October 2021
WATERSHED DIGEST
monthly newsletter
Update from the Hudson River Watershed Alliance
Annual Watershed Conference:
Aligning Actions for Clean Water

October 25-28, 2021
Virtual Conference
Our 2021 Annual Watershed Conference will be held virtually October 25-28, 2021, with a different session each day.

This year's conference theme is Aligning Actions for Clean Water. We will focus on watershed planning as a process and product to help build consensus and develop strategies that inform watershed management.

The conference sessions will share processes, resources, and case studies for watershed-scale planning that leads to coordinated actions that improve clean water and reduce flooding.

Each session will walk through the planning process: from setting goals and engaging stakeholders, to monitoring and modeling, to implementing actions. While we are focused on planning, the content will also be more broadly applicable to watershed work.

Monday, October 25, 7-8 PM:
Environmental Justice

Tuesday, October 26, 1-4 PM:
Watershed Planning Foundations

Wednesday, October 27, 1-3 PM:
Understanding Watershed Conditions

Thursday, October 28, 1-3 PM:
Implementing the Plan

Just announced: The conference will kick off with a youth-centered, facilitated discussion on Environmental Justice in watershed planning! Check out the full conference agenda and more details on our conference webpage here.

Participants may choose to attend some or all of the sessions, and pay for their selected sessions only. All sessions will be recorded, and links to the recordings will be shared with registrants after the event.

Our virtual Annual Watershed Conference will be hosted on the Whova platform. You will need to register for the conference, and then sign up for Whova with the same email address. A link to sign up for Whova will be provided with the registration confirmation email.

If registration cost is a barrier, please contact us.
Sponsor the Annual Watershed Conference

More information is here. Your sponsorship will help to fund the conference proceedings and support individuals and groups in need of financial support.
Thank You to Our Sponsors!

Conference Sponsors
River Sponsors
PVE, LLC
SLR (formerly Milone & MacBroom)

Creek Sponsors
Capital District Regional Planning Commission
D&B Engineers and Architects
Delaware Engineering
Pace University
Riverkeeper

Stream Sponsors
Chazen, A LaBella Company
Gordon & Svenson LLP
GroundPoint Engineering
Rockland County Soil & Water Conservation District

Brook Sponsors
CEA Engineers
SunCommon
Wallkill River Watershed Alliance
Woodstock Land Conservancy
Breakfast Lecture: Greening (In)Equitably: Visions, Processes, and Distributions for Green Infrastructure in US Cities
Thursday, October 14, 8:30-9:30 AM


Featured Speaker: Zbigniew J. Grabowski, PhD, Postdoctoral Research Associate at Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies and Visiting Scholar, The Urban Systems Lab at The New School

Dr. Grabowski will share results from a recent review of equity considerations in over 120 green infrastructure plans from 20 US cities. Based on these results, he argues for the need to have greater clarity around how equity and justice are conceptualized in relation to green infrastructure. He'll provide concrete recommendations for communities, government agencies, funders, and non-profits to share power and sharpen their analyses and strategies in their approaches towards equitable green infrastructure.
Breakfast Lecture: Papscanee Island Returns Home
Thursday, November 18, 8:30-9:30 AM


Featured Speakers: Heather Bruegl, M.A (Oneida/Stockbridge-Munsee), Director of Education, Forge Project Fellowship Program and Charlie Burgess, RPA, Stewardship Manager, Open Space Institute

Since the mid-1990s, Open Space Institute were stewards to Papscanee Island, located in the Hudson River. This island is also significant to the Stockbridge-Munsee Community, now located in Wisconsin. Learn about the significance of the land and the process that was taken to return the island to its original stewards, the people of the Mohican Nation.
Opportunities
JOB POSTINGS:

Bard College Environmental and Urban Studies: Community Lab Technician

Bard College invites applications for the position of Community Lab Technician for the Environmental and Urban Studies program (EUS). The Community Lab Technician will work to support EUS faculty and students in teaching and research activities that utilize Bard’s Community Science Lab (CSL) to support on-the-ground community environmental and environmental justice efforts. We expect to provide training (scientific and/or community engagement oriented) to the successful candidate. We are specifically looking for a team player who excels at working with a wide range of people who are broadly diverse with regard to race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender, nationality, sexual orientation, and religion. Familiarity with nonprofit and academic institutions is a plus, particularly given the nature of this position -- providing a solid bridge between communities and academia. 


