Dutchess County Environmental Managment Council

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    imageNYSACC makes local conservation work easier—by connecting communities to practical resources, trainings, and real peer support across New York State. 
    We’re excited to launch a new member benefit: this quarterly newsletter featuring community news, grant opportunities, upcoming events, and opportunities to connect and collaborate with peers across the state. 
    Local Environmental Leadership 
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    Communities across New York are facing growing environmental challenges and local governments are being asked to balance growth, environmental protection, and long-term resilience. Conservation Commissions are playing an important role in helping communities navigate these complex decisions.Conservation Commissions bring together residents to work alongside planning boards, elected officials, and community partners, to help review projects, identify environmental concerns, and recommend solutions that protect and improve their communities. Across the state, volunteer groups are leading tree planting initiatives, supporting habitat restoration, promoting green infrastructure, and engaging residents.NYSACC supports this work by providing resources and opportunities for collaboration among commissions across the state. By strengthening local conservation leadership, NYSACC helps communities share ideas, learn from one another, and build a more resilient future for New York.
    New in 2026: Conservation Connect
    imageEvery 4th Monday, 2:00–3:00pm (ET). Starting March 23rd! Add This Event To Your CalendarAnnouncing Conservation Connect, a monthly call to share updates, ask questions, and connect with peers from across New York State. This informal conversation is a space to meet fellow conservationists, learn from one another and strengthen our statewide network, whether you’re looking for ideas, want to hear what others are working on, or have a challenge on which you’d like feedback.Each call will begin with a brief update from NYSACC, followed by open discussion. Members are encouraged to bring project highlights, questions, funding needs and opportunities, or emerging issues in their communities. It’s a chance to exchange practical knowledge, celebrate successes, and collaborate on solutions to common conservation challenges.These calls are open to all members and are intended to be welcoming and flexible—feel free to join when you can, listen in, or actively participate in the conversation.Mark your calendar and join us for the first Conservation Connect as we build stronger connections across New York’s conservation community.
    Get Involved with NYSACC
    There are many ways to be part of the NYSACC network:Share a project or success story or event.Submit a question to Ask NYSACC.Encourage your municipality to become a member.Volunteer to serve on a NYSACC committee or the Board of Directors.Together, we can strengthen and support local environmental leadership across New York.Contact Us
      
    Board of Directors MeetingMembers are invited to attend the upcoming Quarterly Board of Directors Meeting on Sunday, March 29, from 9:00 AM–12:00 PM. The meeting will be held in-person in Ithaca with a virtual participation option available.This is a great opportunity to hear updates, learn about current initiatives, and connect with the leadership and fellow members.If you’re interested in attending, please confirm your interest, and we will share additional details and access information closer to the event.Interest Form
      
    Committee Meeting ScheduleNYSACC committees and working groups meet monthly to discuss topics related to the organization’s operations and priorities. These meetings help advance environmental work across New York State by sharing ideas, coordinating initiatives, and supporting members in their conservation efforts. 
    Coastal Resiliency Network: Every 2nd Monday | 6:00-7:00 pmWestchester Environmental Network Organizers: Every 2nd Tuesday | 12:00-1:00 pm and Every 3rd Thursday | 12:00-1:00 pmCommunications: Every 2nd Tuesday | 1:00-2:00 pmYouth Committee: Every 2nd Thursday | 5:30-6:30 pmFood Scraps Diversion: Every 3rd Monday | 10:00-11:00 amEnvironmental Justice: Every 3rd Wednesday | 12:00-1:00 pmLegislative Committee: Every 3rd Thursday | 6:00-7:00 pmMembership: Every 4th Wednesday | 10:00-11:00 am
    NYSACC Calendar and Meeting Links
    Ask NYSACC
    imageHave a question about projects, funding, or best practices? Submit it to “Ask NYSACC” at communications@nysacc.org to see how we can support your community.Your Questions, AnsweredQ: What is an Environmental Management Council (EMC) and how are they managed?  

