WolfeNotes.com

NY Times Banner After Tonight’s Debate

Sanders campaign aides said that about 27,000 people attended Wednesday night’s rally in Washington Square Park. Credit Benjamin Norman for The New York Times (4/14/16)

Bernie Sanders, in New York, Presses Fight Against ‘Status Quo’ 

“What this campaign is profoundly about is that real change never occurs from the top on down — it’s from the bottom up,” Mr. Sanders said.

Incredible photo, no?

Has the feel of the barricades and the beauty and aspiration of urban life and a meaningful politics.

NSA Communication Surveillance Facility 22001 Loudoun County Parkway, Ashburn, VA

I regularly run the Google analytics function to see who’s reading and where they’re reading from.

This morning I got quite a surprise.

Google analytics documented that I had 100 hits at 3 am this morning from Ashburn Virginia. Over 100 posts were accessed for an average time of just 3 seconds.

The high volume of hits, time of day, Virginia location, and average time on page were unprecedented.

Well, obviously that piqued my curiosity and – – – surprise surprise!

Look what I found located in Ashburn Va: this monster NSA Communication Surveillance Facility

Coincidence?

Verizon Business Opens Government Network Operations and Security Center

September 20, 2006

ASHBURN, Va. — Verizon Business today opened its new Government Network Operations and Security Center (GNOSC), a state-of-the-art facility dedicated to supporting the unique security and operational requirements of its federal government customers. The center, located in Northern Virginia in 30,000 square feet of space built to government security standards, will support the managed network services Verizon Business provides to nearly every federal government agency from the civilian, intelligence and defense communities.

Early next year, the GSA is expected to award the replacement contract to FTS2001 agreement – dubbed Networx. The multimillion-dollar center, constructed under an accelerated build-out schedule, is the first major network facility the company has opened since Verizon and MCI combined in January 2006. In addition to the network monitoring and security center, the area also includes an emergency command center, briefing center, program-management office and support office space.

http://www.washingtontechnology.com/print/22_16/31353-1.html

https://cryptome.org/eyeball/verizon-spy2/verizon-spy2.htm

We don’t think so.

Wonder if it was the “forensic autopsy – rigged regulatory regime” that got their attention as radical.

Or maybe the recent emails with Chris Hedges.

Despite Media Reports, Serious Threats Remain Unaddressed

[Intro Note: Record Reporter Scott Fallon could have written an Obit about all the “good works” of PRC.  But he didn’t do that – instead he chose to print a lie: that there’s no more work to be done.

I am not willing to let that lie stand. ~~~  end intro]

The Bergen Record reported yesterday that the Pequannock River Coalition had called it quits – declared “Mission Accomplished!” -and was closing up shop:

Executive Director Ross Kushner announced the end of the organization in its April newsletter. He said the group had “worked its way out of a job” by accomplishing most, if not all, of its goals for a river that meanders through Passaic, Morris and Sussex counties. …

…. “There’s just not enough happening right now to keep an organization going.”

Not enough happening? Are you kidding me?

Not since George Bush declared “Mission Accomplished” in Iraq has a more misleading statement been uttered.

Lest readers be deluded, let me list just a few big things that are “happening right now” that continue to threaten the Pequannock watershed.

1. Logging by NJ Audubon in Newark Watershed

NJ Audubon conducts commercial logging in Newark Watershed lands. (see one example). For the entire NJA program, see this audit document).

NJ Audubon conducted that in “partnership” with one of the most notorious “rampantly corrupt” institutions in NJ’s history, the Newark Watershed Conservation and Development Corporation:

NWCDC is partnering with New Jersey Audubon to pursue Forest Stewardship Council certification of its proposed stewardship plans and management in the watershed. FSC certification is a voluntary, market-based tool that supports responsible forest management worldwide.

According to the Wall Street Journal:

A state comptroller’s report last year blasted the watershed corporation for an “egregious abuse of public funds” and criticized it for operating with little oversight from the city, then run by Mayor Cory Booker, now New Jersey’s junior U.S. senator.

Are we supposed to take it on faith that this “rampant corruption” had no impact on NJA logging “partnership” with NWCDC ?

Ross Kushner, Executive Director of the now defunct Pequannock River Coalition, may not have raised this concern publicly, but he raised strong objections to NJ Audubon’s logging project in the watershed.

Here is what Ross wrote:

We have two concerns: First, the wild trout of the Pequannock River and its tributaries are one of the most important and sensitive wildlife resources in the area covered by this plan. Yet, we find no mention of these fishery resources in the plan. This should be amended. The status of riparian forests is directly related to the health of these fish and other coldwater species, especially within the Pequannock system, where water temperature and flow problems are commonplace. Second, the passage of Hurricane Sandy had an immense impact on the forest cover in this area. We urge NJAS to review these changes in relation to the plan and adjust it accordingly. (emphasis mine)

(see NJA’s lame reply, including to my criticism).

I have no idea why Mr. Kushner seems to have pulled his punches and not raised this issue publicly.

[Update: I stand informed – my friend Scott Olson advises that Kushner supported logging on Sparta Mountain back in 2012, before anyone even knew it was happening, see:

• River coalition sees logging bill as crucial to the life of certain species ~~~ end update].

Highlands advocates are battling NJ Audubon logging plans in three forests: Sparta Mountain, Weldon Brook, and Mahlon Dickerson.

For some reason, the Newark watershed logging has stayed under the public radar.

Logging is occurring despite designation as a “State priority watershed” under the DEP’s 2007 Stewardship spatial analysis:

 It’s A Family Affair

A “Family Stewardship Forest” by the Lee Brothers

Just glancing at the DEP’s Statewide Forest Resource Assessment (2010). Came across the following text that recalled photo’s of a recent day in the Pines:

the NJ Forest Service, NJ State Tree Nursery, NJ Forest Fire Service Research and Development, NJ Fish and Wildlife, NJ State Park Service, and the Conserve Wildlife Foundation of NJ have coordinated in order to restore Atlantic white-cedar to former stands of this species that had been impacted adversely by a variety of factors over the last two centuries as mentioned in Mylecraine and Zimmerman 2003. The cooperative cedar restoration projects facilitated improvement of eastern timber rattlesnake basking areas, which were confirmed as being used by the snakes after project completion as well as habitat improvement for a number of other T&E plants and animals. (p.17)

Is this restoration? Find the Basking Areas

Is this a new riparian zone, wetlands, & water quality BMP?

DEP’s Forest Assessment also highlighted the reasons for decline of white-cedar forests:

Atlantic white-cedar population has steady declined from its historical average of about 115,000 acres to an area of approximately 32,000 acres (Widmann 2005). Lack of proper management, loss of wetland habitat, theft and illegal harvesting, wildfire, deer browsing, salt water intrusion, beaver, and conversion to agriculture have contributed to its steady decline. (p. 18)

Loss of wetland habitat?

outstanding sign, no?

Conversion to agriculture? That’s a man made cranberry bog in the background, not a wetlands

Partners in crime

This project utilizes the State’s multi-disciplinary staffing resources in conjunction with the non-profit conservation group’s (NJ Audubon Society, NJ Conservation Foundation) staff. With the continued collaboration between state agencies and stakeholders the WAP will continue to provide direction for the conservation of State’s wildlife species of greatest conservation need.

Pinelands forests and wetlands converted to cranberry bog