Clearwater’s Green Cities Initiative assists Hudson River cities in incorporating principles of sustainability into all phases of municipal and community planning. The results create a healthier, greener, and more supportable and equitable Hudson Valley – one that does not simply consider environmental stewardship, but makes it a priority.
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Through our Green Cities Initiative, Clearwater continues the legacy of our founder, Pete Seeger, bringing environmental education, watershed awareness, and stewardship training to under-resourced communities, thereby using community power to create green power. One key lesson of Pete’s legacy is protecting and caring for the land and water, and reverence and respect for the natural environment is a key element for all of our programming.
This Initiative serves as a unifying theme for Clearwater’s environmental education, environmental action and justice programs, and as a guiding principle for expanding our critical work to help promote a more sustainable future for our communities now, and for our future generations.
Clearwater has forged relationships with partners such as the Hudson River Watershed Alliance, the Hudson Valley Regional Council, the Hudson River Estuary Program, the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission, as well as municipalities, school districts, and community stakeholders with the goal of facilitating change by promoting community organization at the grassroots. As a result, Clearwater has built a sustainable and replicable model with green infrastructure solutions to drive green economic development. Click here for an overview of Clearwater’s Green Cities Partners
Aspects of the Green Cities Initiative:
Clearwater has participated in a leadership role with the Mid-Hudson Sustainability Planning Consortium, steering the development of the Mid-Hudson Regional Sustainability Plan as part of the Cleaner, Greener Communities Program as announced by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo in his 2011 State of the State address. This effort and the Engage MidHudson program will guide the development of integrated, sustainable solutions—from statewide investments to regional decision-making on land use, housing, transportation, infrastructure, energy, and environmental practices—to improve our quality of life.
We need you to join the discussion as we work for a sustainable future for the Mid-Hudson Region! Learn more about the project & get involved at “EngageMidHudson” at www.engagemidhudson.com an interactive public outreach and engagement website.
Watershed Protection, simply put: healthy streams and rivers require a healthy landscape. A watershed is the land area that drains to a common outlet, such as a stream, wetland, lake, or estuary. Clearwater works closely with civic leaders, citizenry, and state and federal regulatory agencies to help protect and manage the Hudson River Watershed by addressing both the point and nonpoint sources of pollution.
The watershed management planning process begins with understanding that every piece of land is part of a watershed. A watershed is defined as an area in which all drainage flows to a common outlet.
Click here to read more about Clearwater’s Watershed Protection programs
Sustainable Development
Clearwater calls upon civic and political leaders to consider closely all long-term policy and infrastructure decisions that might impact the health of Hudson River and as a consequence the long-term economic vitality of the region. For development to be truly sustainable, it must allow humans to live in harmony with wildlife, maintain intact ecosystems, and respect the development constraints imposed by existing conditions. Clearwater networks with other organizations to promote green jobs and green cities as a founding member of the Hudson Valley Smart Growth Alliance.
Green Cities Initiatve Reading Room
“Recommendations for Incorporating High Performance Building Criteria Into Project Development” Public Comment on AVR Proposal, The Landing at Kingston and Ulster, January 2006
“Clearwater’s Green Cities Initiative”
Clearwater Navigator, Spring 2010, page 13
“Promoting Green Infrastructure in the Hudson River Watershed”
Clearwater Navigator, Spring 2009, page 19
“Environmental Justice in the Hudson Valley”
Clearwater Navigator, Winter 2008, page 16, 17
“Annual Gathering Focuses on Green Cities Green Jobs”
Clearwater Navigator, Winter 2008, page 5
