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The Climate Smart Communities (CSC) Program began in 2009 as an interagency initiative of New York State. The CSC program is jointly sponsored by the following six NYS agencies: Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC); Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA); Department of Public Service; Department of Transportation (DOT); Department of Health (DOH); and the Power Authority (NYPA). DEC acts as the main administrator of the program. The program helps local governments take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to a changing climate. To learn more visit https://climatesmart.ny.gov/about/
The Putnam County Climate Smart website is featured as an affiliate webpage under the Department of Planning, Development, and Public Transportation, the department leading the County's Climate Smart efforts. This site is intended to only reflect the efforts/initiatives that Putnam County as its own municipality has taken to mitigate and adapt to the climate crisis. Additionally, this site will act as an educational resource to residents and other municipalities interested in achieving a lower carbon footprint. Other municipalities have the opportunity to register and/or certify as a CSC and create their own programs.
The list of registered/certified communities within Putnam and their websites are as follows:
Climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns. Such shifts can be natural, due to changes in the sun’s activity or large volcanic eruptions. But since the 1800s, human activities have been the main driver of climate change (aka anthropogenic climate change) primarily due to the burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas. Burning fossil fuels generates greenhouse gas emissions that act like a blanket wrapped around the Earth, trapping the sun’s heat and raising temperatures. The main greenhouse gases that are causing climate change include carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4). Popular sources of CO2 emmissions include combustion engines (gasoline and diesel), coal and natural gas burning for heat and energy, and deforestation (removing carbon sinks). 87 percent of all human-produced carbon dioxide emissions come from the burning of fossil fuels like coal, natural gas and oil. Major sources of CH4 emmissions include agriculture, oil and gas operations, wastewater treatment, and landfills. Energy, industry, transport, buildings, agriculture and land use are among the main sectors causing greenhouse gases. (Source: United Nations)
“Climate change” and “global warming” are often used interchangeably but have distinct meanings. Similarly, the terms "weather" and "climate" are sometimes confused, though they refer to events with broadly different spatial and time scales. Climate change refers to changes in weather patterns and growing seasons around the world. It also refers to sea level rise caused by the expansion of warmer seas and melting ice sheets and glaciers. Global warming causes climate change, which poses a serious threat to life on Earth in the forms of widespread flooding and extreme weather. (Source: NASA)
Climate change effects can be seen and felt accross the entire United States. To learn more about regional impacts of climate change, visit https://climatechange.chicago.gov/climate-impacts/climate-change-impacts-region.
According to the NYSDEC "the annual statewide average temperature in New York has warmed 3°F (0.6°F per decade) since 1970. The state's average temperatures are projected to rise by as much as another 3°F by 2080 with the greatest warming occurring in the northern parts of the state. Rising annual temperatures are already having widespread impacts on New York's communities and ecosystems and impacts are expected to increase. New York State's changing climate may no longer be able to support the types of plants, insects, and wildlife living in New York, particularly those in high-elevation regions like the Catskills and Adirondacks. As New York's temperatures increase, these species will extend their range north, impacting the industries and economies that depend on them such as fishing, hunting, and tourism."
Across the northeastern U.S., winters are warming faster than any other season. Over the last century, average winter temperatures have increased by approximately 3°F, spring temperatures by 2°F, and summer and fall temperatures by 1.4°F. Warmer winter temperatures and fewer days below freezing bring winter precipitation in the form of rain casuing reduced snow cover and earlier spring snow melt. Reduced snow cover not only effects winter tourism in the State but also increases the vulnerability of certain plants that depend on snow for insulation, and wildlife that depend on snow for protection from predators during the winter.
