History of STAMP and Outreach with Tonawanda Seneca Nation

The Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) has been working for nearly 20 years on the development of the Western New York Science & Technology Advanced Manufacturing Park (STAMP) in the Town of Alabama, New York.

GCEDC has consulted with the Tonawanda Seneca Nation (the Nation) throughout the development of STAMP and continues to do so today in an effort to ensure that development at STAMP does not have adversely impact the nation. 

GCEDC is also committed to ensuring that the benefits of STAMP’s development (including high paying jobs, access to clean water, and many more) are shared with our neighbors, including the Nation.

Ongoing Consultation Efforts with the Nation:

The GCEDC’s outreach efforts to the Nation began early in the STAMP development process, dating back to the initial environmental review conducted by GCEDC.  While the Nation did not initially elect to participate directly in the environmental review process, GCEDC and the Nation worked collaboratively on topics such as infrastructure location, acquisition and surveying of properties neighboring the Nation, and meetings with prospective companies.

To demonstrate its commitment to outreach and collaboration with the Nation, the GCEDC has undertaken various efforts and made various proposals over the years to the Nation with the goal of ensuring protection of the Nation’s territory from development at STAMP and sharing the benefits of STAMP development to the Nation.  These ongoing outreach efforts include:

  • The GCEDC has worked with the Nation to establish a buffer between the Nation’s Territory and the STAMP Site ranging from 500’ to over 1,200’ feet in width and covering over 200 acres of land.
  • The GCEDC has offered to provide Nation residents with access to clean public water.  The development of STAMP has enabled the Town of Alabama to deploy water infrastructure throughout the Town, with lines available to the Nation at various roadways leading into the Nation’s territory.
  • The GCEDC has offered to provide all items collected during the archeological work for STAMP to the Nation and help the Nation build a museum for storage and display.  These items are currently stored by the University of Buffalo.
  • The GCEDC has offered to allot acreage on the STAMP Site for the construction for a Nation-owned and operated retail store on the STAMP Site.
  • The GCEDC has offered to assist in creating an interactive Seneca history trail in Genesee County.
  • The GCEDC has offered to fund workforce training programs for Nation citizens interested in careers at companies at STAMP or elsewhere in Genesee County. 
  • The GCEDC has prohibited hunting on the STAMP Site to avoid the risk of encroachment onto the Nation’s Territory.
  • The GCEDC has offered to assist the Nation with federal and state grant opportunities for the above items, among other opportunities.

History of GCEDC outreach with Tonawanda Seneca Nation

2010 – 2015:

  • Initial outreach is made to the Nation for review and comment on the Draft Scope, draft and final generic environmental impact statements (DGEIS and FGEIS).
  • Regular and frequent communications were made to the Nation requesting comments as well as periodic updates.
  • GCEDC formally commences permitting with various regulatory agencies, including NYS Historic Preservation Office, Department of Environmental Conservation, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
  • Various meetings between the GCEDC, the Nation, and the permitting organizations take place at the Nation’s Long House.
  • Various requests from the Nation are incorporated into STAMP development, including routing sewer service away from Nation lands, infrastructure extensions, and revisions to the master plan among others.
  • The GCEDC acquired parcels of land adjacent to the Nation’s territory and conducted surveys to confirm that the parcels adhered to the boundaries stated in the Treaty of Buffalo as requested by the Nation.  Nation representatives assisted surveyors in locating various monuments during the surveying process.
  • An underground fuel storage tank on an acquired property near the Nation’s territory and Whitney Creek was removed and remediated by the GCEDC after acquisition of the property.
  • The GCEDC, the Nation, and 1366 Technologies met to discuss a potential development at STAMP immediately adjacent to the Nation’s territory. The Nation concluded that meeting by welcoming 1366 Technologies to the neighborhood.

2016 – 2020:

From 2016 to 2020, GCEDC continued its efforts to permit the development of various infrastructure components of the STAMP Site.  GCEDC also modified its existing buffer to expand out to 400’ along the border of the Nation’s Territory at the Nation’s request. 

  • The GCEDC updates SEQR with changes requested by the Nation, including expanding the existing 100 ft. ‘no-build’ buffer to 400 ft.
  • At the Nation’s request, pretreated wastewater discharges are proposed to be routed away from the Tonawanda Creek to Oak Orchard Creek a significant distance away from Nation Territory in a different watershed than Tonawanda Creek.
  • The GCEDC agrees to fund a Nation archeological monitor as part of archeological field work being conducted at STAMP.
  • The GCEDC and the permitting agencies negotiate a Programmatic Agreement with the Nation to address the Nation’s concerns regarding their Territory’s status as a potential Traditional Cultural Property (TCP).  While the Nation declined to sign the Programmatic Agreement, GCEDC complies with the terms of the Programmatic Agreement for all onsite projects requiring federal permitting to avoid impacts to the Nation’s Territory.
  • Under the Programmatic Agreement, the Nation agreed to complete a formal assessment of the Nations territory as a Traditional Cultural Property.  Monthly progress meetings are recommended by the US Army Corps of Engineers as part of an anticipated 12-month TCP process.  The process began in 2016 and after 18 months of meetings there was no real progress made on the TCP study by the Nation.  The TCP study has not been completed to this day.

2021 to Present:

In 2021, GCEDC secured Plug Power as tenant at the STAMP Site.  Following an unsuccessful lawsuit by the Nation, GCEDC and the Nation agreed to changes to the process by which GCEDC reviews incoming projects as well as agreeing to significantly increase the buffer between the Nation’s Territory and STAMP development.

  • The GCEDC, NYSDEC and SHPO, in consultation with the Nation, negotiate a Letter of Resolution setting detailed procedures for cultural resource review for future developments on the STAMP site that require permitting from the NYSDEC.  While the Nation declined to sign the LOR, GCEDC complies with the terms of the LOR for all onsite projects requiring state (but not federal) permitting to avoid impacts to the Nation’s Territory.
  • As part of a 2021 settlement agreement, the GCEDC agreed to set aside 204 acres of open land and wooded areas adjacent to Nation Territory for additional buffer and will be preserved under a conservation easement that is being negotiated between the GCEDC and the Nation.
  • Since 2021, the GCEDC has provided weekly update emails to the Nation on STAMP’s permitting, projects, and other points of interest.
  • Monthly phone calls with the Nation have been held as well and the GCEDC has made numerous offers for the Nation to meet with potential companies and current companies who are located at the STAMP site to ask questions, raise any concerns and share the Nation’s perspective.  The GCEDC also extends offers to the Nation to meet with companies pursuing applications to locate at STAMP.
  • Prior to any company locating at STAMP, the GCEDC completes two separate environmental analyses.  The first is specific to the Tonawanda Seneca Nation (the Nation) and is designed to ensure that no development at STAMP will result in any adverse impacts to the Nation’s Territory.  That review process is overseen by either the United States Army Corps of Engineers or NYSDEC, as well as the NY State Historic Preservation Office.  The initial assessment document for each project is provided to the Nation for a 30-day review and comment period about the project as the start of the SEQR process.
  • In addition to the Nation-specific analysis, GCEDC completes a fulsome review of every project pursuant to the State Environmental Quality Review Act in coordination and consultation with dozens of local, state, and federal agencies, as well as the Nation. This review builds upon and goes above and beyond the original SEQR process that started in 2010.