Kingston Land Trust: Operations Steward

The Kingston Land Trust is seeking an Operations Steward (OS) to manage the internal nuts and bolts of the organization. The OS helps develop the organization’s infrastructure (systems, protocols, and policies), workflow, internal communications, and critical business processes. Primary duties include financial management, legal compliance, organizational recordkeeping, accounts management, insurance, human resources, information technology, quality control and fundraising administration. Overall, the OS manages operations and primary administrative functions of the organization in close coordination with the Executive Director (ED), as well as working with staff, board, and consultants on relevant tasks. 


New York State Water Resources Institute at Cornell University/Hudson River Estuary Program: Climate Adaptation Planning Specialist

The Climate Adaptation Planning Specialist will support local governments in the Hudson Valley to adapt to climate change and build resiliency through planning support, capacity building, coordinated research. The intended outcome of this work is an increase in physical resilience and adaptive capacity for flooding, drought, water quality, sea-level rise, heat stress, and other climate risks. The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University embraces diversity and seeks candidates who will contribute to a climate that supports students, faculty, and staff of all identities and backgrounds. We strongly encourage individuals from underrepresented and/or marginalized identities to apply. Primary tasks of this position include: Collaborating with partners to support local governments planning for climate adaptation and resilience; Innovating tools and trainings to encourage climate vulnerability assessments and other resilience actions from NYS Climate Smart Communities; Supporting Estuary Program and Cornell WRI programming, grants, and research; and Pursuing professional development and other duties, as assigned. This position is located in New Paltz, NY.


Orange County Land Trust: Land Protection Program Manager

The Land Protection Program Manager manages the organization’s land protection program and is responsible for land and conservation easement acquisition projects. The position represents the organization in conservation partnerships, writes and administers grant proposals in support of our work, and assists fundraising efforts as needed. The work of this position is accomplished independently and in a team environment through partnerships with other conservation organizations and government agencies.


Scenic Hudson: Advocacy Community Organizer

Under the direction of the Director of Environmental Advocacy and Legal Affairs, Scenic Hudson seeks an Environmental Outreach Organizer to coordinate community engagement in advocacy campaigns, develop strategic messages, and grow and diversify grassroots coalitions in support of Scenic Hudson’s mission.


Scenic Hudson: Director of Science, Climate & Stewardship

The Director of Science, Climate & Stewardship provides leadership and primary oversight of science-related initiatives across all of the organization’s program areas. As the leader of the science program, the Director will serve as the primary ambassador and communicator of science topics to internal and external audiences. Primary duties include: ecological restoration planning, natural resource stewardship and restoration on Scenic Hudson lands, technical assistance to land conservation and park management staff, ecological restoration projects, and review of development proposals. The Director is also involved in policy and advocacy efforts for conservation of biodiversity and natural resources, and regional climate change and climate resiliency response in the Hudson Valley and New York State.


Scenic Hudson: Hudson Highlands Fjord Trail Director of Park and Facilities Management

The Director of Park and Facilities Management will lead the maintenance and management of the Hudson Highlands Fjord Trail park with immediate priority to: reviewing draft designs with an eye to maintenance and management efficiency, managing the Dutchess Manor facility as it heads into a reuse study and construction, advancing implementation of a comprehensive parking and trolley system, coordinating with construction managers on park construction, leading the staffing and equipment decisions as phases of the park shift from construction to operations, and developing and implementing an operations and maintenance plan for the park.


