Environment DEC
From the April 2009 issue
New Guide Helps Hudson River Valley Communities Conserve Natural Areas
The river otter and its habitat are part of the natural diversity that needs to be protected.
Communities in the Hudson Valley looking for help in protecting natural resources can now tap into a new handbook, Conserving Natural Areas and Wildlife in Your Community: Smart Growth Strategies for Protecting the Biological Diversity of New York's Hudson River Valley, recently released by DEC. The guidebook provides a roadmap for municipalities to use their local powers to protect valuable natural resources. It includes "How They Did It" profiles of numerous Hudson Valley communities that already have consulted successfully with DEC to protect their natural areas, wildlife habitat and water bodies.
A Conservation "How to" Book
Healthy forests and woodland pools are important natural areas that some Hudson River communities are mapping."
"Up and down the Hudson Valley, communities are recognizing the importance of fostering green and healthy communities, and the vital role planning plays in achieving local goals," said DEC Commissioner Pete Grannis. "DEC is here to help. This new handbook provides practical guidance to communities on key topics such as conservation, mapping, public participation and education, and inter-municipal approaches to land use. We hope it serves as a 'how to' book for municipalities working to conserve the Hudson Valley's natural heritage.
Eight years ago, through the Hudson River Estuary Program, the DEC began helping Hudson Valley communities take local action to protect their important natural areas and wildlife. Since then, more than 80 towns, villages and cities in the Hudson Valley have mapped habitats, taken training, or adopted plans and local laws. The new handbook provides these examples to assist others who are looking for models. Some examples:
- Coxsackie, a rural town in Greene County, adopted standards for planning board applicants to identify and conserve natural areas as part of the update of its new comprehensive plan and zoning. The town's action supplements conservation by Greene County, where the county Industrial Development Authority (IDA), Soil and Water Conservation District, and the Greene Land Trust has protected more than 400 acres of open habitat for the state-listed northern harrier and short-eared owl. The conservation work was funded by the IDA through development of the Kalkberg and Greene business parks.
- Philipstown, a riverfront town in the Hudson Highlands with large, healthy forests, was one of the first communities to work with the DEC Estuary Program in 2001. Since then, town representatives have received technical assistance and a grant from DEC and have trained on land use and natural area mapping. In 2006, the town adopted a comprehensive plan including a detailed section on natural areas that recognized their importance for clean water and scenic beauty. In early 2009, the town board adopted a Natural Resources Plan and Open Space Index. The plan identified Philipstown's most important habitat and lays the groundwork for protecting those resources for future generations.
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In Hyde Park, a rapidly developing suburban community in the Mid-Hudson Valley, town volunteers completed 10 months of training in October, and produced a 3,000-acre map of natural areas. With the map data and additional information provided by DEC, the town is attempting to create Critical Environmental Areas (CEAs). The town recently updated their zoning and is drafting a local wetlands law.
The handbook also addresses conservation of natural areas in the more developed towns and cities of the lower Hudson Valley.
Download the Guide
The publication of the new guide implements the Hudson River Estuary Action Agenda goal: to conserve plants and animals of the Hudson River Valley by partnering with municipalities to create and enhance local programs to conserve high quality wildlife habitat. Visit DEC's Conserving Natural Areas and Wildlife in Your Community web page to download the book.
To learn more about biodiversity programs in the Hudson Valley, visit the Hudson River Estuary Program web page on DEC's website, or e-mail Karen Strong, Biodiversity Outreach Coordinator. You can speak to Karen by calling 518-402-8878.
