Hudson Conservation Advisory Council

Open Space and Natural Resources Inventory

Preliminary DebriefingDecember 2016

123 S. Cayuga St. Ste. 201 | Ithaca, New York | (607) 252-6710 | www.randall-west.com

Dear Chairperson Lerner and Members of the Conservation Advisory Council:

Randall + West is excited to provide consultant services for the City of Hudson Conservation Advisory Council’s Open Space and Natural Resources Inventory. We truly enjoyed our first team visit to Hudson this month and are looking forward to continuing to explore the possibilites for putting the Natural Resources Inventory in motion on behalf of the CAC and the larger Hudson community.

This debriefing report summarizes what we learned during our visit and our subsequent progress. The purpose of this report is to: i) document and collate the information presented and discussed, ii) recap the meetings attended, clarifying the agreed upon decision and project directions and iii) consider the next steps.

Thank you for your assistance in making our trip a successful event. We appreciate your time and expertise, and look forward to continued collaboration!

Sincerely,

C.J. Randall, Principal, LEED AP NDDavid West, Principal, LEED APBrian Buchanan, Ph.D.

Randall + West | 123 S. Cayuga St. Ste. 201 | Ithaca, New York | (607) 252-6710 | www.randall-west.com

Preliminary DebriefingHudson CAC Open Space and Natural Resources Inventory 3

Randall + West, Inc.123 S. Cayuga St. Suite 201

Ithaca, New York 14850(607) 252-6710

www. randall-west.comNYS WBE certified business

Tax ID: 46-2222773New York State domestic business corporation

Contact

C.J. Randall, Principal, LEED AP ND

cjr@randall-west.com

David J. West, Principal, LEED AP

djw@randall-west.com

Brian Buchanan, Ph.D.bb386@ccornell.edu

Preliminary DebriefingHudson CAC Open Space and Natural Resources Inventory

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Synthesis

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Goals & Assets

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Next Steps

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Appendix: Preliminary Data Inventory Spreadsheet

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Preliminary DebriefingHudson CAC Open Space and Natural Resources Inventory 5

Synthesis

The City of Hudson, NY, has selected Randall + West to guide and assist the City’s Conservation Advisory Council in preparing an Open Space and Natural Resources Inventory. The Open Space and Natural Resources Inventory is funded by a grant from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s Hudson River Estuary Program (HREP), as part of a conservation and restoration blueprint to support the long-term sustainability of the River and its communities.

The Randall + West consulting team visited the City of Hudson on December 6-7, 2016. Over the course of a day-and-a-half, the team made observations in preparation for the assembly of the Natural Resources Inventory and Conservation Planning Guidelines. The assessment was largely held in the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce building, and included informational briefings, driving and walking tours, and interviews with residents, the Chair of the Planning Board, the Mayor, the Superintendent of Public Works, a representative from the Columbia Land Conservancy, NYSDEC representatives, the Hudson Development Corporation, and Conservation Advisory Council members.

We learned that preparing the NRI will require a holistic approach, especially since it will be conducted concurrent with the New York Department of State Local Waterfront Revitalization Program (LWRP) and associated Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Ordinance amendments. One challenge we face is actively engaging Hudson’s diverse constituency without creating planning fatigue. Broad input will be particularly important for understanding the political and social realities that will form the context for actionable policies with real conservation potential.

Given that the best antidote to planning fatigue is action, Randall + West will prepare a graphically-enhanced Open Space and Natural Resources Inventory based on conservation and land use planning principles, along with written Conservation Planning Guidelines and an ArcGIS Story Map website. The more informed the community is about the Guidelines, and the more accessible and digestible those planning recommendations are, the more likely the inventory will become a key component in driving development and conservation decisions, especially by local boards and municipal officials.

The objectives of the Open Space and Natural Resources Inventory and accompanying Conservation Planning Guidelines are to:

• Engage the Hudson community in thinking about and working towards conservation goals;• Provide the Conservation Advisory Council a publicly accessible online Natural Resources

Inventory that identifies and describes prioritization areas for conservation and development consistent with ongoing climate adaptation and resilience efforts;

• Recommend local planning, zoning, environmental quality review, and other policy updates in the Conservation Planning Guidelines; and

• Distribute and present these materials in a manner that promotes greater coordination between municipal boards and agencies and that supports the goal of improved City procedures, plans, and policies in concert with the September 2015 Hofstra Report.

