'Conservationist of the Year' named by ADK Niagara Frontier Chapter

By David Kowalski ~ ADK-NFC Member.


At the Annual Meeting of the ADK Niagara Frontier Chapter, the Conservation Committee presented  Diana Strablow of the Sierra Club Niagara Group with the the Conservationist of the Year Award.

Diana Strablow (holding ADK award plaque in the photo) organized opposition of landowners and environmental groups against National Fuel’s proposed 97-mile Northern Access Pipeline. She also recruited the public to testify against the proposed pipeline at NYS DEC hearings and to submit written comments. The 24-inch diameter pipeline would have crossed private properties in Western New York as well as numerous wetlands and waterways in order to export fracked gas from Pennsylvania to Canada.

Strablow said "We asked Governor Cuomo and the DEC to do the right thing and deny the water quality certificate and air permits for this destructive project. Not only do we have a moral obligation to stop enabling fracking in Pennsylvania, we must protect our finite supply of fresh water."

After an in-depth review of the proposed Northern Access Pipeline project, and following three public hearings and the consideration of over 5,700 comments, NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation denied the permit due to the project’s failure to avoid adverse impacts to wetlands, streams, and fish and other wildlife habitat.