FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 19, 2018

City of Kingston, Conservation Advisory Council and Tree Commission to Host Public Meeting on Tuesday, June 26^th

Special Presentation to Feature Natural Resource Maps, Tree Inventory Results and

Open Space Planning Process

KINGSTON, NY – The City of Kingston, in collaboration with the Kingston Conservation Advisory Council and the Kingston Tree Commission, invites the public to attend a special presentation that will introduce the city’s Natural Resources Inventory (NRI) maps and data, as well as the city’s Street and Park Tree Inventory. The public meeting will be held on Tuesday, June 26^th from 6:00-8:00 p.m., at the City Hall Common Council Chambers, which is located at 420 Broadway in Kingston.

The meeting is designed to introduce the public to the many natural assets within the City of Kingston, displayed on user-friendly maps and compiled into data sets. This meeting will serve as a presentation of findings, as well as information solicitation from attendees, to best inform the completion of the next phase of the project: an Open Space Plan for the City of Kingston. Participation and feedback will be encouraged both during the meeting as well as following. Doors will open at 6:00pm to allow individuals to review maps and speak directly with project staff; a formal presentation will begin shortly thereafter followed by an opportunity for the public to provide input and ask questions.

John Mickelson, Principal of Geospatial and Ecological Services, and consultant to the City for the NRI will present the data and maps created to date as well as different methods to use them including hard copy maps, online data access, and Google Earth manipulation. Bill Brown from ArborPro, Inc., the consultant to the City for the Street and Park Tree Inventory, will present the key findings from the Tree Inventory Project. Michael Allen from Behan Planning and Design will launch the next phase of the project with an introduction to the Open Space Planning process.

Laura Heady, Conservation and Land Use Program Coordinator with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s Hudson River Estuary Program/Cornell University, will give an overview on the ecological benefits of natural areas and the ways that NRIs and Open Space Plans can inform community planning, with examples from the Hudson Valley.

“The natural resource planning that the City is undertaking will serve to increase awareness of the natural areas around Kingston while providing a roadmap for future planning efforts,” said Julie Noble, Environmental Education and Sustainability Coordinator for the City of Kingston.  By compiling a large amount of map information into one planning tool, such as geology, streams, and land use, NRIs and Tree Inventories are an important component of comprehensive planning and can reveal the areas most suitable for community growth, development of parks, and conservation of the most important natural features.

The Street and Park Tree Inventory will serve as a tool for the City of Kingston to understand our community forest, including street and yard trees, parks and undeveloped green spaces. Effective inventory of this asset and management of these trees will continue to provide ecosystem services including air and water quality benefits, energy savings, and environmental health and enhance the quality of life in Kingston.

Support for the City of Kingston Natural Resources Inventory, the City of Kingston Open Space Plan and the Kingston Tree Inventory was provided by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, with funds provided under the NYS Environmental Protection Fund (EPF).

This program is free.  Residents, business owners, developers, planners, consultants, elected officials, policy makers, neighboring municipalities and non-profits who are interested in the future of Kingston’s open space and natural resources are encouraged to attend.

For more information, call Environmental Education and Sustainability Coordinator Julie Noble, (845) 481-7339 or Assistant Planner Kyla DeDea, (845) 334-3954.

Meeting Agenda

6:00-6:15pm      Public Review of Maps, Speak with Project Staff

6:15-6:20pm      Welcome and Background                         

                         Emilie Hauser, Kingston CAC

6:20-6:30pm      Overview of Ecological Benefits of Open Space and Natural Areas                           

                         Laura Heady, NYSDEC Hudson River Estuary Program/Cornell University

6:30-7:00pm      City of Kingston Natural Resources Inventory

                         John Mickelson, Geospatial and Ecological Services

7:00-7:30pm      Kingston Tree Inventory Project                            

                         Bill Brown, ArborPro, Inc.

7:30-8:00pm      Open Space Plan for City of Kingston                              

                         Michael Allen, Behan Planning and Design