The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s Hudson River Estuary Program became a charter member of the National Nonpoint Education for Municipal Officials (NEMO) Network in September, 2007. The mission of the program is to protect the Hudson River Estuary and its watershed by promoting natural resource-based planning through outreach programs to municipalities and watershed groups in the ten counties of the Estuary watershed. The Hudson River Estuary Program will work with local partners to organize and enhance current programs with techniques and resources from the National NEMO Network.
Background
The NEMO Project of the University of Connecticut (UConn) has been educating local land use officials since 1993. NEMO, a Land Grant-Sea Grant partnership and program of the Center for Land use Education and Research, promotes natural resource-based land use planning and design to a target audience of local land use decision makers. The project has assisted many towns in Connecticut to change their land use policies, regulations, development designs and construction practices. NEMO has won several national awards for its effective use of geospatial technology in the service of on-the-ground education. Since 1995, NEMO has been adapted in other states by a wide variety of organizations, usually led by Sea Grant and Land Grant Extension. The National NEMO Network, coordinated by UConn, is currently comprised of 32 projects in 31 states. Each of these projects has adapted NEMO to its own particular land use framework and natural resource issues. The result is a vibrant network that is not only growing, but developing new educational techniques and broadening its topical expertise. NOAA, EPA, USDA and NASA are all involved with NEMO, both at the national level and in individual state programs.
Scope of Work
1) Introductory Presentation: When a municipality or a watershed group requests assistance, provide an introductory presentation that describes what the Hudson River Estuary Program has to offer, identifies partner agencies in that county, and resources that are available to help them with natural resource-based planning.
Products
a) An introductory presentation has been developed using NEMO’s “Linking Land Use to Water Quality” as the template but also drawing on existing Estuary Program presentations and information.
b) A series of fact sheets is currently under development to provide information on outreach programs available from the Hudson River Estuary Program including: the Hudson River Estuary Program, Biodiversity Program, Watershed and Tributary Program, Better Site Design (completed), Climate Change (completed), Riparian Buffers (completed), Open Space Planning, GIS Tools.
2) Follow-up Workshops: Based on follow-up requests from municipalities or watershed groups, outreach staff will continue to provide workshops, training and technical assistance as they have done in the past on biodiversity, watershed management and tributary conservation, better site design, climate change, river and shoreline habitat, and open space planning. Staff will enhance natural-resource based planning concepts by showing maps of land use and impervious cover change over time for their location.
Products
a) Develop land use change and impervious cover maps using the Impervious Surface Analysis Tool (ISAT) from the University of Connecticut as well as expertise from Cornell University and county agencies.
b) Develop a web-based mapping application for communities in coordination with DEC as they roll out the State Lands Interactive Mapper (SLIM). Find out if county agencies already have similar applications available to residents. Coordinate with University of Connecticut to learn the technology behind their Community Resource Inventory On-Line and how it relates to SLIM.
c) Develop and provide new training programs for municipalities and watershed groups on use of geospatial tools.
Hudson River Estuary NEMO Program - Pilot Project & Regional Promotion
Promote integrated natural resource-based planning in communities we are already working with or have contact with.
1) Launch a pilot project in a watershed or community that we are already working with, preferably through existing watershed planning efforts. Pick communities that are facing certain issues, such as flooding, development, forest fragmentation, Phase II Stormwater regulations, etc. Introduce that community to the suite of Estuary Program and partner resources and geospatial tools as they become available. Involve local planning boards, municipal officials and staff, Conservation Advisory Councils, and intermunicipal councils if applicable. Evaluate the community’s needs and revise program products as needed.
2) Respond to requests from municipalities for Estuary Program assistance as they are received.
3) Provide presentations to regional audiences and conferences on the natural-resource based planning approach that the Estuary Program is using to accomplish ecosystem-based management. Audiences include county planning federations, environmental management councils, professional associations, Hudson River Environmental Consortium and Hudson River Watershed Alliance.
Hudson River Estuary NEMO Program - Program Development
Based on GIS analysis, social science and other information, identify and prioritize watersheds where municipalities are experiencing specific natural resource conservation issues.
1) Reach out to municipalities identified and offer to provide the introductory presentation.
2) Based on interest, follow up with additional workshops.
3) Develop new workshops and resources as community needs arise. For example, in partnership with Pace Land Use Law Center, develop workshops on specific land use issues such as transfer of development rights, agricultural land protection and intermunicipal planning.
4) Explore a program similar to the “Municipal Initiative” in Connecticut – communities apply for a small amount of funding each year; 3-5 are selected to receive intensive planning and technical assistance from the Connecticut NEMO program.
5) Work with University of Connecticut and University of New Hampshire to develop a Low Impact Development Inventory On-line, similar to the Connecticut model (in development).
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