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Recent EFC Events
Green
Design & Energy Issues for Planning & Zoning Officials
November 30, 2009, Suffern, NY (Rockland County)
Co-sponsored by the Environmental Finance Center, Rockland
Municipal Planning Federation (RMPF), and Hudson Valley Regional Council, the event featured six speakers, addressing fifty attendees, most of
whom were Rockland Planning Board members. All board members received three
hours of continuing education credits to be applied to their yearly requirement
of four hours.
Extremely knowledgeable and professional speakers touched on a wide array of
issues surrounding the subject of green design principles. Speakers included:
Chuck Frankel, President of RMPF,
introduced the seminar, praising the audience for their interest in green
principles, as it is the way of the future. Simon Gruber, a consultant to the Hudson
Valley Regional Council, described the LEED Rating System, and introduced
NYS legislation now pending that would require municipalities to offer tax
credits for citizens that invest in eco-friendly upgrades and renovations
in their homes or businesses. Gordon Wren, Rockland County Director of
Fire & Emergency Services, discussed the less-talked about aspect of
green: green infrastructure and the potential hazards it presents to
emergency response personnel. Ed Gray of Rockland BOCES showed a video
clip of the BOCES "Smart House," constructed by students, and powered
100%+ by solar and biomass energy. William Makofske, Professor Emeritus at
Ramapo College, described renewable energy options, and the need to shoot
for "below Energy Star" when seeking energy efficiency. Tony Lisanti of the Building Performance
Contractors Association of NYS, described the importance of air
circulation systems in a weatherized home. Barbara Kendall, of the NYS DEC Hudson River
Estuary Program, and a former planner herself, summed up the evening with
ways to mimic natural systems when designing green infrastructure, such as
stormwater management techniques and smart development siting.
GREEN
2010: Education & Workforce Development for the 21st Century
Economy
December 4, 2009, Millbrook NYThis event featured speakers from all angles
of the sustainability and green movement including those involved with workforce
development and job creation, those involved in the media and communications
side of framing the green debate, those growing local food and sustaining
agricultural tradition and business in the Hudson Valley, professionals on
building energy efficiency and funding for energy audits and retrofits, and
more. The speakers came from farming, academic, municipal, managerial,
corporate, and non-profit backgrounds, to name a few, and offered a wide
perspective on the challenges and opportunities associated with educating and
employing a "green" workforce in the 21st century. This event was
co-sponsored by the Hudson Valley Regional Council, Environmental Finance
Center, and the US Green Building Council Upstate Chapter.
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Upcoming EFC Events
Convening NYS Stakeholder on Agriculture and Water Quality
February 18, 2010
This
event will bring together farmers, technical service providers, agency
and funding representatives to discuss agricultural best management
practices, supporting the agricultural sector and building sustainable
partnerships.
Check our website soon for event location, details and registration information.
Technical Assistance Partnership Forum
February 25, 2010
Syracuse, NY
This program will include a tour of the new Syracuse Center of Excellence building and its green innovations. The program will also include funding and policy updates from the USDA RD, NYSDOS and NYS EFC. New NYS EFC President Matt Driscoll invited to attend.
Check our website for program updates and registration details.
The Right to WaterMarch 29-30, 2010
Syracuse, NYThe EFC is proud to co-sponsor The "Right to Water" conference, an interdisciplinary and
international conference to elucidate strategic possibilities for
ensuring equitable access to water worldwide. This event will explore
how universal calls for the right to water articulate with local
historical and geographical contexts. The event will engage an
interdisciplinary network of scholars and practitioners and highlight
key debates via keynote lectures and papers presented by leading
figures from the academic, policy and activist communities.Please contact Dr. Farhana Sultana, with any queries at waterconference@syr.edu or visit the conference website for more information, submission deadlines and registration.
Smart Management for Small Communities:
Practical Resources for Governance
April 20-22, 2010
Blue Mountain LakeContinuing in the EFC tradition, our annual conference at Minnowbrook Conference Center in Blue Mountain Lake in the Adirondacks will be focused on the needs of municipal leaders and will provide technical assistance, funding updates and practical skill-building sessions. Register soon on our website. _________________________________________
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Information SessionsEnergy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant:
Energy Project Implementation Funding
Sponsored by NYSERDA
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) will soon issue the Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) Program which will provide funding for small municipalities to implement energy efficiency, renewable energy, efficient transportation systems, material conservation, and energy management personnel projects. To apply for this program, municipalities will need an energy study/audit upon which to base their application. It is strongly recommended that municipalities prepare for application by locating an existing energy study/audit or conducting an energy study/audit as soon as possible. It can take several weeks for a study/audit to be completed.
