FCWC 2004 Annual Report

2004 in Review: A Year of Reform and Renewal

By Oreon Sandler

The latest buzz word I have noticed is “reform.” I heard it twice the first week of 2005 – from Governor Pataki of New York, then from Governor Rell of Connecticut. But we at FCWC beat them both: we started the process last spring when our executive director resigned, and we have since come to think of it as “renewal” rather than reform. That story is told in the accompanying article about our new strategy for growth.

Use whichever term you prefer; the objective either way is to make FCWC a model contemporary force for the protection of our county’s environment at a time when the pressures – economic, demographic, and political – are making that effort ever more difficult.

To be ready for these challenges, we examined our operation and the structure of our board. More important, we reviewed the scope of our activities so as to focus more intently on the most critical environmental challenges facing our county, and not to be diverted by issues beyond our scope. We refined our mission and vision statements so as to have a handy template in deciding which of the many issues that are brought to our attention should be given the highest priority. And we agreed that as the county’s premier environmental umbrella organization we should put more emphasis on supporting the efforts of our member organizations and getting them more involved in our activities.

While all this was happening, we actively pursued ongoing activities and programs, several of which are reported in more detail in other articles in this issue.

FCWC frequently took a supportive stand on preserving open space. We also continued to participate in water quality concerns, particularly in pursuing corrective means to clean up our reservoirs from the pollution caused by stormwater runoff. This long-ignored problem is at last receiving increasing attention, partly through our efforts. We are encouraged as others, including several municipalities, have announced and endorsed long-delayed cleanup efforts. It can’t be too soon.

Continuing our efforts to educate the public about the poor air we breathe, FCWC conducted two seminars featuring expert panels. At the November conference, the New York City Transit authority bus manager spoke of New York’s aggressive efforts to get cleaner air, and he brought along one of the hybrid diesel electric buses they have begun using. We were able to publicize the fact that Westchester County has also bought into this new cleaner bus technology, and that the County has committed to the higher cost but less polluting ultra-low sulfur fuel for all of their buses. We are now witnessing a ground swell in support of our county government’s efforts to pursue clean air policies in anticipation of new more stringent engine and fuel pollution regulations that will soon become the norm.

Sierra Club, Lower Hudson Valley Chapter and Environmental Defense co-sponsored the conference, an example or the kind of collaborative education and advocacy programs we intend to emphasize even more in the future.

Other examples of our partnerships in pursuit of common goals are described in other stories in this issue. One of our board members is director of the East/West rail project that is tacking the congestion and pollution problems in the I-287; another is keeping close tabs on county airport operations; two more board members are active with the Long Island Sound Citizens Advisory Committee, which is coming to grips with the concerns raised by the proposal to build a liquefied natural gas transfer station in the Sound between Connecticut and New York.

The roll call of problems – and of FCWC responses – goes on. For instance, we are dealing with the need for nitrogen reduction from New York City and Westchester sewage treatment plants, are supporting the County’s acquisition of Davids Island, which we hope will be accomplished this year, and continue to sponsor WESC, our highly successful student affiliate.

FCWC held a wonderful celebration gala in Hastings last October, honoring two organizations that are doing heroic work in preserving open space, the Westchester Land Trust and the Park Hill Land Conservancy.

As we review last year, we should not overlook the contribution made by Adiel Gavish. She has not only rejuvenated our office operation but has also taken on the challenges of serving as program manager for FCWC. As we enter a new year with renewed focus and enthusiasm, we thank our active group of directors, who have formally committed themselves to our new initiative. Even more important, we have many loyal members and supporters, both individuals and organizations, to whom we also pay tribute in these pages.

One of the new concepts we will emphasize for 2005 is to encourage participation by members who are not on our board to join one of our standing committees – program, fund development and public relations, and outreach/membership. Anyone interested should call our office, 914-422-4053. We would also value your comments and suggestions as together we go forward to ever greater effectiveness in protecting our environment.

Oreon Sandler is president of FCWC.

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FCWC, at 40, Adopts Strategy for Growth

By Warren Ross

Rather than basking in its record of protecting the county’s environment
for the past four decades, the board of Federated Conservationists of Westchester County decided to celebrate its 2005 anniversary by making sure that it will be even more successful in the future.

