Additional Resources

Useful Information for New CACs

The following documents are provided as assistance to newly formed CACs:

Conservation Advisory Councils and Boards: A Guide to the Organization and Operation of Local Environmental Advisory Councils, Westchester County Environmental Management Council
Creating a Natural Resource Inventory, Hudson Valley Estuary Program, NYSDEC
Beginner’s Guide to Land Use Law
Conservation Commission Meetings – Rules and Procedures
Conservation Advisory Councils and Open Space Preservation by John Nolan, Pace University School of Law
New York State General Municipal Code Article 12-F, Sections 239-x and 239-y
Local Conservation Strategies for Hudson Valley Communities: How a Conservation Advisory Council Becomes a Board by Laura Heady, Biodiversity Outreach Coordinator, NYSDEC Hudson River Estuary Program and Cornell University

Useful Information for All CACs

10 Commandments for Conservation Commissions
Conservationist_V25 – Dec 1970 – Jan 1971
Conservationist_V25 – Feb – March 1971
New York Shttps://www.dec.ny.gov/tate Department of Environmental Conservation
DEC info Locator
New York State Official Website
Parks & Trails New York
New York State General Municipal Code
New York State Soil and Water Conservation Committee
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA)
New York State Urban Forestry Council
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Hudson Hills and Highlands Environmental Leaders Learning Alliance (ELLA)
Model Local Laws to Increase Resilience
Environmental Law Institute
DEC. Regions and Contacts (2021)
Waste Removal in NYS
Skeptical Science: Getting skeptical about Global warming skepticism
American Forest – Since 1875
American Forests document: Urban Forest Assessments Resource Guide
Children’s Environmental Literacy Foundation
Sustainable Westchester
The Climate Reality Project
Urban and Community Forestry – NYSDEC
Environmental Protection Fund – DEC
Smart Growth America
Transition Network – What is? What if? Also, What If Visioning Exercise
Conservation Planning in the Hudson River Estuary Watershed – Cornell
How to Solar Now – a solar toolkit for your community
Hudson Valley Natural Resources Mapper – DEC
Tree-SMART Trade: Invasive pests attack urban, suburban and rural trees and can decimate entire species in a matter of decades, BUT there is a path forward – Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies
Primer for Local Officials and Citizens: Local Land Use Law and Practice in New York, John R. Nolon, Well Grounded Practice Series of Pace University School of Law
A Local Leader’s Guide to Open Space Preservation, K. Plunkett, Starting Ground Series, Pace University Land Use Law Center
Local Open Space Planning Guide, New York State Department of State, 2004