Dear STCNY/NJ friends and supporters,

We are writing to ask you to take a stand against non-essential helicopters this week by donating to Stop the Chop NY/NJ during our first-ever Matching Gift Challenge*.

Stop the Chop NY/NJ's all-volunteer Board of Directors has generously pledged to match donations this week. So every $1 you donate to end the scourge of tourist and commuter helicopters is transformed into $2 of action for a more peaceful community. Your gift of $25 becomes $50 dollars, $100 becomes $200, and $250 becomes $500 to end the non-essential helicopter traffic that is plaguing our region.
Donate here: https://stopthechopnynj.org/tax-deductible-donation/

Our efforts have resulted in bills being introduced at the Federal, City, and States levels that can significantly reduce helicopter traffic over the region. In 2023, we need to step up our efforts to ensure the public rallies behind several introduced bills in Congress and NYC Council, and that our collective voices are effectively heard. Please help us continue our momentum and achieve victories next year! 

2022 Accomplishments:

INTRODUCTION OF SECOND FEDERAL HELICOPTER BILL BY NY CONGRESS MEMBERS:

In May 2022, New York Congressmembers Carolyn Maloney, Jerry Nadler and Nydia Velazquez introduced their second federal helicopter bill: HR 7769 and we were invited to speak at the press conference located in front of the East 34th St. Heliport (along with NYC Councilmember Erik Bottcher, State Senator Brad Hoylman, NYC Councilmember Gale Brewer, NY Assemblymember Elect Tony Simone, Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, and NY Assemblymember Dick Gottfried). HR 7769 if signed into law would create a NY-NJ bi-state Commission, including helicopter impacted community groups, to "substantially reduce" nonessential helicopters in the NY metro region. Read more here: https://stopthechopnynj.org/legislation/ and watch the press conference on our YouTube channel (thanks to volunteer Kathryn for helping us with our new channel and stay tuned for more videos in 2023!)  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCw3ywkiULwdy72xROuc-arg

INTRODUCTION OF HELICOPTER BILLS & RESOLUTIONS BY NYC COUNCIL MEMBERS:
In June 2022, NYC Council Member Lincoln Restler, along with Council Members Gale Brewer, Carlina Rivera, Shahana Hanif, Crystal Hudson and several others as well as the Manhattan and Brooklyn Borough Presidents, introduced Int. 551 - 2022 and we were invited to speak at the press conference at City Hall. Currently Int. 551 has 24 cosponsors! We are optimistic that with just several more cosponsors Int 551 will get a City Council hearing in 2023. Int 551, if signed into law, would ban nonessential helicopters (commuter and sightseeing) from the two NYC-operated heliports (E. 34th Street and the Downtown Manhattan Heliport). Read more about Int 551 here: https://stopthechopnynj.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/L.-Restler-Heli-Press-Release-061622.pdf

Additionally, there were several other helicopter related bills and resolutions (three by Councilmember Gale Brewer and one by Councilmember Keith Powers) introduced at the NYC Council in 2022 and you can read more about them here: https://stopthechopnynj.org/local-legislation/ We thank these NYC Councilmembers and all the cosponsors of the above-listed bills and resolutions for their advocacy in 2022, and we look forward to hopefully seeing these bills passed in 2023!

NYC COUNCIL OVERSIGHT HEARING RE HELIPORTS AND EDC:
On November 29, 2022, NYC Councilmembers Amanda Farias and Shaun Abreu (Chairs of the EDC and State/Federal Legislation Committees, respectively) held an Oversight Hearing regarding the NYC Economic Development Corporation and the NYC heliports. Councilmembers grilled the two representatives from the EDC, and the public was able to testify in person or via Zoom.  Andy Rosenthal of Stop the Chop NY/NJ presented our testimony, and we were heartened to hear so many of you testify as well and to receive copies of your written testimony. To watch the full Hearing (and we highly recommend it), go to this link: https://legistar.council.nyc.gov/MeetingDetail.aspx?ID=1053123&GUID=87299E18-3E6C-4C11-8EA8-109DC3760838&Options=info%7C&Search and click video.

We thank Councilmembers Farias and Abreu for holding this Hearing, and we look forward to a Hearing on the above-listed city council bills hopefully in early 2023. 

