Pursuant to Title 3, Article 49 of the Environmental Conservation Law, the Department of Environmental Conservation hereby gives public notice of the following:

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to Section 49-0305(9) of the Environmental Conservation Law, of the Department's intent to acquire a Conservation Easement from Adam Hochschild, et al., over certain lands located in the Town of Indian Lake, Hamilton County, New York.

For further information contact: Keith Matteson, Superintendent, Bureau of Real Property, Dept. of Environmental Conservation, 625 Broadway, 5th Fl., Albany, NY 12233-4256, (518) 402-9442

Pursuant to 42 CFR Section 447.205, the Department of Health hereby gives public notice of the following:

The Department of Health proposes to amend the Title XIX (Medicaid) State Plan for inpatient and non-institutional services to comply with enacted State statute. The following significant changes are proposed:

Inpatient Services

Effective December 1, 2011, the temporary rate adjustment for general hospital inpatient rates that the commissioner may grant to hospitals undergoing a merger, consolidation or acquisition will be modified and expanded to include a temporary rate adjustment for those general hospitals that are undergoing a closure, merger, consolidation, acquisition, or restructuring, and for those general hospitals that are impacted by the closure, merger, consolidation, acquisition or restructuring of other health care providers. The temporary rate adjustment will apply to inpatient services provided by hospitals certified under Article 28 of the Public Health Law. Hospitals must submit for approval a written proposal to the Commissioner, at least 60 days prior to the requested effective date of the adjustment, which demonstrates that one or more of the following will be achieved as a result of such additional financial resources:

• Protection or enhancement of access to care;

• Protection or enhancement of quality of care;

• Improvement in the cost effectiveness of the delivery of health care services; or

• Other protections or enhancements to the health care delivery system.

Proposals must also include a budget, details of the need for the adjustment, the purpose and benefits of receiving the adjustment, the timeframes for implementing actions supported by the adjustment, and the deliverables resulting from receipt of the adjustment. Any such adjustment issued will be in effect for a specified period of time, not to exceed three years, after which the hospital will be reimbursed in accordance with the statewide methodology set forth in the State Plan. The Commissioner may establish benchmarks and goals to be achieved, and the hospital must submit periodic reports demonstrating achievement of such. Failure to achieve such benchmarks and goals shall be a basis for ending the hospital's temporary rate adjustment prior to the end of the specified timeframe.

The estimated annual net aggregate change in gross Medicaid expenditures attributable to this change for state fiscal year 2011/2012 is $0.

Non-Institutional Services

Effective December 1, 2011, the commissioner may grant a temporary rate adjustment for certified home health agencies (CHHAs) that are undergoing a closure, merger, consolidation, acquisition, or restructuring, and for those CHHAs that are impacted by the closure, merger, consolidation, acquisition or restructuring of other health care providers. CHHAs must submit for approval a written proposal to the Commissioner, at least 60 days prior to the requested effective date of the adjustment, which demonstrates that one or more of the following will be achieved as a result of such additional financial resources:

• Protection or enhancement of access to care;

• Protection or enhancement of quality of care;

• Improvement in the cost effectiveness of the delivery of health care services; or

• Other protections or enhancements to the health care delivery system.

Proposals must also include a budget, details of the need for the adjustment, the purpose and benefits of receiving the adjustment, the timeframes for implementing actions supported by the adjustment, and the deliverables resulting from receipt of the adjustment. Any such adjustment issued will be in effect for a specified period of time, not to exceed three years, after which the CHHA will be reimbursed in accordance with the statewide methodology set forth in the State Plan. The Commissioner may establish benchmarks and goals to be achieved, and the CHHA must submit periodic reports demonstrating achievement of such. Failure to achieve such benchmarks and goals shall be a basis for ending the CHHA's temporary rate adjustment prior to the end of the specified timeframe.

The estimated annual net aggregate change in gross Medicaid expenditures attributable to this change for state fiscal year 2011/2012 is $0.

