The Journal-Register in New York reports that concerns over a quarry near the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge played a role in the election of a member to the Shelby Town Board.

From The Journal-Register:

The Shelby Town Board has been handling a controversial proposal that would result in the creation of a stone quarry on land near the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge along Route 63. Some residents are concerned about the effects a quarry would have on wildlife and water quality in the area…

“That, in my opinion, is what decided the election,” said Wendi Pencille, president of the group Citizens for Shelby Preservation. She suggested that the voters elected Steve Seitz Jr. — ousting incumbent Paul Gray — because Seitz said, if elected, he would represent the people who have spoken out through a public survey, which shows that many residents are not in favor of the quarry…

“I think that had a lot to do with it,” Seitz said, regarding the quarry proposal. “The numbers really came out to show that.

The Journal-Register reports that in June 2008, the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) returned the first Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) to the developer because the DEC needed more detailed information than the DEIS provided. The developer is currently working on a revised DEIS, and if it’s approved, the town will still have a chance to decide if it wants to rezone the land from agricultural residential zoning to industrial.

Iroquois NWR is located in the rural towns of Alabama and Shelby mid-way between Rochester and Buffalo, and has been described as one of the best kept secrets of Western New York. The refuge covers 10,828 acres, which includes part of the ancient Oak Orchard Swamp, and attracts 268 species of birds and 42 species of mammals. The refuge was designated an Important Bird Area by the National Audubon Society.

Tags:
National Wildlife Refuge System, Iroquois NWR, New York