Our key recommendations for executive offices at the municipal and county levels include:
Implement green infrastructure projects on waterfront edges as natural barriers in flood-prone inland areas to mitigate rain-induced flooding, increase resiliency, and improve public and overall ecosystem health.
Explore private property retrofit incentive programs such as the Stormwater Management Incentives Program and Greened Acre Retrofit Program in Philadelphia, the Rainwise Program in Seattle and the Riversmart Homes program in Washington, D.C. as well as Pay-for-Performance and Pay-for-Success contract models such as the Environmental Impact Bond issued by D.C. Water.
Reexamine stormwater fee-based programs to encourage property owners to convert a certain percentage of their property to green infrastructure.
Green infrastructure is a vital part of healthy communities. It reduces water pollution, mitigates flooding, and improves our urban spaces.
We look forward to working with municipal and regional leaders in the Capital Region and across New York State to implement these recommendations.
Many of the biggest threats to environmental policy and funding in New York are coming from Washington, posing a significant challenge to local officials. Despite this, we see opportunity. New York’s congressional delegation includes leaders on both sides of the aisle who can play an important role in their respective caucuses in ensuring that New York does not get left behind.
We developed our agenda in close consultation with other leading environmental, public health, conservation, energy, environmental justice, and transportation organizations from around New York. Together, we identified our most pressing priorities on climate change, public health, and natural resources in New York State, and how we can tackle them at the federal level.
You can watch the forum on our Facebook pagehere and download our recommendationshere.
The first panel discussion reviewed the role that green infrastructure has already played in Capital Region sustainable development, including the successes and challenges of specific projects. Representatives from local agencies discussed the impact of past green infrastructure efforts and explored the ongoing work across the state.
Panel 1 Moderator: Katherine Meierdiercks, Professor of Environmental Studies and Science, Siena College
Panelists: Martin Daley, Environmental Planner / Project Manager, Capital District Regional Planning Commission
Brian Davis, Professor of Landscape Architecture, Cornell University Water Resources Institute
Joseph Coffey, Jr., P.E., Water Commissioner for the City of Albany
Keith Hirokawa, Associate Professor, Albany Law School
The second panel focused on the future of green infrastructure in the planning efforts and watershed management of the Capital Region. Conversations focused on the roles that local government agencies, nonprofits, and businesses can play in encouraging sustainable development and taking advantage of its benefits. Panelists discussed opportunities for green infrastructure investment and share their visions for the path forward for sustainable development.
Panel 2 Moderator: Ruth Leistensnider, Partner in the Energy and Environment Practice, Nixon Peabody Panelists: Maureen Krudner, Environmental Scientist, US EPA Region 2
Brian Hahn, Assistant Manager of the Green Policy, Planning, and Infrastructure Unit, NYS EFC
Dan Shapley, Water Quality Program Director, Riverkeeper
Stuart Gruskin, Chief Conservation and External Affairs Officer, The Nature Conservancy
The NYLCV Education Fund partnered with Dr. Katherine Meierdiercks, Professor of Environmental Studies and Sciences at Siena College, to issue a research paper on policy options for the Capital Region in advance of the forum.
Many Thanks to Roux Associates and Nixon Peabody for sponsoring this forum, and to Albany Law School for co-hosting this event.
Leading up to the general election in November 2016, NYLCVEF hosted candidate forums where residents learned where candidates running for office stood on crucial environmental issues.
Incumbent Congressman Lee Zeldin and challenger Anna Throne-Holst presented their ideas for preserving the environment on Long Island and working with congressional leaders to protect clean water, open space and renewable energy. Candidates also responded to questions from panelists, audience members and NYLCVEF President Marcia Bystryn about these topics and a number of other local and national environmental issues.
