Albany County Government: County Executive McCoy Announces First Public Meetings On Countywide Climate Resiliency Plan

Press release from the Albany County Government:

11/08/2021 12:52 pm

Albany County Executive Daniel P. McCoy today announced the first virtual public meetings as part of the County Climate Resiliency Plan to be hosted by the county’s project consultant Bergmann Architects, Engineers and Planners. Extreme rainstorms and blizzards, heavy rain, flooding and heat waves have become increasingly frequent around the globe and across New York State. This plan will be utilized to protect Albany County and its residents from the damaging effects of climate change. The meetings will be held on Tuesday, November 16 at 12pm and 6pm.

“I’ve been proud to prioritize cutting carbon emissions during my time at County Executive, but this is a war we must fight on two fronts. Adaptation and resilience measures to protect life and property will be increasingly important as we continue to feel the impacts of climate change on a regular basis,” said County Executive McCoy.

“That is why Albany County is undertaking a Countywide Climate Resiliency Plan. Through extensive stakeholder and community outreach, our Resiliency Plan will complete a risk assessment for key assets in the County and develop strategies and projects to ensure we’re ready for extreme storms in the future,” he continued.

Albany County and its partners will be analyzing and improving the resilience not just of hard infrastructure like roads and bridges, but also the economic systems, ecosystems, health and social services, and the housing stock, all with a focus on vulnerable populations. The result will be tangible actions that the county and our community partners can take to increase our preparedness and minimize the impacts of flooding and other severe whether events.

According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Special Flood Hazard Area, Albany County has 77 miles of roadway, 156 bridges and 20 miles of railroad that are at risk of flooding. Additionally, that same analysis shows 19% of residential land for housing and 55% of agricultural district land similarly at risk during extreme weather events.

All of the plan’s recommendations will be rooted in smart growth principles such as redevelopment and investment in existing communities, increasing transportation options, and the preservation of open space. Members of the community and stakeholders interested in participating in the virtual public meeting can register at the link here. For more background information at the Climate Resiliency Plan, please visit the Albany County website at the link here.

This press release was produced by the Albany County Government. The views expressed here are the author’s own.