Rensselaer Plateau Regional Conservation Plan:

The Rensselaer plateau is a unique natural, cultural, and economic resource in our backyards. Conserving and sustaining the natural and community values of the Rensselaer Plateau will require active collaboration, engagement, and planning, as we believe the outside threats to these resources are very real.

We have recently received a grant to coordinate the development of a regional conservation plan. Key elements of the project are: (1) collect and map ecological data and community values of the Rensselaer Plateau, (2) create opportunities for communication and collaboration within and between municipalities, landowners and stakeholders about this resource and its conservation and economic importance, (3) work with local governments, landowners and NY state to assist conservation awareness, (4) understand together the value of planning in order to ensure that the characteristics of the Rensselaer Plateau that we know and love and need remain, and (5) identify and develop the tools and additional information that municipalities might need in order to get there. From the results of the focus groups, municipal and stakeholder meetings, and from the ecological data and community value data collected, the planning toolbox will continue to be developed and a draft Conservation Plan will be assembled as valuable resources that municipalities can use.

The Towns of Nassau and Sand Lake and the Rensselaer Plateau Alliance have also been awarded a grant from the Hudson River Valley Greenway to fund an Economic Study as part of the Rensselaer Plateau Regional Conservation Plan. The economic study will provide critical information about the contributions of the area’s natural resources to industry, tourism and recreation, as well as for less tangible values such as abundant water supplies and clean air. This information will help inform a well-rounded conservation planning effort being done in cooperation with municipalities. We thank the Towns of Nassau and Sand Lake for supporting us in this effort.

Collection and mapping of ecological data for the Plateau will be led by resident Ecologist, Dr. David Hunt, with the help of a generous in-kind donation of his time and expertise. Input from the entire community of stakeholders (local officials, residents, forest land owners, recreational users and the local forest products industry) will be sought to develop the community values data – capturing what each value about the Plateau’s landscape and how the Plan could include their sense of stewardship. The grant also provides funds for hiring an outside consultant to run a series of detailed focus groups to bring local officials together to provide their thoughts and input, and one or more of the focus groups will include the public.

To date, the RPA has already invited each of the 10 towns of the plateau and the Village of East Nassau to participate in this work and the development of a Conservation Plan, many of which have passed resolutions of support or indicated their support.

Calendar:

We will also hold a series of stakeholder meetings throughout the first half of 2012.