Critical Environmental Area Training

June - November 2021

To learn more about Critical Environmental Areas, see this CEA fact sheet, watch a 5-minute video about CEA designation in an Ulster County town, or view our recent webinar about CEAs

The Hudson River Estuary Program and Hudsonia Ltd. announced a training and technical assistance opportunity for three communities in the estuary watershed that wish to designate a Critical Environmental Area (CEA). Hudsonia and Estuary Program staff guided a working group of community representatives through the steps necessary to draft a CEA proposal. The program was free and held remotely through monthly meetings June-November 2021.

We are pleased to announce that the following communities were selected for this training:

Town of Montgomery
Town of New Lebanon
Town of Woodstock

New York communities may designate geographic areas with exceptional or unique environmental characteristics as Critical Environmental Areas (CEAs) under State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR) regulations. Once a CEA is formally established, lead agencies in environmental reviews must consider potential impacts of proposed development on the special qualities of the CEA, bringing attention to important local features that might otherwise be overlooked. Hudson Valley communities have designated CEAs to recognize important aquifers and drinking water reservoirs, stream corridors and watersheds, significant habitats, wetland complexes, ridgelines, parks and preserves, and scenic areas. This webinar provided an overview of what CEAs are, what kinds of places might be considered for CEA designation, how they are used in land-use planning and decision-making, and how to establish them. Guest speakers from the towns of Bedford and Hyde Park shared their experiences with CEA establishment and application in project reviews.