Preliminary DebriefingHudson CAC Open Space and Natural Resources Inventory

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Goals

As part of our public kickoff meeting with the Conservation Advisory Council on the evening of December 6th, we asked participants to ‘brainwrite’ ways the Natural Resources Inventory could be used. The reponses will help shape the direction and scope of the inventory and will guide our development of the outreach plan and final deliverable. Ideas were collected with group brainwriting and noted on sticky notes, after the meeting additional notes were available for attendees to add new ideas. The brainwriting system helps to engage the whole room in discussion, while making room for participants who are less outgoing to record their suggestions.

Uses Identified:• Improving and Supporting Recreation Opportunities -

Trails & Blueways, Harbor Management Plans• Reviewing and Guiding Development Proposals• Assisting in SEQRA reviews - including creating local

thresholds and identifying Significant Habitat Areas• Street Tree Identification, Improvement and Guidance• Supporting Tourism and Small Businesses by protecting

the natural assets• Guiding Waterfront Redevelopment and Remediation• Understanding and improving Storm Water System and

Green Infrastructure Opportunities• Identifying Historic Preservation Opportunities and Protecting Cultural Resources• Prioritizing areas for infill to meet housing needs, particularly affordable housing

Assets

The City of Hudson has tremendous urban, ecological, architectural, and human capital assets, reflected in its rich maritime history, as well as the extensive network of social and environmental committees, news media, and civic organizations. Hudson is home to environmentally sensitive wetlands and mudflats representing critical habitat for numerous terrestrial and aquatic animals, as well as an array of legacy commercial and industrial properties on its waterfront. Community

Durring out initial site visit, the Randall + West team gathered information about the various opportunities to create a strong community driven process. This information was bolstered in the kickoff meeting when we asked participants to help brainstorm people, groups, and organizations that they would like to see involved in the Natural Resources Inventory process.

Goals & Assets

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Specifically, participants identified over 40 different people, groups, companies, constituencies and organizations that would be an asset to the process. The identified groups included a broad spectrum including local news outlets, decision makers, neighborhood groups and churches, schools and clubs, developers and economic development professionals, people most affected by gentrification and the housing shortage.

The list includes constituents who are certain to engage in the process and others who we will likely need to reach out to through a variety of channels in order to foster meaningful dialogue regarding how and where to prioritize conservation and development in the City of Hudson.

Data

As part of our initial visit to the City, our team was able to collect existing spatial data from the Conservation Advisory Council including a large amount of data collected by HREP, Columbia County, the Department of Public Works, DEC, the Audubon Society, Hudsonia, and the Columbia Land Conservancy. We have also gathered a wide range of national and regional data on land use, soils, hydrology, sea level rise, flooding, and key habitats and species.

Throughout the parsing of this data, which is still ongoing, it has become clear that there is a wealth of existing information for this area. We look forward to engaging with the CAC, local environmental clubs, schools and neighbohood groups to collect additional data that will guide our recomendations and help establish a plan for the community moving forward. Please note, a provisional table of existing and potential data sources is included as an appendix to this report.

Goals & Assets

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There appears to be a strong desire in the Hudson community to incorporate comprehensive, climate-adaptive planning into existing decision-making processes. This will require creative use of regulatory authority and neighborhood-scale capacity building efforts as well as meaningful engagement with the private sector. To complete the Natural Resources Inventory the Randall + West team will focus on the following tasks:

• Mapping and Methodology – current • Public Participation Plan and Engagement – current • Open Space and Natural Resources Inventory with ArcGIS Story Map – 1st-3rd quarters

2017• Conservation Planning Guidelines – 4th quarter 2017 - 2nd quarter 2018

Mapping and Methodology

Once the data has been collected and inventoried. Randall + West will identify gaps, and develop a methodology for identifying, evaluating and prioritizing opportunities for gathering additional field data via Collector for ArcGIS or via the CAC’s Garmin GPSMAP 64S. If necessary, Randall + West will gather additional outside data sources and datasets identified by the CAC. As previously noted, we have begun to inventory existing GIS shapefile data and have attached a preliminary data inventory table as an appendix to this debriefing.

Interim Deliverable 1: Technical Memo describing the current datasets with an appendix table of the collected attribute data.

Public Participation Plan and Engagement

Interactive community engagement allows participants to learn experientially alongside staff and officials, and is more useful and fun than conventional public meetings. Good public engagement breaks down the barriers between public and practitioner, demystifying the process, decoding the acronyms, and reflecting the values and needs of disparate constituencies.