On Tuesday, October 11th, top environmental experts ranging from leaders in academia, policy, green infrastructure, and community-based organizations held a policy forum at the Buffalo History Museum, the focus of the discussion focused on green infrastructure in the Buffalo-Niagara Region. The forum was held in a two-panel discussion, both with an equal mix of interests and expertise, and was preceded by a background paper, written by Smitha Gopalakrishnan, PhD scholar, Urban Planning Department at University of Buffalo. The questions were geared towards developing a deeper understanding on what the role of green infrastructure will play in the sustainable economic growth, and improving the water quality in Western New York.
The Great Lakes Region, more specifically Erie County and the Buffalo-Niagara Region have been suffering from the impacts of stormwater overflows, taking a toll on several communities throughout area. This panel aids in developing a deeper understanding of recognizing the strides made by the Buffalo-Niagara Region to date, but stresses the importance, and need for a further policy push to help incentivize the implementation of green infrastructure, which is something New York State has yet to adopt unlike the other Great Lakes areas impacted by similar issues.
The first panel, moderated by Lynda Schneekloth, Professor Emeritus at the University at Buffalo School of Architecture and Planning, included experts and professionals from: the Buffalo Sewer Authority, PUSH Buffalo, the Army Corps of Engineers, Wendel, and the University at Buffalo School of Architecture and Planning. The panelists answered the series of questions in a discussion on their innovative green infrastructure work being done respective to their affiliation. Further discussed was the importance of overall collaboration, and how the City of Buffalo serves as a continued leader in addressing the issues of improving their water quality and maximizing their economic growth. To tie up the panel, the future of the projects were addressed by linking in the key challenges that are expected; the largest being the need for maintenance funding as well as civic engagement to bring the general public into the conversation, stressing the reasoning for the investment of public funds into green infrastructure projects.
The second panel, moderated by Carley Hill, Safety Director and Environmental Officer, Union Concrete and NYLCV Education Fund Board Member, included experts and professionals from: Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper, Go Bike Buffalo, the UB Regional Institute; as well as the Mayor of Williamsville, Brian Kulpa. The focus of this conversation shifted in the large scale picture of green infrastructure will look like, and play, in the future of watershed management and other regional planning efforts. Specific projects were highlighted, such as the Niagara Street Gateway. Panelists also stressed the importance of leadership from policymakers and continued public engagement – an overarching theme throughout the entire day – as one of the most significant steps towards enabling the region in maximizing benefits of One Region Forward.
The policy forum was informative for all members in the audience, as well as other panelists, towards understanding how to build a greener, healthier, and more sustainable Western New York. It also laid the groundwork to continue the conversation in Albany, at the NYLCVEF’s next Policy Forum.
Our policy recommendations stemming from the discussion are availablehere.
On September 1st, the six candidates in the Democratic primary for New York’s 65th Assembly district gathered to discuss their views on environmental issues in their district with advocates and community members at Southbridge Towers on the Lower East Side.
District 65 faces a number of environmental policy challenges from the area’s accelerating development and congestion and the increasing frequency and severity of extreme weather events. The district also continues to grow more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, and to address these issues candidates addressed topics ranging from community parks to congestion taxes in their discussion of strengthening resiliency.
Incumbent Alice Cancel and candidates Don Lee, Gigi Li, Paul Newell, Yuh-Line Niou, and Jenifer Rajkumar responded to questions from the audience, as well as from a panel of environmental experts from New Yorkers for Parks, Transportation Alternatives, the Lower East Side Ecology Center and the Waterfront Alliance. Although candidates largely agreed on the environmental challenges facing their district, there was divergence on a number of proposed solutions, including the preservation of Elizabeth Street Garden and policies relating to the regulation of plastic and carryout bags, among others. NYLCVEF livestreamed the event on our Facebook page, and you can view the footage here.
NYLCVEF would like to thank Southbridge Towers for hosting the forum, to our nonprofit partners for their insightful questions and participation, and all of the citizens who turned out to listen and submit questions to their candidates.
New York City has made ambitious commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2050 and to build or preserve 200,000 units of affordable housing in ten years. Buildings account for roughly 70 percent of our emissions but affordable housing building owners and developers face a number of obstacles and policy challenges to making their buildings more sustainable.