FCWC’s renewal process began with a rigorous evaluation of its structure and programs. Turning to George Colabella of Colabella Associates for professional assistance, board members engaged in a series of intensive meetings, one-on-one interviews, and written analyses, culminating in a 59-page report that offered 20 specific recommendations.

Colabella concluded that ever since its founding in 1965, FCWC has been “the premier environmental organization in Westchester and the region,” bringing together concerned citizens, numerous community organizations, educators and professionals, all committed to preserving and rehabilitating the county’s natural resources. “As a result of this sterling reputation,” he added, “government officials, environmental groups, schools and concerned citizens seek the informed opinions and direction which have become the touchstone of FCWC. The ability to serve as an umbrella organization for…environmental groups has also firmly established the leadership role of FCWC.”

As the basis of all future planning, FCWC affirmed that its vision is to make Westchester a county “where an environmental ethic defines and shapes all public and private decisions affecting our natural resources.” In line with this vision, FCWC sees as its mission to provide leadership that educates people about environmental issues, problems, and solutions…that advocates sound decision-making…and works with others to protect Westchester’s environment.

Neither this vision nor mission is new, but the huge increase and northward shift in the county’s population since 1965 has added tremendously to the pressure on our water, air, and open space. The board therefore adopted the Colabella recommendations designed to make its procedures more efficient. For instance, it was decided to shift the decision-making focus from the board to four standing committees, which will recommend actions and policies to the board for approval. In addition to the executive committee, there will now be one on outreach and membership; one dealing with fund development and public relations; and the pivotal program committee.

The program committee has already held its organizing meeting and decided to pursue three major targets for 2005: sustaining WESC, saving Davids Island, and promoting County legislation to protect clean air. (See related stories in this issue.) In addition, the committee, with the aid of additional board members and other volunteers, expects to develop position papers on the following environmental issues:

Þ Protecting Westchester’s various water bodies and watersheds,
Þ Transportation and traffic congestion,
Þ Preservation of open space and natural resources,
Þ Stormwater, solid waste and sewage management, and
Þ Control of pesticides and invasive species.

For greater efficiency, the size of the board will be reduced, and the standing committees will be beefed up by recruiting community members to join with the board representatives. The next and final step will be to revise the bylaws to reflect these changes. With that accomplished, FCWC will be poised to recruit a new executive director.

Warren Ross is a board member of FCWC

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Westchester Youth Takes Lead In Protecting Our Environment

By Heather Baker-Sullivan

Westchester Environment Student Council (WESC) has ambitious plans for continuing its programs of environmental education, advocacy training, and stewardship in 2005.

WESC is an all-Westchester group of high school students from all over the county who come together on a monthly basis to work for a common goal – the improvement of the environment. Sponsored by FCWC, WESC participants have come from schools in Hastings, Mamaroneck, New Rochelle, Ossining, Ossining Walkabout, Greenburgh, Mount Vernon, Hackley, Port Chester, Yorktown, Pelham, Thornwood, Valhalla, Scarsdale, Harrison, Edgemont, Somers, Irvington, Rye Brook, Cross River, Rye, and Brewster.

As part of its plans for this year, WESC will continue to focus on education about environmental policy, and advocacy on behalf of environmental issues at the state and local level. At the annual Pre-Earth Day Summit, students will again travel to Albany for what has become a WESC tradition – meeting with state legislators for Earth Day Lobby Day. In addition, the students will build on the interests expressed at their retreat in October of last year. These plans include a public debate on the future of the environmental movement, more stargazing, arranging for a performance of a troupe of puppeteers who educate
and entertain about the Hudson River and the New York City drinking water supply, a camping trip, and a repeat of last year’s sail aboard the Clearwater, which provides environmental education programs focused on the Hudson.

WESC Helps Clean Up Cranberry Preserve

During 2004, in addition to the Clearwater sail, WESC activities included an alternative energy workshop that featured demonstrations of electric and hybrid cars and presentations about biodiesel fuel, solar

energy, and building methods which encourage energy conservation. In addition, in partnership with area environmental groups, WESC students cleaned up two beaches in Sleepy Hollow and stargazed in Rockland County with members of a premier local astronomy club. In the fall, WESC cleaned up a record amount of trash from the Edith Read Sanctuary in Rye as part of the annual International Beach Clean Up Day sponsored by the American Littoral Society, helped clear invasive vines and clean up the Cranberry Lake Preserve, a Westchester county park in White Plains, and attended a lecture on a new technology for tracking bird migrations at night.

