Month: October 2013

The New York League of Conservation Voters Education Fund and the North Fork Environmental Council convened an opportunity for the Riverhead Town Supervisor candidates to discuss sustainability challenges facing the town on Tuesday night.

Town Supervisor incumbent Sean Walter and challenger Angela DeVito were asked about some of Riverhead’s most pressing environmental issues including surface and ground water quality, open space preservation and land management, dark skies enforcement and Enterprise Park at Calverton.

The differing opinions between the two candidates were especially highlighted on the issue of the dark skies ordinance as they disagreed on whether the ordinance has been effectively enforced.

Despite the differences between the candidates, both Walter and DeVito made it clear that as Town Supervisor they will protect the land preserved in the creation of Enterprise Park at Calverton and agreed on the need to reinvest in sewage treatment plants and replace residential septic systems to protect water quality.

A special thanks to all of our partners, the Community Planning Center Group for the East End, the Jamesport-South Jamesport Civic Association, the North Fork Environmental Council, the Peconic Baykeeper, Peconic Green Growth and the Sound Park Heights Civic Association in helping to coordinate such a great discussion.

Staten Islanders turned out in force at the Jewish Community Center on October 16, 2013 to hear where candidates Steve Matteo and John Mancuso stand on the most pressing sustainability issues facing the 50th City Council District.

This candidate forum was hosted by NYLCVEF along with  Protectors of Pine Oak Woods, the Westerleigh Improvement Society, Grasmere Civic Association, Grant City Civic Association, the Natural Resources Protective Association and Feeding Families.

The forum covered a wide range of issues, from the preservation of Mount Manresa to controlling Staten Island’s growing deer population. Both candidates stressed that their first environmental priority if elected will be Hurricane Sandy recovery and future resiliency. The candidates also agreed on the need to invest in infrastructure to protect the coastlines and the importance of improving transportation options in Staten Island to relieve the reliance on cars.

You can read the Staten Island Advance’s coverage of the forum, which includes a clip of the candidates’ perspectives on Mount Manresa preservation.

Our thanks to the candidates and everyone who joined us for this event. And special shout-out to our partner organizations that helped to make this forum a success!

Hundreds of Long Islanders turned out for an insightful discussion with the two candidates running for Nassau County Executive on Oct. 2, 2013 at Hofstra University.

The Nassau County Executive Forum on Sustainability, co-hosted by NYLCVEF and Hofstra University, covered a wide range of sustainability concerns that the county currently faces, from investments in wastewater treatment to mass transit, clean energy and more.

Expertly moderated by Larry Levy, the executive dean of National Center for Suburban Studies at Hofstra, the forum gave the floor to County Executive Ed Mangano and his challenger, former County Executive Tom Suozzi. Questions were asked by an expert panel that included Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director – Citizens Campaign for the Environment; Christopher Capece, Senior Development Director – Avalon Bay Communities, Inc.; Jennifer Rimmer, Director of Strategic Initiatives and Sustainability, Northeast Region – AECOM; and Lisa Dix, Senior New York Representative – Sierra Club, Beyond Coal Campaign.

You can check out the full recording of the forum by clicking here.

Newsday also had a write-up of the forum that noted both candidates said they would support the creation of an outfall pipe that extends into the Atlantic Ocean to get rid of the treated sewage water from the plant. Other topics covered at the forum included funding for the county bus system and the revitalization of downtown areas.

Thanks to everyone who joined us for this great event. And thank you to our partnering organizations that helped make the forum a success: APA Long Island,  Citizens Campaign for the Environment, Operation Splash, Tri-State Transportation Campaign and Vision Long Island.