For Immediate Release: July 27, 2005
Backgrounder
CANAL CONNECTIONS TOUR
Launching a Community Outreach Initiative
On July 27, 2005, Carmella R. Mantello, Director of the New York State Canal
Corporation launched the Canal Connections Tour. Ms. Mantello will meet with
local officials, community and business leaders, and other canalway
organizations along the Canal System seeking input on Governor George E.
Pataki’s proposal for the Erie Canal Greenway and the Empire State Greenway, as
well as evaluate certain duties assigned to the Canal Corporation.
Gathering Community Input
Throughout the summer and fall, the Tour will make more than 10 stops at various
locations throughout the Canal System. At each location, a meeting will be held
with local officials, business leaders and community groups to gather ideas and
suggestions on how to best develop the Canal waterfront locally. Ms. Mantello
will also tour local attractions during her visits.
An email address has been set up so community members can submit their input,
ideas and concerns regarding the Erie Canal Greenway. Comments should be sent
to:
eriegreenwayfeedback@canals.state.ny.us.
Building an Interagency Task Force
As director of the Canal Corporation and under direction from Governor Pataki,
Ms. Mantello has already established the New York State Canal Corporation
Interagency Task Force. In addition to establishing the Erie Canal Greenway, and
ultimately the Empire State Greenway, the Task Force will evaluate certain
duties of the Canal Corporation.
The Canal Connections Tour is one component of the Task Force’s extensive outreach effort to gather input and ideas from Federal, State and local agencies, as well as from Canal interest groups.
The Task Force is comprised of the: New York State Thruway Authority; New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation; Empire State Development Corporation; New York State Office of General Services; New York State Department of Transportation; New York State Department of Environmental Conservation; New York State Department of State; and the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor, a program of the National Park Service.
Growing a Greenway
Through the Eire Canal Greenway, the Canal Corporation and Task Force seek to
incorporate a regional approach to land-use planning, tourism, recreational
trail development and other local initiatives.
Information collected on the Tour will be used in developing recommendations for creating the new Greenways. The Task Force will submit recommendations to Governor Pataki, who will use them in drafting legislation to establish the Erie Canal Greenway next year.
The Canal Corporation’s long-term goal is to link the Erie Canal Greenway with the Niagara and Hudson River Greenways, forming the Empire State Greenway. Stretching from Niagara Falls to Albany and south to New York City, the Empire State Greenway will comprise one of the largest Greenways in the nation.
The New York State Canal System is comprised of four historic waterways, the Erie, the Champlain, the Oswego and the Cayuga-Seneca Canals. Spanning 524 miles across New York State, the waterway links the Hudson River, Lake Champlain, Lake Ontario, the Finger Lakes and the Niagara River with communities rich in history and culture.
For more information about tourism attractions along the New York State Canal System, please call 1-800-4CANAL4 or visit www.canals.state.ny.us.
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