Students publicized these events through interviews with three area radio stations, by designing flyers and drafting press releases, and then reporting on their activities for FCWC’s newsletter and web site.

WESC is grateful for the support of the Westchester Community Foundation and Timberland, without which the program would not be possible.

Heather Baker-Sullivan is FCWC’s WESC coordinator.

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FCWC launches campaign to clean up Westchester’s air

By Adiel Gavish

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Westchester County has the fourth worst record for dangerous levels of particulate matter in the air and the seventh worst record for smog-producing ozone in the country. These harmful pollutants, found in auto exhaust and diesel fuel emissions, exacerbate heart and lung disease and also trigger asthma attacks. To bring the county’s air quality problem to the forefront, FCWC has undertaken a long-range educational campaign.

Members of the Healthy Air Task Force at a press conference, presenting their report, “Healthy Air Action Plan for Westchester County.” Back Row: Adiel Gavish, Cesare Manfredi, Michelle Bicek, David M. Martin, Peter Iwanowicz, Nathan Graber, Front Row: Hon. Tom Roach, Hon. Tom Abinanti and the Hon. Michael Kaplowitz

Last April, we held Westchester’s first air quality conference, involving representatives of county government, educators, public health officials, and the public. The conference stimulated County Legislator Tom Abinanti to commission a Healthy Air Task Force, which FCWC is chairing, working with other community leaders. On January 12, 2005, the task force followed up with a press conference at which it presented a report that proposes specific legislative actions the county can take to reduce air pollution in Westchester. (For more information about the task force report, contact the Westchesster County Board of Legislators Committee on the Environment at 914-995-2821 or 995-6297 or call FCWC at 914 422-4053 or write to info@fcwc.org.)

Meanwhile, on November 5 of last year, FCWC held its second air quality conference, which focused on air pollution from transportation, its sources and solutions. (See related story on the I-285 corridor, page 7.) In his welcome speech, County Executive Andrew Spano expressed his concern about air pollution and the county’s commitment to doing something about it.

FCWC is currently planning follow-up roundtables and workshops to further educate and engage the public in 2005. We will discuss and advocate proposed solutions, such as transitioning to ultra low sulfur diesel fuel for trucks, buses, and home heating oil, and using the best available retrofit energy technology. Another plank in the FCWC platform is to encourage both individuals and corporations, as well as the health care community, to become involved. As was repeatedly pointed out at the air quality conferences: “Dirty air is everywhere, we all breathe it, we are all affected by it – and we should all help to clean it up.”

Adiel Gavish is FCWC program manager.

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Honoring Heroes of the Environment

By Jan Blaire

FCWC hosted a gala benefit on October 2, 2004, to honor two exemplary land conservancies.

The event was held at the Draper Homestead in Hastings-on-Hudson, the home of noted author Christine Lehner. In attendance were numerous county legislators and elected officials.

State Representative Sandra Galef with the Westchester Land Trust’s Paul Gallay at the FCWC Fall Gala

Each year FCWC honors various people, organizations, or businesses that have made a difference for the future of the environment. The two organizations that were selected this year were the Park Hill Land Conservancy of Yonkers and the Westchester Land Trust. Sam Pryor, President of the Land Trust accepted the award for the WLT and Gail Averill accepted for the Park Hill Land Conservancy.

These two organizations are very different, in that the Park Hill Land Conservancy identifies small parcels within Yonkers that are worthy of preservation either as parkland or vistas and open space for the benefit of all. The WLT works on a larger scale by acquiring land through donation or conservation easements from land owners.

With the increase in development pressures these land trusts act as guardians of the land for future generations.

FCWC will be hosting another event in the fall. Watch for the date. It is sure to be another delightful event at another very exciting location.

Jan Blaire is a member of the FCWC board.

