Habitat assessment is a process used to evaluate potential impacts of proposed activities or development for natural areas, plants, wildlife, and water resources on a given site.

In this webinar, Gretchen Stevens introduced model habitat assessment guidelines that municipal planning boards and other agencies may use in reviewing development projects. The guidelines are designed to help the applicant and reviewing agencies obtain specific information about site features early in the planning process so that potential impacts to sensitive habitats can be avoided or minimized. Employing these guidelines can help avoid costly reworking of the project design, streamline the environmental review, and lead to better outcomes for the project sponsors and communities.

The webinar also presented a case study from the Town of Warwick in Orange County, New York. In 2010, Warwick adopted a Biodiversity Conservation Overlay District that integrates habitat assessment into the review process for proposed subdivisions in the overlay zone. Planner Ted Fink will discuss how this approach is guiding new development, and ecological consultant David Griggs will provide an overview of Warwick’s habitat assessment procedure.

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The webinar is conducted in partnership with Cornell University and the Hudson River Estuary Program of the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation and funded by the NYS Environmental Protection Fund.