Copies of the proposed state plan amendment will be available for public review on the Department's website at: http://www.health.ny.gov/regulations/state_plans/status

In addition, copies will be on file in each local (county) social services district. For the New York City district, copies will be available at the following places:

New York County 250 Church Street New York, New York 10018

Queens County, Queens Center 3220 Northern Boulevard Long Island City, New York 11101

Kings County, Fulton Center 114 Willoughby Street Brooklyn, New York 11201

Bronx County, Tremont Center 1916 Monterey Avenue Bronx, New York 10457

Richmond County, Richmond Center 95 Central Avenue, St. George Staten Island, New York 10301

The public is invited to review and comment on this proposed state plan amendment. For further information or to submit a comment, please contact: Department of Health, Bureau of HCRA Operations & Financial Analysis, Corning Tower Bldg., Rm. 984, Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY 12237, (518) 474-1673, (518) 473-8825 (FAX), e-mail: [email protected]

The Commissioner of Taxation and Finance hereby sets the interest rates for the months of January, February, March, 2012 pursuant to sections 697(j) and 1096(e) of the Tax Law, as follows:

For purposes of section 697(j) the overpayment rate of interest is set at 2 percent per annum, and the underpayment rate of interest is set at 7-1/2 percent per annum. For purposes of section 1096(e), the overpayment rate of interest is set at 2 percent per annum, and the underpayment rate of interest is set at 7.5 percent per annum. (The underpayment rates set pursuant to sections 697(j) and 1096(e) may not be less than 7-1/2 percent per annum.) Pursuant to section 1145(a)(1) of the Tax Law, the underpayment rate for State and local sales and use taxes administered by the Commissioner of Taxation and Finance is 14-1/2 percent per annum. The underpayment rate for the special assessments on hazardous waste imposed by section 27-0923 of the Environmental Conservation Law is 15 percent.

For the interest rates applicable to overpayments (refunds) and underpayments (late payments and assessments) of the following taxes administered by the Commissioner of Taxation and Finance for the period January 1, 2012 through March 31, 2012, see the table below:

1/1/12 - 3/31/12

Interest Rate Per

Annum

Compounded Daily

* The Tax Law requires the interest rate on sales tax assessments or late payments to be set at 14-1/2% for this quarter. However, if the Commissioner determines that the failure to pay or the delay in payment is due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect, the Commissioner may impose interest at the corporation tax late payment and assessment rate. That rate is 7.5% for this quarter.

** There are a number of state and local governmental bodies that have interest rates tied to the overpayment and underpayment rates contained in either section 697(j) (Income Tax) or section 1096(e) (Corporation Tax) of the Tax Law. For purposes of section 697(j) and section 1096(e) of the Tax Law, the overpayment rate for this period is 2%. For purposes of section 697(j) of the Tax Law, the underpayment rate for this period is 7.5%. For purposes of section 1096(e) of the Tax Law, the underpayment rate for this period is also 7.5%.

For further information contact: John W. Bartlett, Taxpayer Guidance Division, Department of Taxation and Finance, W. A. Harriman Campus, Albany, NY 12227, (518) 457-2554

For rates for previous periods, visit the Department of Taxation and Finance website: www.tax.ny.gov/taxnews/int_curr.htm

Pursuant to Section 9-0505 of the Environmental Conservation Law, the Department of Environmental Conservation hereby gives Public Notice of the following:

Sealed bids for red pine - 209.0 MBF more or less, white pine - 0.4 MBF more or less, white ash - 1.6 MBF more or less, black cherry - 0.5 MBF more or less, red maple - 0.3 MBF more or less, hard maple - 0.07 MBF more or less, pine pulp - 583.0 cords more or less, firewood - 88.0 cords more or less, located on Jefferson Reforestation Area No. 7, Goulds Corners State Forest, Stands A-2 and A-3, will be accepted at the Department of Environmental Conservation, Contract Unit, 625 Broadway, 10th Fl., Albany, NY 12233-5027 until 11:00 a.m., Thursday, Dec. 1, 2011.

For further information, contact: Edwin Sykes, Senior Forester, Department of Environmental Conservation, Division of Lands and Forests, Region 6, 7327 State Rte. 812, Lowville, NY 13367, (315) 376-3521