Two bills have been introduced in the New York State Legislature for a vote – calling for community gardens to be designated as Critical Environmental Areas. Both bills have the same wording and purpose which read in part as follows:
Requires the community gardens task force [of the New York State Department of Agriculture & Markets] to conduct an assessment of all community gardens located on publicly owned land in the state to facilitate each garden’s designation as a critical environmental area.
A Critical Environmental Area (CEA) is a geographic area with exceptional or unique character with respect to one or more of the following:
a benefit or threat to human health;
a natural setting such as fish and wildlife habitat, forest and vegetation, open space, and areas of important aesthetic or scenic quality;
agricultural, social, cultural, historic, archeological, recreational, or educational values; or
an inherent ecological, geological, or hydrological sensitivity that may be adversely affected by any change.
On Monday, the State Senate passed CEA Bill S629A.
Now Assembly Bill A4139A is before the members of the State Assembly’s Ways and Means Committee.
Assembly Bill A4139A calls for a regulatory Process by which community gardens can be officially designated as CEAs.
When passed this will raise the “environmental impact review process” bar in order to help preserve & protect community gardens as CEAs.
Both bills have the same wording and purpose which read in part as follows:
Requires the community gardens task force [of the New York State Department of Agriculture & Markets] to conduct an assessment of all community gardens located on publicly owned land in the state to facilitate each garden’s designation as a critical environmental area.
The State Senate bill was sponsored by State Senator Leroy Comrie. He represents the 14th Senatorial District of Queens
The State Assembly bill (A4139A) is sponsored by State Assemblymember Donna A. Lupardo and co-sponsored by State Assemblymember Steven B. Raga.
Assemblymember Lupardo is the Chair of the Agriculture Committee She represents the 123rd Assembly District, which includes Binghamton, Vestal, and Union, the villages of Johnson City, and Endicott
Please visit by email, phone or in person, the members of the Assembly Ways and Means Committee, including the Committee Chair, Helene E. Weinstein, in order to communicate yoursupport for the Critical Environmental Areas Designation of community gardens along
Albany Office:
Legislative Office Building, Room 612, Albany, NY 12247,
PROTECT COMMUNITY GARDENS
Contact members of the Ways and Means Committee and tell them why you support this effort to protect the gardens and why the New York State Assembly Ways and Means Committee should vote in favor of the bill. The members of the Ways and Means Committee can be found HERE
SPRING AWAKENING kicks off with our parade led by BATALA, through the Streets beginning at 11am at El Sol Brillante, 522 E. 12th St between Aves A & B, walking east to Avenue C, south on Avenue C to E. 7th St, west on 7th to Tompkins Square Park, meandering through the Park and ending at Avenue B and 9th St.
Avenue B & 8TH ST
1 PM FREE Pony rides, WITH CHARLIE AND NUGGET
PLEASE sign the pony ride waiver to saddle up
Toy Makers workshop
BRING Your old and broken toys and make them into new. Sonny & Sara reinvent timeless characters and cherished heroes into new, one-of-a-kind friends and legends. You are invited to get creative and build your own creations out of up-cycled toys!
2pm Hawk Nest Tour with NYC Park Rangers Rob and Grant, meet at 8th St & Ave B
In the GARDENS
DeColores, 313 E.8th St btwn Aves B & C
2pm Poetry
with Eileen DOSTER and friends
Music
3pm Victor & Carmine and friends
4pm “FAITH” with Felice Rosser
5pm Kid Java
6B GARDEN, the corner of Avenue B & 6th St
1 pm Let’s make Art!!
Outside on garden fence Art around the Garden, we provide canvas
La Plaza Cultural, the corner of Avenue C & 9th St
At La Plaza Cultural de Armando Perez Community Garden 9th Street & Ave C (southwest corner), East Village [map below] laplazacultural.com
PUMPKIN SMASH 2022
Sunday, November 6, 2022, 12 pm – 3 pm [rain or shine]
“Join LES Ecology Center at La Plaza Cultural for Pumpkin Smash 2022 on Sunday, November 6th. Bring your pumpkins, jack-o-lanterns, and gourds for a smashing good time!”
At La Plaza Cultural de Armando Perez Community Garden 9th Street & Ave C (southwest corner), East Village [map below] laplazacultural.com
Free Medicinal Herb Class
Sunday, October 30, 2022, 12–1:30 pm
As per our recent conversations in the garden ancient cultures and plant wisdom, we’re going to do something a little different on Sunday. We will send ourselves on a Plant Journey, where we pick a plant to meditate near and ask for it to speak with us. I think this will be a nice departure from the academic approach we usually take, and also the time of year is right! The veil is very thin during Samhain! That said, this will not be a pagan ritual, but more of an exploration of the energy plants can give to us as green beings.