In 2014-15, NYLCVEF conducted acivic engagement campaign in partnership with the Community League of the Heights (CLOTH), a local community development corporation (CDC) in Washington Heights. The campaign raised support for city funding to support the green preservation of affordable housing. In 2015, through continued conversation with CLOTH’s leadership and our other local partners, we identified a need for further education and engagement with various stakeholders on the issue. In partnership with Enterprise Community Partners and NYU’s Wagner School of Public Service, we decided to convene a forum on the many issues related to CLOTH’s important work and affordable housing through New York City.
On February 3rd, the New York League of Conservation Voters Education Fund, Enterprise Community Partners and NYU’s Wagner School of Public Service co-hosted a policy forum on the Green Preservation of New York City’s Multi-Family Affordable Housing with generous support from Crauderueff and Associates.
Co-sponsored by NYU and Enterprise, and with generous support from Crauderueff and Associates, NYLCVEF hosted a policy forum entitled “Green Preservation of Multi-Family Affordable Housing” on February 3rd. In conversation with moderators Esther Toporovsky of Enterprise Community Partners and David Hepinstall of the Association for Energy Affordability, panelists from city and state agencies, utilities, and housing developers discussed the myriad barriers and opportunities for advancing green preservation of privately owned, publically supported buildings in NYC.
Each panel featured discussion of the complex and interrelated issues that must be considered when implementing sustainability retrofits for multi-family affordable housing, including education, financing, resiliency, and stakeholder collaboration. Panelists then took questions from the audience of students, issue experts, financial sector professionals, and community leaders.
The audience, as well as members of our second panel that primarily featured advocates and affordable housing developers, delivered a resounding consensus on the need for a “one-stop shop” for technical assistance and other retrofitting programs. Agency representatives discussed recent developments with New York City’sRetrofit Accelerator, designed for just such a purpose – and we believe that effective implementation of the Accelerator’s programs remains a key piece of Mayor de Blasio’s plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2050.
In December 2014 and early 2015, NYLCVEF partnered with the Community League of the Heights (CLOTH), a community development corporation in Washington Heights, on a petition to Mayor de Blasio asking him to include green building in his plans for affordable housing and decreasing carbon emissions.
Residents of Washington Heights don’t just need lower rent – they need a strong and vibrant environment to make the neighborhood sustainable and healthy, and CLOTH recently implemented the Green 159 project to move toward this goal. Public support of programs like CLOTH’s Green 159 project could have important benefits for tenants and neighborhoods. By making housing green, we can also make it affordable.
Green housing can lower heating costs and reduce electric bills all while giving its residents fresh air to breathe. Through green building options, such as solar panels, rooftop gardens and improved insulation, we can provide a better standard of living at a lower cost. In partnership with CLOTH and Red Horse Strategies, NYLCVEF conducted a civic engagement campaign in which we knocked on 2,620 doors, spoke with 991 people, identified 782 supporters and collected 734 signatures in support of this effort.
Since this campaign, we have continued our work on the green preservation of affordable housing with a policy forum at NYU’s Wagner School in partnership with Enterprise Community Partners. Read more about this program here.
Our fourth and final candidate forum of the year was a huge success in Riverhead last night. The three candidates vying for the role of Town Supervisor, incumbentSean Walter,Anthony Coates, andJodi Giglio, discussed everything from septic tanks to solar energy to single-use plastic bags.
Answering questions from the moderator, North Fork Environmental Council president Bill Toedter, and from the audience the candidates took turns sharing their views. The forum format allows candidates to dive deep into the issues rather than spend most of their time debating with their opponents.
We would like to thank our co-sponsors at the North Fork Environmental Council, the Suffolk County Community College Culinary Arts and Hospitality Center for hosting us, and to the concerned citizens who turned out to ask such thoughtful questions.
Watch the whole forum on our YouTube page:
Video credit: Image Hunter Photo/Michael John Madigan
Make sure you’reregistered to vote so your voice will be heard on Election Day on November 3rd.
