Photo by Sarah Howard. Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge. Alabama, NY.
It’s time to ReThink STAMP.
The original conception of the site - an industrial mega-site, employing 9,000 workers in advanced manufacturing jobs - will never come to be. This concept was never appropriate for the location: surrounded by public lands of tremendous ecological value, bordering the Tonawanda Seneca Nation’s Reservation Territory, and situated in a rural, agricultural area incompatible with large-scale industrial development.
Moreover, STAMP as originally conceived never addressed the needs of surrounding communities. The Tonawanda Seneca Nation has long opposed it. Local residents have expressed serious concerns about the project since it was first proposed, and visitors drawn to Genesee County by its outstanding natural landscapes and abundant recreational opportunities likewise reject industrialization here.
As GCEDC’s plans for an industrial mega-site fade, new visions are emerging of what the land comprising the STAMP site could be. How can local residents and the Tonawanda Seneca Nation preserve what is theirs, protect the environment, and begin to look forward together to a future for the site that honors their needs and values?
Ideas for that future at STAMP are plentiful and diverse, inspired by examples of projects that have come about in the afterlife of failed development projects elsewhere, reflecting local needs and priorities, informed by the current uses and on-the-ground conditions of the site - including soil types, past and present habitat types, and local flora and fauna.
Much of the site is currently farmed, and could continue to be. Portions of the site are already protected from development by state environmental law or mitigation agreements. Could more of the site be protected? How can the site support sustainable, appropriate economic development that is harmonious with the local character and protects the treaty protected rights of the Tonawanda Seneca Nation to free use and enjoyment of its Territory?
Ideas for the future of STAMP could include:
The original conception of the site - an industrial mega-site, employing 9,000 workers in advanced manufacturing jobs - will never come to be. This concept was never appropriate for the location: surrounded by public lands of tremendous ecological value, bordering the Tonawanda Seneca Nation’s Reservation Territory, and situated in a rural, agricultural area incompatible with large-scale industrial development.
Moreover, STAMP as originally conceived never addressed the needs of surrounding communities. The Tonawanda Seneca Nation has long opposed it. Local residents have expressed serious concerns about the project since it was first proposed, and visitors drawn to Genesee County by its outstanding natural landscapes and abundant recreational opportunities likewise reject industrialization here.
As GCEDC’s plans for an industrial mega-site fade, new visions are emerging of what the land comprising the STAMP site could be. How can local residents and the Tonawanda Seneca Nation preserve what is theirs, protect the environment, and begin to look forward together to a future for the site that honors their needs and values?
Ideas for that future at STAMP are plentiful and diverse, inspired by examples of projects that have come about in the afterlife of failed development projects elsewhere, reflecting local needs and priorities, informed by the current uses and on-the-ground conditions of the site - including soil types, past and present habitat types, and local flora and fauna.
Much of the site is currently farmed, and could continue to be. Portions of the site are already protected from development by state environmental law or mitigation agreements. Could more of the site be protected? How can the site support sustainable, appropriate economic development that is harmonious with the local character and protects the treaty protected rights of the Tonawanda Seneca Nation to free use and enjoyment of its Territory?
Ideas for the future of STAMP could include:
- Native plant demonstration garden and plant/tree nursery
- Wetlands restoration demonstration area
- Dark sky park
- Agriculture
- Community center with cross-cultural programming
- Visitor center that shares the natural and cultural history of the GLOW Region
- Avian wildlife rehabilitation center
- Ecological restoration job training center
- Environmentally-focused youth center
- Inclusive playground area
- Health and wellness facilities
- Agricultural training programs and farming demonstration areas