NY STATE SENATOR BRAD HOYLMAN RELEASES REPORT ON TOURIST HELICOPTERS:

This December 2022, NY State Senator Brad Hoylman released a significant report on the impact of tourist helicopters on New Yorkers. We highly recommend you read it, as it confirms what we all have been saying for years - the problem is extensive. Read the Report here: https://www.nysenate.gov/sites/default/files/article/attachment/stop_the_chop_report.pdf

(We also urge other electeds to do a report on the impact of commuter/charter helicopters on our community as well!). This Hoylman Report was released after the State Legislature passed his and Assemblymember Dick Gottfried's "Stop the Chop" Act and before Governor Hochul vetoed the law due to federal preemption issues (the Stop the Chop Act on the Governor's desk would have created a novel noise nuisance cause of action for New Yorkers to sue non-NYC based sightseeing helicopter companies, but aviation noise generally falls under federal jurisdiction). We are heartened that Senator Hoylman plans to re-introduce legislation in 2023 to address the West 30th Street Heliport in the Hudson River Park and to hopefully finally remove it from there, and we thank him for his leadership on this issue!   
Read his Press Release: https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/brad-hoylman/statement-senator-hoylman-veto-stop-chop-act

WE JOINED FORCES WITH NJ'S FRIENDS OF LIBERTY STATE PARK TO OPPOSE NEW HELICOPTER SIGHTSEEING PLAN FOR NY HARBOR:

This November 2022, we joined forces with NJ's "Friends of Liberty State Park" to seek an extension of the mere 30 days the National Park Service and FAA gave the public to comment on their disastrous draft helicopter sightseeing planfor the NY Harbor and National Monuments (Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and 1/2 of Governors Island). Our NY Congressional delegation also sought an extension, and the final deadline to comment is now due by end of day this Friday, Dec. 30. Along with Sam Pesin at "Friends of Liberty State Park", we helped publicize this new draft plan and inspired thousands of public comments so far - the majority of them opposing the plan for the reasons we do: it would not reduce helicopter traffic; there is no cap on sightseeing helicopters; it would bring the sightseeing helicopters closer to land if not directly over lower Manhattan, waterfront Brooklyn, and Liberty State Park; the industry helped write the plan; there is no terrorism prevention plan; and more. To post your comment before the deadline, go here: https://parkplanning.nps.gov/projectHome.cfm?projectId=112479  
(If you need directions for their website and/or some talking points, email me at info@stopthechopnynj.org and I will re-send you our newsletter from Dec. 11).

PARTICIPATED IN THE QUIET AMERICAN SKIES LUNCH ZOOM SEMINAR:
In June 2022, Melissa represented Stop the Chop NY/NJ on the lunchtime seminar "Aviation Noise, Pollution & Health" hosted by Quiet Communities' "Quiet American Skies" Committee. It was a very informative seminar, and if you missed it live, please watch the video recording here: https://quietcommunities.org/lunchtime-conferences/quest-for-quiet-lunchtime-conference-series-aviation-noise/

STOP THE CHOP NY/NJ IN THE NEWS THROUGHOUT 2022:
This past year, we garnered much media attention to the helicopter problem in the NY metro area, including being profiled in international stories about our plight in British and French publications!  Board Member Eric was interviewed on 1010 WINS, and Melissa was interviewed on a local Russian TV network (you can watch on our YouTube channel.) There are too many articles to link all here, but please go to our "In the News" section of our website to read them: https://stopthechopnynj.org/in-the-news/

WE CONTINUED TO HOST & ORGANIZE FLYERING EVENTS THROUGHOUT NYC:

Thanks to all our fantastic volunteers for helping us flyer and table throughout NYC including Battery Park, Riverside Park, Central Park, and throughout Brooklyn! It helps us spread awareness about the helicopter problem and we are almost at 15,000 signatures on our Change.org Petition!

THANKS TO ALL OUR VOLUNTEERS:
Thanks as well to all our volunteers in 2022 who helped us with graphic design, marketing, tech support, fundraising, testifying at hearings, and more.
We appreciate you!  
If you haven't yet volunteered with us and are interested, send an email to me at info@stopthechopnynj.org 

To donate by check, please make payable to Stop the Chop NY/NJ, and mail to Stop the Chop NY/NJ c/o Andrew Rosenthal, 54 Riverside Drive, NY, NY 10024.
 
STC NY/NJ is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and your donation is tax deductible as allowable by law.
 
Thank you for your support and for being part of this important movement!
 
Melissa Elstein
Stop the Chop NY/NJ Board of Directors

* Donations made today through December 31, 2022 are eligible to be matched, up to $5,000.