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About UsOUR HISTORY Adirondack Communities Advisory League (ACAL) was incorporated as a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization on August 12, 1993. Consisting of an eleven member board of directors, committee chairpersons, and members, ACAL was formed to preserve and protect the environment in the Northern Oneida and Southern Lewis County Region of the Tug Hill Plateau. ACAL's work encompasses research, writing letters and articles, fund raising events, media campaigns, public forums, peaceful protests, and litigation to ensure the water, land, air, and wildlife in the the rural townships of Ava, Boonville, Lewis, and Leyden are not being threatened or in danger of becoming polluted. In 1993, ACAL began meeting on a weekly basis to protect the environment from the Oneida-Herkimer Solid Waste Authority (OHSWA), a New York State Public Authority, that sited a mega landfill in one of the wettest areas in New York State, where annual rain and snowfall far exceeds most other regions of the state. Despite ACAL's persistent and dedicated 13-year effort, including extensive litigation, it was unable to stop the construction of the politically motivated and controversial 1,039-acre landfill, which, unfortunately, opened on October 24, 2006. ACAL has since restructured and begun to focus its efforts on creating partnerships with other environmental organizations to protect natural resources throughout the state and region, with a primarly focus on the Tug Hill region, which is at risk for uncontrolled economic growth and overuse of natural resources. ACAL is a proud to be a member of Freshwater Future, Great Lakes United and the Northern Forest Alliance. OUR PURPOSE (from the ACAL By-Laws) The purpose or purposes for which Adirondack Communities Advisory League is organized are as follows: a) to conserve and protect the indigenous wildlife, both plant and animal, in the Townships of Ava, Boonville, Lewis and Leyden, New York; to preserve the scenic and historic localities in that region; to foster the maintenance of an ecological balance in that region; to preserve and maintain pure clean air and water and discourage pollution in all forms; to encourage general community participation in all activities that may result in the conservation and enhancement of aesthetics and scenic values in that region; b) to disseminate information promoting conservation practices; to maintain and make available to the public materials on conservation and allied subjects; to stimulate, encourage and educate the public on the use of conservation practices in that region; c) to conduct research and cooperate with competent authorities to investigate and report on environment, natural resources and conservation problems in the Townships of Ava, Boonville, Lewis, and Leyden and to disseminate the research findings; d) to be assistance to other organizations, individuals, and groups who are concerned with the welfare and benefits of that region; e) to solicit, receive, administer and disburse gifts and grants of money and property of every kind exclusively for tax exempt charitable, scientific or testing for public safety purposes as set forth in Section 512(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 as it now exists and as hereafter amended; f) without any political aims or affirmations, to conduct factual studies of conditions in and affecting that region; to promote regional planning, research, and development and to sponsor plans and projects for the conservation and beautification of that region. OUR MISSION, OUR VISION It is the mission of ACAL to keep the Tug Hill region forever safe from any authority, organization, company, or individual who seeks to destroy its lands, waters, wildlife, and memorials for any reason. ACAL wishes to provide future generations the opportunity to experience rural New York State as it is and was meant to be: forever wild. ACAL envisions the creation of a Veterans' Memorial Park surrounding the original 798 acres of the existing Memorial Forest. The Veterans' Memorial Park will be a New York State landmark for all veterans and their families, and for guests to enjoy the beauty of the Adirondack Mountain foothills. The Veterans' Memorial Park will include a paved visitor's tour road and bike path, hiking and cross-country ski trails, monuments, gardens, picnic areas, pavilions, and a Veterans' Chapel. The park will include forever wild/restricted areas where wetlands, water sources and wildlife can be protected, viewed and respected from a distance. It is the vision of ACAL, by example, to create a precedent for other communities to follow throughout the United States of America, to ensure our lands, waters, wildlife, and memorials are forever held in the highest esteem for generations to come. ACAL LONG-TERM GOALS 1. ACAL will work to achieve permanent environmental protection for the critical natural resources and wildlife habitat located in the Tug Hill Region of New York State. 6. ACAL will work toward obtaining state and/or federal protection for the Black River. ACAL BOARD OF DIRECTORS Ian Klingbail, Chairman - Director of Environmental Legislation Kathy Mathis - Fund Raising Committee
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