For municipalities who pay the Systems Benefit Charge (SBC), there are NYSERDA programs that may be used to assist with obtaining an energy study/audit. The SBC charge is paid by electric distribution customers of Central Hudson, Con Edison, NYSEG, National Grid, Orange and Rockland, and Rochester Gas and Electric. Information on the following programs is available on NYSERDA's website
Energy Audit ProgramFor facilities with less than $75,000 in annual electric bills, this program can identify effective cost-saving measures for buildings and facilities.
Flex Tech Program Applicants can select from a list of NYSERDA's pre-qualified contractors to perform an energy study. NYSERDA will provide a 50/50 cost share up to $500,000.
Technical Assistance Program Applicants can select their own contractor to perform an energy study. NYSERDA will provide a 50/50 cost share up to $500,000 on selected studies over five years.
Municipalities who do not pay the SBC charge will need to contact their electric distribution provider for information on available assistance programs. NYSERDA's clearinghouse website has links to New York Power Authority (NYPA) and Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) programs which may benefit local government.
The following workshops are also being held for technical assistance and questions about community eligibility for the program. No registration is necessary and all assistance is free. Contact Amy Santos at 518-253-1347 or by email at SantosA@pirnie.com- Albany Jan. 6 1:00 PM CDTC, One Park Place, Suite 102, Albany 12205
- Bellport Jan. 8 10:00 AM Bellport Community Center, 4 Bell St., Bellport 11713
- Binghamton Jan. 6 11:00 AM Town of Chenango Town Hall, Community Room, 1529 NYS Rt. 12, Binghamton 13901
- Buffalo Jan. 8 12:00 PM Malcolm Pirnie, 50 Fountain Plaza, Suite 600, Buffalo 14202
- Canton Jan. 7 10:00 AM Human Services Center Conference Room, 80 State Hwy 310, Canton 13617
- Elizabethtown Jan. 11 1:00 PM Essex County Board of Supervisors Meeting Room, 7551 Court St., Elizabethtown 12932
- Farmingdale Jan. 8 1:00 PM Molloy Suffolk Center, 7180 Republic Airport, Farmingdale 11735
- New Paltz Jan. 8 1:30 PM New Paltz Community Center, 3 Veteran Drive, New Paltz 12561
- Painted Post Jan. 7 10:00 AM Town of Riverside, Village Hall, 35 Stanton St., Painted Post 14870
- Rochester Jan. 4 12:00 PM Ebenezer Watts Conference Center, 49 S. Fitzhugh St., Rochester 14614
- Salamanca Jan. 7 1:00 PM Southern Tier West Regional Planning Board, 4039 Route 219, Suite 200, Salamanca 14779
- Syracuse Jan. 5 1:00 PM 100 Clinton Square, Lower Level Conference Room, 126 N. Salina St., Syracuse 13202
- Utica Jan. 7 1:00 PM Boehlet Center at Union Station, 321 Main St., Utica 13501
- Watertown Jan. 6 1:00 PM Dulles State Office Building, 317 Washington St., 11th Floor Conference Room #4, Watertown 13601
- White Plains Jan. 7 3:00 PM Malcolm Pirnie Learning Center, 104 Corporate Park Dr, White Plains 10604
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Watershed
Plans: Protecting and Restoring Water Quality
NYS
DOS Multi-media Package to Improve Water Quality in New York
 The
package aims to encourage and assist local governments, communities, and other
partners to collaboratively protect and restore vital water resources
throughout New York.
New
York's watersheds are under threat from pollution, aging infrastructure,
habitat loss and fragmentation, loss of agricultural and forestry
land. Without an effective and coordinated program to prepare and
implement watershed management plans, these problems will only get worse.
Effective watershed planning provides local governments and communities with
the ability to restore impaired waters and protect high quality waters
throughout their watersheds which will help sustain New York's natural communities
and biological diversity for the benefit of present and future generations.