Woodstock Land Conservancy: Executive Director

Woodstock Land Conservancy (WLC) is seeking a dynamic and energetic leader for this 33-year old community-based land trust in the Eastern Catskills. Overseeing a staff of two, the organization focuses on expanding land, water and natural resource protection; offers regular programming; supports building sustainable communities working to mitigate and adapting to climate change; works to expand trail connectivity and seeks to connect land use to community priorities working with municipalities, and numerous stakeholders. Full-time starting December 6, 2021.


GRANTS:

Hudson River Valley Greenway: Planning and Trails Grant applications due November 8

The Hudson River Valley Greenway Grant Program provides matching grants to Greenway Communities and Compact Communities. Greenway Communities are eligible to receive up to $10,000 to develop plans or projects consistent with the five Greenway criteria: natural and cultural resource protection, economic development, public access, regional planning, and heritage and environmental education. Higher amounts are awarded for intermunicipal projects. Plans can include natural resource inventories, open space plans, comprehensive plans, and more. The Hudson River Valley Greenway Conservancy Trails Grant Program is dedicated to funding recreational trail projects.


Hudson River Valley Greenway: Conservancy Trails Grant applications due November 8

The Hudson River Valley Greenway Conservancy Trails Grant Program is dedicated to funding recreational trail projects. Special consideration is given to projects that seek to implement the goals of the Greenway Trail Program. The application emphasizes connections to the Empire State Trail. Eligible project categories include: Trail Construction, Planning and Design; Trail Rehabilitation or Improvement; and Trail Education or Interpretation.


Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC): EJ4Climate: Environmental Justice and Climate Resilience Grant Program applications due November 14

Initiated by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the CEC established this new grant program to fund grants and cooperative agreements that will work with underserved and vulnerable communities, and Indigenous communities, in Canada, Mexico, and the United States to prepare them for climate-related impacts. This program will provide funding directly to community-based organizations to help them develop community-driven solutions to adapt to the impacts of climate change. For this inaugural grant cycle, the CEC is calling for initiatives that: Support community resilience to climate change and climate-related impacts; Yield tangible, equitable benefits for local communities by addressing or adapting to climate change impacts; Consider local knowledge and transform that knowledge into an innovative action or solution; and Build partnerships that respond to community-identified challenges. Applicants should be a “community-based organization,” meaning a nongovernmental organization that has demonstrated effectiveness as a representative of a community or a significant segment of a community and that helps members of that community or segment obtain environmental, educational, or other social services.


New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation: Water Infrastructure Improvement Act applications due November 22

The New York State Water Infrastructure Improvement Act (WIIA) provides competitive grants to help municipalities fund water quality infrastructure projects. WIIA grants are available for wastewater and drinking water projects that protect or improve water quality and/or protect public health. Municipalities may submit applications for multiple projects, including wastewater, sewer and drinking water projects. For Clean Water, Wastewater and Water Quality Projects: A municipality’s project or project phase would be awarded a grant up to $25 million, or 25% of net eligible project costs, whichever is less. For Drinking Water Projects: Eligible projects that address emerging contaminants above the State determined Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) would be awarded 60% of net eligible project costs. A project that does not address emerging contaminants or addresses below the State determined MCL, including phases of the project, would be awarded the lesser of $3 million or 60% of net eligible project costs.


Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve: Margaret A. Davidson fellowship applications due December 10

The two-year Margaret A. Davidson fellowship brings a graduate student to conduct research at the Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve to address a key coastal management question. These questions help Hudson River communities understand coastal challenges and impacts to influence future policy and management strategies. The annual stipend for a Margaret A. Davidson fellow is $41,000 for research and travel, and an additional equipment and supply budget of approximately $7,000. The research that is conducted at the Reserve is intended to be a substantial part of the fellow’s degree research. At least six weeks must be spent at the Reserve each year.
The Hudson River Watershed Alliance unites and empowers communities to protect their local water resources