While the specifics will be determined in conjunction with the CAC, we expect to include substantial time for phone interviews with key stakeholders; developing, deploying and analyzing an email-based survey; and collaborative mapping opportunities where participants will review existing data and add new data in a web-based map.

Deliverable 1: Public Participation Plan – draft for CAC review, January 2017

Next Steps

Appendix

Preliminary Data Inventory Spreadsheet

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Inventory Component Recommended Data to Include Data Sources (Potential) Extent Data Type Status

Base Map Layers

Orthoimagery 1-ft Orthoimagery NYS Digital Orthoimagery https://gis.ny.gov/gateway/mg/nysdop_download.cfm

City of Hudson; Entire county is available

GIS Raster Downloaded

Transportation Networks

Major Roads Columbia Cnty Geodatabase Columbia County GIS Shapefile Downloaded

All Roads Columbia Cnty Geodatabase Columbia County GIS Shapefile Downloaded

Railroads Columbia Cnty Geodatabase Columbia County GIS Shapefile Downloaded

Political Boundaries

Cadastral Data 2016 Tax Parcels Columbia Cnty Geodatabase Columbia County GIS Shapefile Downloaded

Municipal Boundaries

Municipal boundaries Columbia Cnty Geodatabase Columbia County GIS Shapefile Downloaded

Cities & Towns NYS GIS Shapefile Downloaded

Villages NYS GIS Shapefile Downloaded

County NYS GIS Shapefile Downloaded

State NYS GIS Shapefile Downloaded

Elevation & Terrain Analyses

Digital Elevation Models

10m DEM https://viewer.nationalmap.gov/basic/ Add GIS-Raster Downloaded 10m DEM clipped to the study boundary Derived from Rough_Mask and 10m DEM Rough Mask GIS-Raster Created

1m-LiDAR Derived DEM

https://coast.noaa.gov/dataviewer/#/lidar/search/-8216152.981560529,5196525.922238482,-8212590.757855145,5201338.5377486665/details/1408

All of City of Hudson GIS-Raster Downloaded;

see notes

Slope Percent slope calculated from a digital elevation model Used Saga algorithm Rough Mask GIS-Raster Created

Contours Topographic contour lines (5 ft increments) GIS Shapefile Hillshade 10m hillshade derived from USGS_10m Derived from USGS_10m Rough Mask GIS-Raster Created

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Filled DEM 10m depression filled DEM Derived from USGS_10m Rough Mask GIS-Raster Created

Burned DEM 10m depression filled DEM with stream lines burned in

Derived from USGS_10m and digitized stream network Rough Mask GIS-Raster Created

Stream Power Index Stream Power Index Derived from USGS_10m Rough Mask GIS-Raster Created

TWI Topographic Wetness Index Derived from USGS_10m Rough Mask GIS-Raster Created Geology and Soils

Bedrock and Surficial Geology

Bedrock and surficial geology features and table with geologic unit attributes

NRCS Web Soil Survey websoilsurvey.sc.egov.usda.gov: SSURRGO Soils Database

GIS-Raster

Soils Soil survey units and table with attributes Downloaded

Soil survey https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_MANUSCRIPTS/new_york/NY021/0/Columbia.pdf

June 1989 NRCS survey Downloaded

Water Resources

Groundwater and Aquifers Unconsolidated aquifers Columbia Cnty Geodatabase Columbia County GIS-Shapefile Downloaded

Streamflow Data for Hudson Summary of nearest flow gage(s) data on Hudson River. http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/rt

GIS-Shapefile

Streamflow Data for Ungaged Streams

Summary of stream stats data for relevant creeks and streams in the study area

New York Rural Water Resources; USGS Stream Stats water.usgs.gov/osw/streamstats/new_york.html

GIS-Shapefile Downloaded

Watersheds

National Hydrography Dataset 10-digit HUC or other regional watershed boundaries

USGS Hydrography Viewer viewer.nationalmap.gov/viewer

HUC-8 Boundary GIS-Shapefile Downloaded

12-digit HUC subwatershed boundaries USGS Hydrography Viewer viewer.nationalmap.gov/viewer

HUC-8 Boundary GIS-Shapefile Downloaded

Smaller watersheds of interest to the NRI effort

Derived from filled/burned USGS 10m DEM using SAGA Rough Clip GIS-Shapefile Created

Streams and Waterbodies

National Hydrography Dataset streams and waterbodies

USGS Hydrography Viewer viewer.nationalmap.gov/viewer

HUC-8 Boundary GIS-Shapefile Downloaded

Hydrologically corrected DEM-derived stream network

Derived from filled/burned USGS 10m DEM using SAGA Rough Clip GIS-Shapefile Created