Warmer winters in New York are also affecting the winter-spring season transition, impacting the timing of blooming for trees and flowers which migrating and hibernating wildlife depend on for food. Changes to the timing of the winter-spring transition can also impact agriculture by extending the length of the growing season, with the last frost of winter occurring earlier in the year. Although increasing the length of the growing season can have advantages, it can also impact the types of crops that can be grown, encourage invasive species, weed growth, and crop diseases, and increase demand for irrigation. (Source: NYSDEC)
Many states have taken action against climate change and its effects by incorporating mitigation and adaptaion planning strategies for example. Specifically, New York State created the Climate Smart Communities (CSC) program in 2009 to ensure that statewide municipalities would act on climate change and its impacts. NYSERDA's Clean Energy Communities (CEC) program began in 2016 to encourage local governments in New York State to implement clean energy actions, save energy costs, create jobs, and improve the state of our environment.
To learn more about the impact of climate change in New York, visit https://dec.ny.gov/environmental-protection/climate-change/new-york-response
As is the case with most of the United States, Putnam County and the Hudson Valley area are no strangers to the impacts of climate change. In short, below is an outline of the challenges that lie ahead for our region.
To learn more about how climate change is impacting the Hudson valley region, visit https://theotherhudsonvalley.com/2018/11/29/climate-change-hudson-valley/
By Resolution 114 of 2019, Putnam County became a registered community by taking the 10-element pledge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to a changing climate. The focus of the CSC program is to encourage local governments to commit to climate action by passing a resolution containing the ten point CSC Pledge. Putnam County has taken the pledge and the elements of which follow:
Fore more information about the Climate Smart Communities Pledge, click the following link to view the pledge elements: https://climatesmart.ny.gov/actions-certification/certification-overview/certification-framework/
To view Putnam County’s Climate Smart Community Pledge Resolution, click here.
The Town of Kent, Village of Nelsonville, Town of Putnam Valley, and Putnam County are all individually registered communities apart from the Town of Philipstown being a Bronze certified community.
Following our registration as a participating community, the former County Executive, MaryEllen Odell, selected the Executive Capital Projects Committee to serve as the CSC Task Force. In 2023 we revitalized the Task Force to include more members of the community as well as personnel from multiple county departments and to build upon the previous efforts that primarily took place in 2019. The Department of Planning, Development, and Public Transportation is responsible for leading and maintaining climate smart initiatives.
The Task Force membership is as follows:
Meeting Minutes
In 2019 Ameresco, a renewable energy/energy efficiency engineering company, completed an Investment Grade Audit (IGA) for Putnam County, New York. In the IGA Ameresco, together with Putnam County, set forth a plan to identify, manage and conserve energy through a variety of Energy Conservation Measures (ECM). By implementing these ECMs with Ameresco, each facility owned and operated by the County will become a more safe, productive, and cost-effective environment for taxpayers and employees alike. To view the final report see below.
As part of the CSC program, Putnam County created a Community GHG Inventory utilizing 2020-2022 data which identifies and quantifies the sources of GHG emissions from community activities and establishes a baseline from which future emissions reductions and progress can be measured. The Community GHG Report below was developed using a template provided by the Hudson Valley Regional Council (HVRC).
With capital projects funding, the County installed rooftop solar arrays on the Kern Building in 2021, on the County Office Building (COB) in 2022, and on buildings 1, 2, and 3 of the Donald B. Smith (DBS) Government Campus in 2023. The peak capacity for all five buildings is roughly 371 kW. All building solar arrays are currently active, however, only the Kern Building and DBS Government campus buildings are fully integrated into the SolarEdge monitoring system. The COB will be fully uploaded to the system later in 2024/early 2025. The Kern Building's solar panel installation was advertised via The Examiner News in 2021, the link to the press release is as follows: https://www.theexaminernews.com/putnam-county-goes-solar-with-panels-on-kern-building/. All energy generated from the arrays goes back into the building to reduce the charge from the utility provider (NYSEG). In instances when the building is drawing less power than currently being generated (i.e. weekends and holidays) the extra power is exported back to the utility grid (NYSEG) and the County receives a credit on their utility bill. The following documentation gives an overview of the installations:
The Putnam County Legislature adopted a Complete Streets Policy (below) in December 2023. The Policy was developed by the Department of Planning, Development, and Public Transportation as well as the Department of Public Works in accordance with NYSDOT standards and CSC Program requirements in order to evaluate existing projects and implement new projects that adhere to Complete Street's objectives. For more information about Complete Streets study locations visit: https://putnamcountyny.com/planning-department
The 2021 Putnam County Hazard Mitigation Plan identifies hazards of concern including harmful algal blooms, drought, disease outbreak, extreme temperatures, floods, wildfires, severe storms, and more which have the potential to be exacerbated by climate change. With participation from each community within the County, mitigation and adaptation is possible with the pooling of resources and the creation of partnerships that ultimately foster more resilient communities. Putnam County completed its HMP in collaboration with Tetra Tech; the Plan has since been submitted to and approved by NYSDHSES and FEMA. To view the approved plan, visit https://putnamcountynyhmp.com/draft-plans/.