    A: An EMC is a county-level advisory body in New York State that helps local governments address environmental issues and improve coordination on conservation, land use, and sustainability. EMCs typically include representatives from municipalities within a county, along with additional members appointed by the county. Members often include residents, environmental professionals, planners, educators, and representatives from local conservation advisory councils. The role of an EMC is primarily advisory and educational.Most EMC members serve as volunteers, and councils are typically supported by the county through staff assistance or a small operating budget. The structure, membership terms, and activities of an EMC can vary depending on how each county chooses to organize and support the council.EMCs are part of NYSACC too!
    Community News
    The Village of Lancaster Climate Smart Task Force partnered with The Tool Library to host a Dare to Repair Café, giving residents the opportunity to bring in broken household items and learn how to fix them. From small appliances to everyday essentials, volunteers worked side-by-side with participants to troubleshoot and repair instead of replace.The event welcomed 50+ community members, and 80% of items brought in were successfully repaired—keeping valuable materials out of the landfill and saving residents money. Beyond the repairs, the café sparked conversations about waste reduction, resource sharing, and the power of community-based climate action.Have a project, partnership, or success story to share? We’d love to feature your highlights in an upcoming newsletter. 
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    imageAre you involved in land-use decision-making in your municipality?Hudsonia invites those involved in municipal land-use planning and natural resource management in New York State to share insights about forest protection. Input will directly shape a new Forest Conservation Toolkit designed to: reflect on-the-ground needs; support site-level and regional decision-making; and strengthen local capacity to protect high-value forests. Responses are due by April 1, 2026. To access the survey and learn about Hudsonia’s toolkit, visit Hudsonia.org/forest-conservation. Survey results will be shared with NYSACC and our members. We encourage all of our members to take the survey, even though the introduction discusses the Hudson Valley. Hudsonia hopes to do a regional level analysis.
    Grants and Funding Opportunities
    Here are a few current or upcoming grants that may be a good fit for local projects: 
    Tree Campus Jumpstart Stipend Grants New York State Pollution Prevention Institute Community Grants Program Great Lakes Sediment and Nutrient Reduction Program Forest Conservation Technical Assistance Opportunity for Hudson Valley Municipalities Long Island Sound Futures Fund Open Space Conservation Grant DEC Grant Opportunities  NYSERDA Funding Opportunities NYS Grants Management Federal GrantsGrants Action Newsletter March 2026 
    Upcoming Events 
    Have an event to share? Send it our way for the next newsletter. 
    March 16-May 14,2026: Annual Spring Burn Ban – All NYSApril 14-16, 2026:

  • NYS Septic System Replacement Fund

    New NYS program to help remove haarmful PFAS from private wells. The NYS Septic System Replacement Fund helps Homeowners within a certain distance of priority water bodies with septic system maintenance . This new program helps remove harmful PFAS (A group of synthetic “forever chemicals” that do not easily break down) from private wells. A map to help folks see which parcels qualify can be accessed directly via this link.

  • Dutchess County Earth Day Event

    The County in partnership with The Environmental Cooperative at the Vassar Barns will be hosting an Earth Day Event. This free event, open to the public, will offer environmental education, interactive activities and community engagement. Residents of all ages are invited to participate and learn about ways to reduce waste, conserve resources and protect the environment. The event will be held Saturday, April 26th from 10:00 am – 1:00 pm at 50 Vassar Farm Lane, Poughkeepsie, 12601.

    Event flyer (pdf.) 

    Complete list of participants (pdf.) 

  • Elemental Explorers

    Project Description

    Fifth-grade students from Brinckerhoff Elementary, Fishkill Elementary, Fishkill Plains Elementary, and James S. Evans Elementary participated in an engaging Project-Based Learning experience focused on the flow of matter and energy. Guided by their curiosity and supported by AP Biology students from John Jay High School serving as peer tutors, the students created detailed, interactive models of ecosystems. These models demonstrate how matter and energy move through various components, including plants, animals, and decomposers. Click the link to explore the interactive experiences.

    Elemental Explorers: Unveiling the Secrets of Matter and Energy

  • Road Salt Reduction Grants Available

    As you know, in the last decade or so, the EMC has worked to promote reducing road salt use while keeping roads safe in winter. One of the impediments to implementing best management practices to reduce road salt is the upfront cost of new equipment. For the first time, NY is offering grants to municipalities to help offset these costs. The grants fall under the NYS DEC Water Quality Improvement Program. The deadline for applications is July 31, 2024. The grants require 25% matching costs.

  • Cost Benefit Analysis Brine vs. Rock Salt – Prepared by Dutchess County Environmental Management Council

    Summary Report

  • All about Septic Systems

    Your Septic System – What you need to know.

    Maintaining your Septic System

    How to conserve water in your home and yard.

    Your Septic System – What to know when you are buying or selling a home.

    Your Septic System – What to know when building or remodeling your home.

    What to do if your Septic System fails.

    Your Septic System – What to do after the flood.

  • The 2024 Dutchess County Annual CAC & EMC Roundtable

  • Young Engineers Empowerment Program

    The Dutchess County EMC is partnering with HVEA Engineers and Peach Hill Park to run the pilot program of the Young Engineers Empowerment Program, where high school students learn valuable STEM skills while they design and build a new rain garden for stormwater management at Peach Hill Park.

    Day 1 – Students learned how to fly drones, create topographic maps & to delineate watersheds.

    Day 2 – Students created watershed models & learned how water flows.

    Day 3 – Students learned about soil types and other geotechnical concepts from HVEA’s geotechnical engineer in preparation for exploratory subsurface investigations for their rain garden design. Students performed percolation tests and determined what kind of underlying soils were present and what infiltration rates to expect to detail their design further.

    Day 4 – Students learned about landscape architecture from a Licensed Landscape Architect and choosing native plantings with optimal pollutant removal benefits for the rain garden design.

    Day 5 –  Students learned about protecting various resources during construction & finalized their rain garden designs. Students developed an “engineer’s estimate” of materials they will need for construction in the Spring.

    There will be 5 more sessions in the spring.  In April, the students will work on the construction of the rain garden and learn valuable skills through our construction management program.

    HVEA Engineers: https://hveapc.com/

    Peach Hill Park: https://peachhillpark.org/

  • Great Opportunity to Build STEM Skills