Public Input Sought to Guide the Plan; Open House October 24 at SUNY New Paltz

KINGSTON, NY - Ulster County is pleased to invite all interested community members and stakeholders to a Public Open House for the Countywide Community Climate Action Plan (CCAP) on Thursday, October 24, at the College Terrace Building at SUNY New Paltz. The Open House will take place from 3 to 7 p.m., with presentations on the plan development process and key findings at 3 and 6 p.m.

A Climate Action Plan — which is in line with New York’s Climate Law — is a strategy document that inventories climate-damaging greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and sets forth actions that can be taken to reduce these emissions. The CCAP has been under development throughout the summer and fall, with a final plan expected by the end of this year.

The public Open House on October 24 is an opportunity for community stakeholders to engage with the project at their own self-guided pace and visualize the project as it nears completion. Poster boards will be set up for attendees to browse and vote on their favorite climate action initiatives, as well as to provide feedback and comments on each. Initiatives range from improving public transportation infrastructure, to providing climate and health education, to supporting businesses and residents with a clean energy transition through technical assistance. 

Project staff will be available at the Open House to answer questions and converse with attendees. Spanish translators will also be on hand to engage with Spanish speakers. Light refreshments will be provided, and all are encouraged to attend. Registration is suggested, but walk-ins are welcome. Learn more and register at: bit.ly/4dKpDOc

“We are happy to share the findings and progress we are making with the Countywide Community Climate Action Plan, and we are eager to engage the public even more in the process,” said Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger. “Many of the solutions to climate change also have other benefits for our communities, like improving public health, reducing energy costs, and expanding access to public transportation, to name a few, and community input is so important! This is a community-driven plan, and we want to hear from our residents about the climate solutions they would like to see the County government prioritize.”

To date, the County has hosted focus groups in Ellenville, Kingston and Milton, public and stakeholder information sessions, and conducted tabling events throughout the summer across the County at various community events to share information and collect community feedback. The goal is to create a finalized plan that accurately reflects priority needs of the community and meets those needs with feasible, innovative, and impactful climate action initiatives that reduce GHG emissions countywide. 

Members of the public can engage with this project, share ideas online and complete a new public CCAP Survey through an interactive Participate Ulster page, here: https://participate.ulstercountyny.gov/community-climate-action-plan.

BACKGROUND

The County completed a Government Operations Climate Action Plan in 2019 that inventories emissions from government facilities and operations and recommends actions for reducing those emissions. In January 2023, County Executive Metzger issued an Executive Order that builds on that plan, with 13 directives to reduce climate-damaging emissions and align County climate goals with New York's Climate Act. The County has since strengthened its Green Fleet Policy, adopted a more stringent Sustainable Purchasing Policy, and created the first County Decarbonization Fund in the state — an $18 million reserve to improve energy efficiency and reduce fossil fuel use in government buildings, among other actions.  

The County is now embarking on the next step to assess community-level emissions across different sectors, including transportation, residential energy, agriculture, and solid waste.

The Ulster County CCAP has been funded in part by the Climate Smart Communities Grant Program, Title 15 of the Environmental Protection Fund, through the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.