Within the past decade, Putnam County has taken several steps in making the Putnam community more resilient against climate change. The following is a list of ongoing projects/events undertaken by the County.
In 2019 Ameresco, a renewable energy/energy efficiency engineering company, completed a comprehensive Investment Grade Audit (IGA) for Putnam County facilities. In the IGA Ameresco, together with the County, set forth a plan to identify, manage and conserve energy through a variety of Energy Conservation Measures (ECM). By implementing these ECMs with Ameresco, each facility owned and operated by the County will become a more safe, productive, and cost-effective environment for taxpayers and employees alike. Current ECMs for county facilities include web enabled programmable thermostat upgrades, roof repairs, solar PV array installations, window/door replacements, building skin replacements, AHU/HVAC upgrades, and more.
Each Spring the County's Soil & Water Conservation District partners with the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Putnam County to host a native tree and shrub seedling sale. The seedling sale has a long-standing tradition of prioritizing and planting trees and shrubs that create habitats and protect water quality. Planting native trees reduces the amount of storm-water runoff which in turn reduces erosion and water pollution while stabilizing shorelines and reducing the effects of flooding. CCE orders its selection of plants from local nurseries that offer native trees, shrubs, and perennials that support bird and pollinator populations.
To learn more about the annual Putnam County Tree and Shrub Seedling Sale, visit https://cceputnamcounty.org/events/2023/02/14/putnam-countys-annual-tree-and-shrub-seedling-sale
To learn more about the significance of planting native species, visit https://www.audubon.org/content/why-native-plants-matter.
For a list of NY native plants for gardening and landscaping, visit https://extapps.dec.ny.gov/docs/lands_forests_pdf/factnatives.pdf.
Curbside garbage and recycling programs are managed by each of the towns in Putnam County. For more information about your program, including pickup schedules, please contact your town.
To learn more about Putnam County recycling and composting, visit https://www.putnamcountyny.com/health/recycle/.
Putnam County hosts two Household Hazardous Waste Drop Off Days (HHWD) each year, typically the first weekends of May and October at the Canopus Beach Parking Lot at Fahnestock State Park. For a list of accepted and non-accepted items, visit https://www.putnamcountyny.com/health/recycle/.
Residents can help reduce the community’s carbon footprint, the total greenhouse emissions of the community, and create a cleaner, more sustainable environment. Most plastics are manufactured from materials that are made from fossil fuels like gas and oil. The process of withdrawing and transporting said fossil fuels creates large amount of greenhouse gases. Then even more greenhouse gasses are created when plastics are manufactured. This whole process ends up creating billons of tons of greenhouse gases. To learn more about plastic waste and its connection to climate change, click here: https://www.wwf.org.au/news/blogs/plastic-waste-and-climate-change-whats-the-connection#gs.bfotrq
Residents can reduce the amount of plastic being used by switching out plastic items with their metal equivalent. For example, replacing plastic bottles, bags, cutlery and even toothbrushes with the metal equivalent. However if plastic items are used, residents should recycle or reuse said items.
