Thank God the governor's office decided to scrap the nonsense rules for the Great Sacandaga Lake. However, the fight is not over, the Department of Environmental Conservation and Hudson River-Black River Regulatory District will continue to try to stuff rules down our throats, or maybe the Adirondack Park Agency will now get on board.
In response to Mr. Bruse's June 11 letter, I would first like to state I am not a permit holder, only a taxpayer. Many seem to think making the GSL open to everyone would be a great thing. Wrong. All of the towns around the lake would suffer greatly if that were to happen. If you're not allowed to mow or remove debris from your beach area, what do you think would happen to property values? It's sure not going to go up. Once property values around the lake start to plummet, who's going to suffer? The rest of the citizens of the surrounding towns. The tax burden would shift to us, the other taxpayers. Those of us in the Broadalbin-Perth School District already face a double-digit tax increase.
Businesses around the lake would not flourish, either, as Mr. Bruse assumes. The privately owned camping areas would have to close. If they can't maintain their beach areas, why would anyone want to go to them? To walk among washed-up brush and trees, not to mention the numerous broken bottles, beer cans and lost fishing line? I think not. If those people no longer came to the lake, that would be a tremendous loss of revenue to the campgrounds, grocery stores, restaurants and marinas. Towns are already talking of closing their beaches because they wouldn't be allowed to maintain them - another loss.
Of course, the state boat launches would become bumper to bumper waiting in line for access. And the state campsites would be full to capacity all summer because they would be the only "pretty" beaches on the lake.
I hope you can visualize the picture I've presented and not the lake areas you see now. It's not a pretty picture, sorry to say, Mr. Bruse. Therefore, as a non-permit holder, not everyone feels that just because we pay taxes we should have access to people's private permit areas that they all pay dearly for with the ever-changing permit fees.
MIRIAM YOUNG
Broadalbin