The
package includes a motivational video, which showcases communities throughout
the state successfully preparing and implementing their watershed plans; an
interactive website, which provides technical information and links to
additional resources; and a guidebook, which frames a flexible process for
preparing and implementing watershed plans.
The
guidebook covers community involvement, organizing an advisory committee,
the role of consultants, gathering data, assessing land use and land cover,
writing a characterization report, refining watershed goals, developing
recommendations and preparing an implementation strategy, moving forward with
capital improvement projects and strengthening local practices.
These
multi-media packages are available for viewing and downloading on our website
or at www.nyswaterfronts.com, or contact the EFC for the CD package.
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What are Agricultural Best Management Practices (Ag BMPs)?
With more than 36,000 farms in New York State it is important to ensure the environmental protection of neighboring water bodies and land. Ag BMPs are a set of guidelines to enable individual farm operators to implement the best available knowledge regarding farm maintenance. In an effort to reduce run-off, erosion, pollution, and waste, Ag BMPs both inform and empower farm operators with the latest techniques for maintaining crop and environmental health. BMPs are methods used by farmers to control the generation and delivery of pollutants from agricultural activities to Vermont's rivers, streams and lakes. The goal of BMPs is to reduce the amount of agricultural pollutants entering surface and ground waters. In an effort to preserve New York's water systems, we outline the EPA's Core 4 system, a framework of farming techniques designed to make the most of our land while protecting our water resources. They include:
Conservation Tillage - leaving crop residue (plant materials
from past harvests) on the soil surface reduces runoff and soil
erosion, conserves soil moisture, helps keep nutrients and pesticides
on the field, and improves soil, water, and air quality;
Crop Nutrient Management - fully managing and accounting for all
nutrient inputs helps ensure nutrients are available to meet crop needs
while reducing nutrient movements off fields. It also helps prevent
excessive buildup in soils and helps protect air quality;
Pest Management - varied methods for keeping insects, weeds,
disease, and other pests below economically harmful levels while
protecting soil, water, and air quality;
Conservation Buffers - from simple grassed waterways to riparian
areas, buffers provide an additional barrier of protection by capturing
potential pollutants that might otherwise move into surface waters.
Irrigation Water Management - reducing nonpoint source pollution of ground and surface waters caused by irrigation systems;
Grazing Management - minimizing the water quality impacts of grazing and browsing activities on pasture and range lands;
Animal Feeding Operations (AFOs) Management
- minimizing impacts of animal feeding operations and waste discharges
through runoff controls, waste storage, waste utilization, and nutrient
management;
Erosion and Sediment Control - conserving soil
and reducing the mass of sediment reaching a water body, protecting
both agricultural land and water quality and habitat.
For more information on Agricultural BMPs, take a look at the following resources:
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
The Watershed Agricultural Council
National Resource Conservation Service
New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets
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Governor Paterson Announces Environmental Facilities Corporation Nomination
On December 3, Governor Paterson announced the nomination of Matthew Driscoll to
the position of President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the New
York State Environmental Facilities Corporation (EFC).
Mr.
Driscoll most recently served a second term as Mayor of the City of
Syracuse, a position to which he was elected in 2001. During
his time as mayor, Mr. Driscoll reformed city government and improved
accountability through the use of the performance-based program
SyraStat, which saved the City of Syracuse over $50 million dollars in
the last eight years. He also diversified revenue flows, allowing
Syracuse to maintain city services while freezing property taxes
despite the economic downturn.
Mayor
Driscoll's plan for energy conservation and environmental protection
has made Syracuse a leader among cities in New York State. As mayor, he
oversaw the $40 million dollar reconstruction of the Westcott
Reservoir, the city's largest capital investment in water
infrastructure since 1930. Upon completion, the project will result in
the third largest covered concrete reservoir tanks in the world and
will include a solar panel system which will provide nearly all the
facility's power. In April, Syracuse became one of the initial
municipalities in the State to take the "Climate Smart Communities
Pledge" to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and lessen its carbon
footprint in an effort to combat global climate change. In 2008,
Syracuse was named the nation's 17th Greenest City by Popular Science
Magazine.
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Interested
in Project Funding? Are you signed up for the NYS Environmental Facilities
Corporation listserv?
If not, click here, and get
on the list today!
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Environmental Finance Center
Serving our Community Through Outreach and Education
EFC Staff
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