News

By: Thomas A. Shepardson, Esq.Shot clocks are intended to spur action on the part of opposing entities.  For example, the National Basketball Association has the 24-second shot clock, and college basketball opted for a shot clock following the University of North Carolina’s four-corners “offense”.  Even in chess, players must stop the clock after they make a move. The Federal Communications Commission took this to heart and applied the shot clock concept to approval [...]

Whiteman Osterman & Hanna partner Robert A. Stout Jr. has been named to the Board of Directors of Opera Saratoga, a regional opera company of international renown.  Opera Saratoga produces an annual summer festival on the grounds of Saratoga Spa State Park featuring classical works, as well as contemporary and American operas, along with premier productions.  Opera Saratoga is active year round, including by producing its Opera-to-Go program, bringing live performances to over 50 [...]

            Wild river areas in the Adirondack Park Forest Preserve like the one encompassing the breathtaking Hudson River Gorge are entitled to special protection under the New York Constitution’s Forever Wild clause and the Wild, Scenic and Recreational Rivers System Act. When the State acquires new land in the Park and designates it as a wild river area, it is required to eliminate any prior nonconforming uses of the land and prohibit all motor vehicle [...]

In November 2018, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) determined that their proposed changes to the Division of Environmental Permits Policy DEP-00-2 - Assessing and Mitigating Visual Impacts will not have a significant adverse impact.  NYSDEC determined to accept comments on proposed changes through December 28, 2018. The Program Policy revises its 19-year old policy and provides improved guidance to staff when evaluating visual and aesthetic impacts. The [...]

A Water of the United States (or WOTUS) is a stream or wetlands, among other occasionally “wet” natural features that will subject the development of your property to federal and State scrutiny by a veritable alphabet soup of agencies. These include but are not limited to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) of the Department of the Interior, the NYS Department of Environmental [...]