Hudson RiverNet
News from the Hudson River Estuary Program

In This Issue

• New Climate Smart Communities Videos on DEC YouTube
• Women in Science Webinar: Restoring Oyster Reefs in New York Harbor
• Critical Environmental Areas: Join the Webinar March 23 

Develop A Climate Resilience Vision 

Waterfront communities on the tidal Hudson face rising sea-levels and flood-risk for important infrastructure, homes, and businesses. While it may seem daunting to plan for, or even imagine a future that adapts to these climate threats, history teaches that big change is possible. Watch two short videos on the history and future of the Hudson. The videos promote a key Climate Smart Communities step in developing a climate adaptation plan: Create a community-developed climate adaptation and resilience vision. The videos are available with both English and Spanish subtitles.

History of the Hudson: Hope for the Future

Take a look back to when pollution was prevalent along the Hudson River and see the life-changing impact of environmental cleanups and improvements to public access by DEC and other leading organizations. With climate change, waterfront communities now think about what the future could look like, while adapting to the reality of sea-level rise. This film is dedicated to the Lenape, Mohican, and Wappinger peoples of the Hudson Valley. Watch the video.

Future of the Hudson: Develop A Climate Resilience Vision

Creating a community-led Climate Resilience Vision is a key step in adapting to climate change. Everyone, including low-income and communities of color, must be meaningfully represented in a vision for the future and the process for creating it. See how communities along the Hudson are envisioning the future in the face of the climate crisis and how New York’s Climate Smart Communities certification program can help. Watch the video.

The Climate Resilience videos are designed to show communities how they can adapt to climate change while prioritizing ecological and social resiliency. Watch other videos in the series on DEC's website, Climate-Adapted Communities in the Hudson River Estuary. 

The Billion Oyster Project: Join the Women in Science Webinar March 10 

Join Ann Fraioli as she shares her journey to her job as education director at the Billion Oyster Project in New York City. Ann will discuss how the Billion Oyster Project (BOP) is working to restore oyster reefs to New York Harbor through public education and collaboration with New York communities. Learn how oyster reefs can help protect the city from storm damage, contribute to cleaner water, and why BOP is working so hard to bring them back to New York Harbor. Ann will showcase recent work and talk about how you can get involved in the project.

Ann Fraioli is the Director of Education at Billion Oyster Project. She has an M. Ed. from Teachers College at Columbia University. Ann was a founding teacher of New York Harbor School, a public career and technical education (CTE) high school on Governors Island, where she taught a field-science class to freshmen for 10 years before joining BOP. She now develops curriculum and trains teachers from throughout the five boroughs. Ann is a tall ship sailor, a Coast Guard licensed captain, and a mother of two. The webinar takes place Wednesday, March 10, 3 - 4 p.m. Register now.

Critical Environmental Areas Webinar March 23

New York communities may designate geographic areas with exceptional or unique environmental characteristics as Critical Environmental Areas (CEAs) under State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR) regulations. Once a CEA is formally established, lead agencies in environmental reviews must consider potential impacts of proposed development on the special qualities of the CEA, bringing attention to important local features that might otherwise be overlooked. Hudson Valley communities have designated CEAs to recognize important aquifers and drinking water reservoirs, stream corridors and watersheds, significant habitats, wetland complexes, ridgelines, parks and preserves, and scenic areas.

This webinar will provide an overview of what CEAs are, what kinds of places might merit CEA designation, how they are used in land-use planning and decision-making, and how to establish them. Guest speakers from the towns of Bedford and Hyde Park will share their experiences with CEA establishment and application in project reviews. The webinar takes place Tuesday, March 23, 1:00 - 2:15 p.m. Register now. Webinar attendees will receive an email confirming attendance, which may be submitted locally for 1.25 hours of municipal planning or zoning board credit. Learn more about the Conservation and Land Use Webinar Series.

(Photo by Laura Heady)