By Hank Russell
The Town of North Hempstead received a Climate Smart Communities grant in the amount of $150,000 for climate resiliency projects. The money comes from a grant program in which more than $7.3 million has been distributed to municipalities statewide to help them achieve their climate goals.
Established in 2016, the Department of Environmental Conservation’s (DEC) Climate Smart Communities (CSC) grant program supports municipalities seeking to implement climate change adaptation and greenhouse gas mitigation projects, as well as undertake certain actions toward becoming certified Climate Smart Communities. The grant program for municipal climate action supports the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (Climate Act), which requires New York to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 85 percent below 1990 levels by 2050. Since the program’s inception, the DEC has awarded more than $69 million to municipalities in support of local climate mitigation and adaptation projects.
The grant money will be used by the town to hire a consultant to perform a Climate Vulnerability Assessment and create a Climate Adaptation Plan to help the town determine the best ways to adapt to climate change and build resilience in the community. The assessment and plan will encompass the entire geographic area of North Hempstead, including its coastal areas that lie within the Long Island Sound watershed.
“The vulnerability assessment will identify, analyze, and prioritize the effects of climate hazards and risks, like flooding, heat stress or drought on the Town’s various assets, including municipal, ecological, socio-economic, and historical assets,” the Town of North Hempstead said in a statement. “The adaptation plan will outline a vision and set of strategies to improve resilience to climate change based on the results of the vulnerability assessment.”
There will be a local 50% match consisting of personnel services provided by the staff; contractual services by Eco Leap, which is serving as North Hempstead’s climate action consultant, and the town’s climate vulnerability assessment and adaptation plan consultant; members of the formed working group volunteering their time; and the cost of supplies needed for outreach activities.
According to its website, Eco Leap helped North Hempstead complete a climate action plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20% by 2030. The plan was approved by the DEC Climate Smart Communities program.
“The entire process will be inclusive of all communities in the Town, including disadvantaged and potential environmental justice communities, through the formation of a working group that will guide the assessment, planning process, and extensive outreach to all areas of the Town,” the town stated.