The Planning Commission for the five-county Erie Canal Heritage Corridor has set a schedule for community sessions through December 31. "With the significant data we have collected from focus groups, on-site observations and interviews and community meetings, the Planning Commission now has a solid base of information, which has not been available, to move forward with drafting a meaningful management plan for the region," stated William Condo, coordinator of the group.

Sessions have been scheduled to develop recommendations for critical components of the Heritage Corridor Management Plan.

Agendas and dates for these sessions are:

•Collaborative Visitor Marketing, November 15, Fairport Village Partnership, Fairport

•Economic Opportunities Roundtables, November 16, First Niagara Bank, Lockport

•Interpretation/Education Roundtable, December 6, Buffalo and Niagara Historical Society

•Quarterly Planning Commission Meeting, December 13, Orleans County (location to be announced)

In addition, the Planning Commission, with support from The Landmark Society of Western New York, has initiated a historic and cultural resources inventory. The villages of Clyde (Wayne County), Spencerport (Monroe County), Holley (Orleans County), Middleport (Niagara County) and Buffalo's First Ward will be surveyed to determine sites that have been listed on the State Register of Historic Places, the National Register of Historic Places, and those sites that should be, but are not presently, listed on those registers.

The Western Erie Canal Heritage Corridor Planning Commission was created by New York State Legislation in 1999 and is charged with developing a management plan for the five-county region based on education about local and regional heritage, economic revitalization, preservation of historic and natural resources, and recreational use of these resources.

The Planning Commission has 18 members appointed from each of the five counties, and four ex-officio members representing New York state agencies.

The management plan is to be completed by July 2003.