DEC Announces New Hudson Valley Natural Resource Mapper

Online Tool Supports Conservation Efforts to Benefit Communities in Hudson River Estuary Watershed

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos today announced the release of the Hudson Valley Natural Resource Mapper, a new online, interactive tool to help identify important natural features, water resources, and recreation areas in the Hudson River estuary watershed. The mapper will help land-use decision-makers identify and conserve priority lands and waters that benefit people and contribute to the health of the estuary.

"DEC's new Natural Resource Mapper highlights the Hudson Valley's outstanding natural assets and is a tool that will help residents plan for the future of their communities," said Commissioner Seggos. "With improved access to information, communities can identify priorities and strategies to foster conservation of the environment at the local level. The mapper can also be used to locate Hudson River fishing and boating access sites and other recreation areas across the region."
The Natural Resource Mapper was developed by the New York State Information Technology Services GIS Unit and the DEC Hudson River Estuary program in partnership with Cornell University.

The Natural Resource Mapper compiles more than 30 geographic data sets for the 10-county Hudson River Estuary watershed in a user-friendly, interactive, online mapping tool. Data themes include the estuary, streams and watersheds, wetlands, forests, biodiversity, and recreation resources. Users can zoom in to an area of interest and turn on individual layers to create custom, printable maps, as well as query data layers for additional information. The tool is intended for general information and planning purposes, and complements technical assistance available to municipalities and watershed groups from Hudson River Estuary Program staff.

DEC is hosting a webinar for stakeholders to learn more about the online tool on July 18, 2018, from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. DEC will provide a tutorial on how to navigate the mapper and will share examples of how the tools can be used in local conservation, land-use, and watershed planning. To register for this webinar, go to

https://meetny.webex.com/meetny/onstage/g.php?MTID=eee181e8f67849a40b240ee7fc3f23600.

The webinar will be recorded and posted to the DEC Hudson Valley Natural Resource Mapper webpage.

Since 2001, the DEC Hudson River Estuary Program has partnered with Cornell University to provide tools, training, funding, and technical assistance to help watershed communities incorporate natural resources into land-use planning and decision-making. To learn more about the Natural Resource Mapper, visit DEC's Hudson Valley Natural Resource Mapper page. Learn more about NYSDEC's Hudson River Estuary Conservation and Land Use Program.

http://www.dec.ny.gov/press/press.html