Ulster County will host two public workshops to present information and receive feedback during the first phase of developing the County’s Natural Resources Inventory
A Natural Resources Inventory was planned as an essential element of the Green New Deal Plan for Ulster County
KINGSTON, N.Y. - The Office of the Ulster County Executive announced today that the County will host two public workshops on November 14th and 16th to provide information and seek input on the development of a Natural Resources Inventory and Municipal Toolkit for Ulster County. The County’s Natural Resources Inventory will assemble information on natural features such as streams, wetlands, forests, wildlife, scenic and recreational assets and provide an important foundation for informed land-use planning and decision-making. The Natural Resources Inventory was planned as essential to the Green New Deal Plan for Ulster County.
“In mapping out a Green New Deal for Ulster County, we felt it essential to ensure that where and how we position our environment for economic development, tourism and recreation, energy production and housing is compatible with ongoing resource and ecosystem health,” Acting Ulster County Executive Johanna Contreras said. “Including the public is an important first step in developing a countywide Natural Resources Inventory (NRI) that is aligned with our goals to protect our drinking water, identify areas that can support development and needed housing, site solar projects and safely return brownfield sites to productive use.”
As part of its Natural Resources Inventory, the County will provide online mapping applications and a municipal toolkit to centralize and simplify access to current natural resource-related information for the public, municipal leaders, planners, conservation organizations, economic developers and educators.
The public workshops will provide stakeholders and the community with an opportunity to learn about the project, help shape the vision and provide information on natural resources in the beginning stages of project implementation. The first will be held in person on Monday, November 14th at 7:00 pm at the Rosendale Recreation Center (1055 Rt 32. Rosendale); the second will be a virtual Public Workshop on Wednesday, November 16th at 11:30 am via Zoom. These are free events, but registration is required (space is limited at the in-person event). Visit https://natural-resources-inventory-ulstercounty.hub.arcgis.com/ to register and learn more.
This project was funded by a grant to Ulster County from the New York State Environmental Protection Fund through the Hudson River Estuary Program of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
For more information, contact the Ulster County Department of the Environment at (845) 338-7287 or visit https://natural-resources-inventory-ulstercounty.hub.arcgis.com/.
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