PROCLAMATION: APRIL 2025 AS EARTH MONTH

DUTCHESS COUNTY LEGISLATURE Proclamation: April 2025 as Earth Month The Dutchess County Legislature offers the following and moves its adoption: WHEREAS, the Earth's natural systems are essential to human life, providing clean air, fresh water, productive soil, food, and other necessities for all living beings, and WHEREAS, Dutchess County has abundant natural resources including the majestic Hudson River, fertile agricultural lands, scenic ridgelines, extensive wetlands, diverse forests, and critical habitats for native plants and wildlife, and WHEREAS, a clean and healthy environment directly contributes to human health and wellbeing, reducing the burden of disease, improving mental health, and enhancing overall quality of life, and WHEREAS, protecting our environment is essential for safeguarding the future of our children and generations to come, ensuring they inherit a world with clean air, safe water, and thriving ecosystems, and WHEREAS, we acknowledge and honor the Munsee Lenape, Mahican, and other Indigenous peoples who were the original stewards of these lands, whose traditional ecological knowledge and sustainable practices provide valuable lessons for environmental conservation today, and WHEREAS, the Dutchess County Environmental Management Council (established in 1972), serves as an advisory body on environmental issues, works to reduce road salt usage while maintaining safety, promotes composting initiatives, organizes educational programming, advocates for sustainable policies such as reducing single-use plastics, and collaborates with local Conservation Advisory Councils to preserve our natural resources, and WHEREAS, the Dutchess County Department of Planning & Development's Environmental Program recognizes the importance of fostering environmental stewardship and sustainable practices, provides valuable guidance to the County and municipalities on environmental matters, and maintains the comprehensive Dutchess County Natural Resources Inventory that informs land use decisions throughout the county, and WHEREAS, the Dutchess County Department of Planning & Development's Division on Solid Waste Management has established exemplary programs including home composting workshops, household hazardous waste collection events, and comprehensive recycling education initiatives that aim to significantly increase the county's recycling rate while reducing reliance on waste disposal, and the County, in partnership with Hudson Valley Repair Café, Sustainable Hudson Valley promotes initiatives like the Repair Café that encourage residents to repair items rather than discard them, and WHEREAS, the Partnership for Manageable Growth has helped preserve thousands of acres of farmland and open space, protecting our agricultural heritage while maintaining vital ecosystem services, and WHEREAS, the County's Climate Smart Task Force has successfully led Dutchess County to achieve Silver Certification in the New York State Climate Smart Communities program and has proposed important climate adaptation and mitigation strategies, and WHEREAS, Dutchess County has demonstrated leadership in clean energy initiatives through its participation in the NYSERDA Clean Energy Communities program, adoption of a Solar PILOT policy, installation of electric vehicle charging stations, energy efficiency upgrades to county facilities, and support for renewable energy projects, and WHEREAS, the County's Government Operations Climate Action Plan sets forth a comprehensive and pragmatic strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, transition to renewable energy sources, and build resilience to climate change impacts, and WHEREAS, municipalities throughout Dutchess County have established Conservation Advisory Committees and Boards that work tirelessly to protect local environmental resources, develop open space inventories, and advise on sustainable development practices, and WHEREAS, numerous local environmental organizations contribute significantly to the protection and enhancement of Dutchess County's natural resources including, but not limited to, the Dutchess County Soil and Water Conservation District, Dutchess Land Conservancy, Winnakee Land Trust, Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, The Hudson Valley Regional Council, Riverkeeper, Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Cornell Cooperative Extension Dutchess County, Hudsonia Ltd., Hudson River Watershed Alliance, Hudson Valley Greenway, Scenic Hudson, Oblong Land Conservancy, Fishkill Creek Watershed Alliance, Friends of Great Swamp, Beacon Institute For Rivers and Estuaries, Trout Unlimited - Mid-Hudson Chapter, Adirondack Mountain Club - Mid-Hudson Chapter, Bard Center for Environmental Policy, Vassar Environmental Cooperative, and Housatonic Valley Association, and WHEREAS, these organizations collaborate to monitor water quality, preserve open space, protect biodiversity, promote environmental education, advocate for sustainable policies, and engage citizens in environmental stewardship, and WHEREAS, Earth Day, celebrated annually on April 22, marks its 55th anniversary in 2025, highlighting the enduring commitment to environmental protection and sustainability, and WHEREAS, Earth Month provides a dedicated period for all Dutchess County residents, businesses, and institutions to reflect on our relationship with the natural world and take action to protect and restore our shared environment, and RESOLVED, that the Dutchess County Legislature does hereby proclaim April 2025 as "Earth Month" in Dutchess County and encourages all residents to participate in community clean-ups, educational programs, tree plantings, energy conservation measures, and other activities that celebrate and protect our natural heritage, and, be it further RESOLVED, that the Dutchess County Legislature reaffirms its commitment to environmental stewardship through continued support for the Environmental Management Council, Climate Smart Task Force, and implementation of the Climate Action Plan and clean energy initiatives. Resolution 2025060 STATE OF NEW YORK ss: COUNTY OF DUTCHESS This is to certify that 1, the undersigned Clerk of the Legislature of the County of Dutchess, have compared the foregoing resolution with the original resolution now on file in the office of said clerk, and which was adopted by said epislature on the 14% day of April 2025, and that the same is a true and correct transcript of said original resolutjon and of the whole thercof IN WITNESS WHEREOF, 1 have hereunto set my hand and scal of said Legislature this 14th day of April 202 Eugh lager