For more information on reducing waste, click here: https://www.epa.gov/recycle/reducing-waste-what-you-can-do
Individuals can also cut down their own carbon footprint by using bikes, public transportation or by walking to cut down on CO2 emissions. Purchasing and supporting local goods and services can reduce an individual’s carbon footprint. Residents can also support the community become more green by supporting local efforts like The Putnam County Annual Tree and Shrub Seedling Sale and Putnam County Agricultural and Farmland Protection Plan & Farmers Market
To learn how to calculate your carbon footprint visit here:https://www3.epa.gov/carbon-footprint-calculator/
Individuals can also switch to green or renewable energy. That can include installing solar panels which uses panels to convert sunlight into current which can be used for energy consumption at home.
To learn more about solar panels, click here: https://www.livescience.com/41995-how-do-solar-panels-work.html and https://www.reliablecounter.com/blog/the-best-flexible-solar-panels-in-2019-the-ultimate-guide/
If individuals have the option have a green energy supplier to power their homes, this can decrease their carbon footprint. Green energy or power uses electricity created from renewable energy sources like hydropower, wind, or solar. Decreasing nonrenewable energy use is a major component of decreasing an individual’s carbon footprint. The creation of nonrenewable energy from natural gas, coal and oil, also produces carbon dioxide. This gas becomes one of the greenhouse gasses that get trap heat in the atmosphere and therefore increases the average temperature of the Earth’s surface.
Energy efficient appliances and lighting can also reduce one’s carbon footprint while also reducing costs. LED lightbulbs and Smart lightbulbs are more energy efficient, and overtime will become more cost effective, than a regular lightbulb. Al of these options decreases the amount of nonrenewable energy an individual uses and as a result decreases an individual’s carbon footprint.
To learn more about energy efficient lighting and appliances click here: https://www.nyserda.ny.gov/Residents-and-Homeowners/Use-Efficient-Appliances-and-Lighting
To learn more about decreasing your carbon footprint click here: https://www.nyserda.ny.gov/Residents-and-Homeowners/Reduce-Your-Footprint
How to Go Solar, Save Money and Support Sustainable Putnam
You’ve probably received more than a few pieces of mail offering you the possibility of going solar and saving 10% on your electric bill. Well, it’s true! New York State’s excellent energy policies allow any New Yorker to “subscribe” to a solar farm through community solar programs. It costs you nothing, and you’re guaranteed to save on your electric bill.
Sustainable Putnam has held discussions with a number of community solar providers, and we’re happy to say that we’ve recently selected Ampion Renewable Energy as our partner. Ampion connects homeowners with responsibly sited and constructed New York State solar farms, and they’ve agreed to support Sustainable Putnam, as we educate and encourage Putnam residents to go solar.
Subscribing to a Community Solar Farm supports the growth of clean energy and green jobs and reduces your household’s carbon footprint. Signing up for an Ampion subscription costs you nothing, and reduces your electricity bill by 10%! There’s nothing to install, no entry or exit fees, and you can cancel at any time. And for every approved customer, Ampion will donate $100 to Sustainable Putnam! Win, win, and win!
Sign up here today! Help to green our electrical grid while establishing a more sustainable Putnam County.
Still have questions? Direct your inquiries to:
• Joe Montuori, Sustainable Putnam Chair, at
Educational Links
Resource Links
A natural resources inventory (NRI) compiles information on important, naturally occurring features within a given locality (e.g., municipality, watershed, or region), such as geology, soils, streams, wetlands, forests, and wildlife. Cultural resources such as scenic and recreational assets are often included, as well. NRIs are comprised of maps, data, and a report that describes the resources and the project. The NRI may be integrated into a comprehensive, open space, or watershed plan, or be a stand-alone reference. The inventories themselves are completely voluntary and basically serve two different purposes (1) to provide the building blocks for comprehensive land-use and conservation planning, and (2) to allow natural resource information to be included in local planning and zoning. (Source: NYSDEC)
The Planning Department is open from 9am to 5pm Monday through Friday with the exception of Summer Hours from mid-June through mid-September (8am - 4pm).
The Putnam County Climate Smart initiative was undertaken by the Department of Planning, Development, and Public Transportation in order to take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to a changing climate.
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