Catskill

ARKVILLE - Coalition of Watershed Towns (CWT) executive board members came to a consensus regarding the clearing of mature forests in relation to solar projects proposed on city-owned land during a meeting Monday, Nov. 18, among other business.

Negotiations on conservation easements, given by the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, are continuing and stakeholders are in “99% agreement,” Attorney Jeff Baker said. “But there is one issue I’d like your feedback on.”

DEP is considering the use of city-owned land for smaller scale, community-based solar projects, Baker said, which will be subject to local land use regulations.

The pushback against solar development on city-owned land comes from environmental groups concerned about the number of trees cleared for solar projects, proximity to water courses, and other restrictions, Baker said. “We’ve pushed back against many of those,” he continued, but the final point of contention is whether there should be restrictions for the amount of mature forests that can be cleared for solar projects when a majority of watershed towns either have or are considering local laws on solar development.

If restrictions are desired, Baker said stakeholders have proposed two acres of tree clearing per project, not per project parcel, which will be subject to town review, or up to five acres after receiving approval from the DEC. Five acres of tree clearing would be the “absolute cap,” Baker said; any clearing beyond five acres would require a full amendment to the conservation easement.