Floodplains FEMA floodway and 100-year and 500-year floodplains

GIS-Shapefile Downloaded

Wetlands National Wetlands Inventory data GIS-Shapefile Downloaded

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DEC Freshwater Wetlands data GIS-Shapefile Downloaded

Hydric soils from county soil survey GIS-Shapefile Downloaded

Water Quality: Assessment and Standards

DEC Water Quality Classifications GIS-Shapefile DEC Waterbody Inventory/Priority Waterbodies List

GIS-Shapefile

Water quality monitoring data Hazardous waste sites GIS-Shapefile

Water Quality: Potential and Known Contamination Sites SPDES permit sites http://gis.ny.gov/gisdata/inventories/details.cfm?D

SID=1010

NYS GIS-Shapefile Downloaded

Sewers Lines Combined Sewer Lines Google Drive GIS-Shapefile Downloaded

Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs) GIS-Shapefile Downloaded

Dams Dam locations http://gis.ny.gov/gisdata/inventories/details.cfm?DSID=1130

NYS Point Shapefile Downloaded

Water Withdrawals

NYS Water Withdrawal Sites http://gis.ny.gov/gisdata/inventories/details.cfm?DSID=1265

NYS Geodatabase Downloaded

Taghkanic Crk to Churchtown Res. Pipeline Created

Polyline Shapefile Created

Taghkanic Crk withdrawal point for water supply Created

Point Shapefile Created

Habitats and Wildlife CLC North Bay Habitat

Summary Convert CAD drawings to shapefiles New York Nature Explorer (www.dec.ny.gov/animals/57844.html)

GIS-Shapefile

Significant Biodiversity Areas Hudson Valley Significant Biodiversity Areas

GIS-Shapefile

Hudson River Coastal and Shoreline Habitat

Documented submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) DEC

GIS-Shapefile Downloaded

Tidal wetlands GIS-Shapefile Downloaded Significant Coastal Fish and Wildlife Habitats

GIS-Shapefile Downloaded North Bay shoreline habitat characterization

mentioned in Appendix: Data Sources, but CAD files are not georeferenced

CAD file Downloaded

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Climate Conditions and Projections

Scenic Hudson’s sea level rise projections for the Hudson River estuary

GIS-Shapefile & Tables Downloaded

New York Climate Change Science Clearinghouse https://www.nyclimatescience.org/

Table with current average climate conditions and projections of future climate conditions

Tabular Downloaded

Hudson River Flooding Decision Support System Version 1 Scenario Builder/Layer List

http://www.ciesin.columbia.edu/hudson-river-flood-map/; Landscope Hudson River Valley

Cultural Resources

Historic Resources

National Register and NYS historic districts and individually-designated historic sites

NYSHPO GIS Public Access

GIS-Shapefile

National Heritage Corridor/Area and NYS Heritage Areas

GIS-Shapefile

Scenic Resources Scenic Areas of Statewide Significance GIS-Shapefile Scenic byways GIS-Shapefile

Recreation Resources

Outdoor recreation destinations and amenities

GIS-Shapefile

Public trails and fishing sites GIS-Shapefile Conservation and public lands GIS-Shapefile

Land Use

Zoning and Tax Maps

Municipal zoning and tax maps County web maps GIS-Shapefile Downloaded

Real property tax records GIS-Shapefile Downloaded

City of Hudson Code http://www.ecode360.com/HU0410 GIS-Shapefile Downloaded

Land Use and Land Cover National Land Cover or Coastal Change Analysis Program (C-CAP) data set NOAA C-CAP Land Cover Atlas

GIS-Raster Downloaded

Farmland Prime farmland soils and farm soils of statewide importance

GIS-Shapefile Downloaded

Agricultural districts GIS-Shapefile Downloaded

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Conservation and Public Lands

Conserved or publicly owned lands under federal, state, county, town, or private ownership

protected lands in Columbia County Google Drive GIS-Shapefile Downloaded

Misc

Existing Remediation Sites DEC Remediation Sites http://gis.ny.gov/gisdata/inventories/details.cfm?DSID=1097

NYS Polygon Shapefile Downloaded

Masking/Clipping Layers

City of Hudson Boundary Polygon shapefile delineating political boundary of Hudson Derived from Columbia Municipalities Layer Hudson City

Boundary GIS Shapefile Created

Rough Mask Rough Mask used for clipping and extraction Created by BPB Arbitrary Wide

Boundary GIS Shapefile Created

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