ALBANY – The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has released the draft Hudson River Estuary Action Agenda 2021-2025, a five-year blueprint for conserving and restoring the Hudson River estuary and its watershed.
DEC is accepting public comments on the draft through July 9.
The agency also released the 2015 – 2020 Hudson River Estuary Program Coordinator’s Report, which provides the context for the strategies and actions outlined in the draft Action Agenda.
The Hudson River Action Agenda is updated every five years to address current trends and opportunities.
Some of the estuary’s signature fisheries, such as shad, are in a trend of decline while others, like Atlantic sturgeon, appear to be recovering, officials note. Changing land-use patterns in the watershed affect the region’s biological diversity and water resources, and climate change and related tidal flooding are affecting community shorelines and river access sites such as parks and preserves. The proposed actions are built around delivering the key benefits people receive from a strong and vibrant Hudson River Estuary ecosystem.
Highlights of the 2021 – 2025 Action Agenda include:
Research and monitoring to improve the sustainability of migratory fishes;
Restoration of river habitats;
Long-term plans to bolster progress being made to better manage wastewater discharges into the Hudson;
Management for habitat and flood resiliency of tributary streams;
Assistance to help communities adapt to climate change impacts and address land-use changes;
Outdoor programs and web-accessible content to inform and engage the public; and
Enhancements to make sites along the Hudson accessible to more people.