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Long Island Sound

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News From FCWC Member Organizations

Saw Mill River Coalition Champions an Urban Stream

By Carol Capobianco

Heavy land use, miles and miles of roadways, and a high population density have created multiple challenges for the Saw Mill River, such as flooding, pollution from stormwater runoff, streambank erosion, habitat loss, and ecosystem degradation.

Fortunately, the river has several champions in the partners of the Saw Mill River Coalition, an alliance of municipalities, government agencies, nonprofit groups, schools, businesses, and individuals dedicated to revitalizing and protecting this stressed Hudson River tributary.

The Coalition was created as a program of Groundwork Yonkers in 2001 to rebuild river advocacy activities, which had been carried out in the 1980s and 1990s by grassroots citizen groups but had subsequently diminished.

In 2003, a grant from the New York State DEC Hudson River Estuary Program provided initial funding to hire a part-time coordinator to revive and sustain efforts to improve the condition and visibility of the Saw Mill River. Since then, the network has expanded throughout the 12-municipality watershed, from the headwaters in New Castle at Chappaqua, to the mouth of the river 20 miles away at Yonkers. The Coalition continues to grow as word of our mission spreads.

As local officials and other decision-makers increasingly recognize that what happens upstream affects those downstream, they are acknowledging that by working together they can better resolve — and prevent — problems such as those mentioned above. To this end, the Coalition hopes to realize an intermunicipal agreement, with DEC funding, and is also working with Westchester County and the Army Corps of Engineers to develop a watershed management plan for the entire river basin, with input from various stakeholders and Coalition members.

Water quality is also high on our priority list. An EPA grant is allowing us to monitor the river during wet weather events with the help of students from Manhattan College in Riverdale and Saunders Trades and Technical High School in Yonkers. In the spring, we will team with volunteers in some of our communities to apply markers to storm drains that flow to the Saw Mill River, promoting pollution prevention. The markers, supplied by the Estuary Program and Hudson Basin River Watch, read: “Don’t Dump. Drains to Saw Mill River.”

The need to balance the health of the river with local needs also guides us in land use issues as we work with officials, citizens, and others in determining wise, sustainable practices throughout the watershed.

In downtown Yonkers, where the last half-mile of the Saw Mill River has been covered over for nearly a century, the Coalition is working with partner Scenic Hudson in efforts to uncover, or “daylight,” the river. The issue recently received media attention following Governor Pataki’s announcement of the project in his State of the State address.

Another exciting project we will begin this year, with the help of funding from the Westchester Community Foundation, is the launching of the Saw Mill River RATs, an affectionate acronym for “Restoration Action Team,” Through the program we will recruit and train citizen volunteers — the “Saw Mill River RATs” — in stream and habitat restoration, and they will assist in cleanups, invasive plant removal, and native plantings while increasing biodiversity along the river.

We have many more ideas and issues to work on than there is room here to write about or have been yet funded. If you are interested in being involved in the Coalition or the River RATs program, please contact me at carol@groundworkyonkers.org or 914-375-2151.

Carol Capobianco is Coordinator, Saw Mill River Coalition, and River Programs Director, Groundwork Yonkers
Saw Mill River Coalition Champions an Urban Stream

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Westchester Land Trust Sponsors Its Third Annual Photography Show

More than 120 photographs of Westchester’s landscapes, waterways, wildlife and communities were displayed at the WLT photo show in late January.

This year’s show was called “Town & Country: Westchester’s Great Places,” and was held at the Westchester Center for the Arts in Mount Kisco. It included the work of more than 65 photographers.

The Land Trust, which was one of two honorees at the FCWC gala benefit last October, had a year of signal successes in 2004, preserving some 2,800 acres in 24 communities, as well as helping local efforts to earmark roughly $30 million to acquire an additional 500 environmentally sensitive acres, with more acquisitions to come.

Selecting the show’s three top prize winners and six honorable mentions was photographer William Abranowicz of Bedford. Last year’s first prize winner, “Shadow” by Jerry Lucido of Ossining, is shown below.

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Helping Shore Birds Survive Their Greatest Challenge

By Sandra Marraffino

The greatest challenge facing shorebirds is probably the loss and declining quality of stopover habitats, but in at least one Long Island Sound location a coalition of volunteers and government agencies is working to reverse the trend.

