Conservation Planning for Municipal Officials in Dutchess County

The internet and online tools are making it easier than ever before to obtain basic information about habitats and water resources at the parcel or town-wide scale and beyond. This training will provide an opportunity for guided hands-on learning of Dutchess County online mapping tools, as well as regional and statewide natural resource mappers. Members of conservation advisory councils, municipal planning and zoning boards and staff, watershed organizations, and interested citizens are encouraged to attend. Participants will practice conducting a preliminary site assessment for conservation values in the context of a municipal open space acquisition program.

Presenters include:

Sean Carroll - Cornell Cooperative Extension Dutchess County
Laura Heady - NYSDEC Hudson River Estuary Program
Robert Wills - Dutchess County Planning
Julie Hart - Dutchess Land Conservancy

Breakfast and coffee will begin at 8:30 AM, and the training itself will start at 9:00 AM. Light refreshments will also be served throughout the remainder of the morning.

Municipal training credits (4 hours) will be available on request.

*As a disclaimer, this is not a formal GIS (geographic information systems) training. We will simply be using free, online mapping tools in the context of conservation planning.