety of wildlife and recreational opportunities. We will continue to monitor and report on the situation.

On April 11, we held an awesome pint night at Wolff’s Biergarten in Syracuse NY. We had a blast, and it was great to connect with so many passionate public land advocates. The food and beer wasn’t too shabby either. Big thanks to BHA-NY board member Glen Stratton and Co-Chair Garrett Burback for organizing the event.

Under the direction of Policy Committee member John Barone, BHA-NY expressed our support for a prohibition on hydraulic fracturing in the Delaware River Basin to the Delaware River Basin Commision (DRBC). Our letter also stated opposition to the possibility of allowing a large volume of extraction/withdrawals, and importing of hydraulic fracturing wastewater into the Basin. Both activities could put the viability of an entire ecosystem and productive fishery at risk. Thank you John for your hard work and expertise on the issue. We will keep you updated as the DRBC considers public comments.

On May 15, we held an awesome pint night in the Capital Region at the Rensselaerville/Helderberg Brewery & Kuhar Family Farm. Big thanks to all who came out and to our hardworking board members and volunteers who made it happen. Expect to see more pint nights, cleanups, backyard BBQ’s and other events throughout the summer.

This year’s Chapter Rendezvous will be on Saturday, July 13 at West Kill Brewing in West Kill, NY. West Kill Brewing has been a big supporter of and advocate for BHA-NY and we are pumped to hold our Rendezvous at their awesome venue in the Catskills. There will be plenty of great food, drinks, raffle, prizes, and activities. Come for the day, or you can find lodging at the nearby Spruceton Inn, or camp onsite with the BHA-NY crew. Stay tuned for more details in the next few weeks, and put the date in your calendar now.

A BHA trail clean up event will be held at Letchworth State Park on June 15th at 9AM. We will be cleaning up the trail and performing trail maintenance on loop number 15. This is in the hunting-allowed section of the park that is regulated based on a permit system. Come help clean up a section of our NY public lands! Keep an eye out on social media and our next chapter newsletter for how to get involved.

To stay up to date with BHA-NY, connect with us via Facebook, Instagram, and through our email blasts. Please reach out to us if you have any questions or would like to get involved @ [email protected]

By: Cosmo Genova