Most shorebird species migrate along coastlines, but it is estimated that more than 20,000 to 25,000 acres of coastal wetlands are lost every year, with development and population pressures jeopardizing the future of the ones that remain. An ongoing restoration of an original tidal wetland in southern Westchester, however, is providing a salt marsh where birds can find food, shelter, and nesting habitat.

As part of the Long Island Sound Restoration Partnership with the New York State Clean Air/Clean Water bond act, funds were obtained to turn the Pryor Manor Marsh, a 2.5 acre stagnant freshwater pond on the Larchmont/New Rochelle border, back into a tidal salt marsh. Last year, Bronx River Sound Shore Audubon (formerly Scarsdale Audubon) was asked to conduct a bird inventory during the fall migrating season to determine the status of the birds frequenting the marsh.

BRSS President Doug Bloom and the writer made 84 visits to the marsh, and we were delighted with what we observed. We recorded 73 bird species and counted 3,980 individual birds. Various species of sandpipers, four kinds of herons, both snowy and great egrets, semipalmated plovers and killdeer – all searched the marsh for small fish, worms, grass shrimp, and other food. (See photo) Copies of the final report were given to the State Department of Environmental Conservation, the Town of Mamaroneck and the City of New Rochelle, and made available to the public.

Beginning with spring migration, BRSS members will continue their inventory of bird species at the marsh.

Sandra Marraffino, a BRSS board member, took the accompanying photo. The color originals are part of a comprehensive portfolio recording her observations.

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Updates:

Restrictions On Airport Flights Successfully Extended

By Carolyn Cunningham

With the Terminal Capacity Agreement (TCA) that limits the number of commercial flights and passengers using the Westchester County Airport set to expire at the end of 2004, FCWC stepped up its long-term efforts to prevent airport expansion and limit its environmental impact.

First, FCWC went on record as supporting the renewal of TCA – an agreement between the County and airlines which has been in place since 1984.

The County then hired an aviation law attorney whom FCWC had identified as its negotiator. He renegotiated the agreement in a form that could be formalized in a new County law that includes all the existing capacity limitations and extends them indefinitely. FCWC followed up by testifying before the County Board of Legislators in support of this law,” and congratulated the County administration and the board when the law was passed, calling its adoption “a great victory for environmental quality.”

A remaining objective is to work on ways to cap non-commercial flights, which make up the majority of airport traffic, and to continue to monitor the airport’s other impacts on environmental quality, including limiting contaminating runoff and noise.

Board member Carolyn Cunningham heads FCWC’s airport committee.

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Hope for Mobility on I-287

By Maureen Morgan

As we begin 2005 a real solution appears to be taking shape in the State Study on Mobility on the Tappan Zee Bridge/I-287 Corridor.

The word is that early this year the final four alternatives to be subjected for the full environmental impact study will be chosen, and we are led to believe that it will include a full-length commuter rail, running from Suffern in Rockland County to Port Chester in Westchester, thereby connecting five existing north/south rail lines. Such a link would connect Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and reach Pennsylvania, which is just across the Delaware River from the last stop on the Port Jervis line in Orange County, and has the potential of substantially reducing traffic on I-287.

FCWC has been involved with congestion issues on the Cross-Westchester Expressway for the last 10 years, starting with a New York City request to lead the opposition to the HOV Lane proposed for I-287. The effort was successful when Governor Pataki killed the project in 1998. This success kept the problem from getting worse but obviously did not solve it. It was in an effort to find a solution that the State organized the mobility study, which in turn developed the four possible options now to be examined.

This part of the study should take one to two years to determine the preferred alternative. The east/west rail link is by far the most effective environmental solution to a range of environmental dilemmas, including air pollution, loss of natural resources, and the assaults on water quality, to say nothing of giving us an opportunity to leave our car at home. The hard work is just ahead, educating the public about the rewards of a regional rail network before the decision is made as to the best alternative.

FCWC has been a leader in highlighting the health implications of air pollution caused by vehicular emissions and particulates, among other efforts chairing the County Healthy Air Task Force.

Maureen Morgan, a member of the FCWC board, is Director of the East/West Rail Project

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