Soil and Water Conservation Districts

2. Soil and Water Conservation Districts What are SWCDs • Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs) are located in each county or borough in New York State. There has been a Nassau Conservation District since 1977. • SWCDs are governed locally by a Board of Directors. • Authorized under state law. Work on public and private land. • Contract with other municipalities. • SWCDs are special purpose districts created to develop and carry out a program of soil, water, and related natural resource conservation. • Provide technical assistance and programs to residents, landowners, and units of government.

3. SWCDs work to conserve, protect, and enhance the environment through: • Natural Resource Management includes: Agricultural Environmental Management (AEM), shoreline protection, invasive weed management, native species promotion and restoration projects. • Project Implementation such as: Grant contract administration, permit applications, layout/construction design, BMP implementation on public and private land. • Public Involvement includes: networking, consensus building, public participation in local environ issues, environmental education. • Land Use Planning such as: Site plan reviews, soil interpretation, open space planning, farmland protection, water quality monitoring.

4. Town of Hempstead Town of North Hempstead Town of Oyster Bay NC Dept of Real Estate NYS Department of Environmental Conservation NYS Soil and Water Conservation Committee NYS Association of Conservation Districts NYS Department of State Homeowners USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service USDA Fish and Wildlife Service USDA Resource Conservation and Development NY Cornell Cooperative Extension Service Suffolk County SWCD South Shore Estuary Reserve Geese Peace Operation SPLASH Friends of the Bay Nassau County SWCD –Uniquely Qualified to work across boundaries for environmental protection… Partners/Associated/Customer Organizations

5. Restoration projects Tackapausha Preserve Pt Lookout Dune Planting Bar Beach Restoration Public outreach 6 school career days 10 fairs and festivals Education Long Island Regional Envirothon, 16 schools Agricultural District creation Water Quality Monitoring Site visits and Soil Group Worksheets 6 visitsand 4 SGW Long Island Native Grass Initiative, cooperative effort with 10+ Environmental Orgs Long IslandInvasive Species Management Area cooperative effort with 10+ Environ Orgs USDA, RC&D 11 county cooperative Stormwater Management Class co-sponsor NCSWCD, What we do…..in the past year we…

6. Nassau County Soil and Water Conservation District Funding The NCSWCD receives funding from three main sources: • New York State • Nassau County • Grants

7. Soil and Water Conservation District State Funding Through theSoil and Water Conservation Committee NCSWCD is the exclusive recipient of: • State Reimbursement to Districts $30,000/year if funding level of $60,000 in expenses are met for conservation. • Performance Measures Funding (PMF) $14,500/year for conservation projects and programs • Conservation Project Financial Assistance Funding (CPFA) $6,000/year for unfunded projects, district flexibility in use • Agricultural Environmental Management (AEM) $5,000/year for agricultural planning

8. Nassau County Funding • 2007 reimbursable expenses (does not include state funding, administration or educational programs) $63,486.30 • To maintain a $30,000 State match for all technical expenditures (equipment and time, technical training) we need a minimum of $60,000 in local money.

9. Grant Funding to Nassau County SWCD Additional Grant Money Received • NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) 2008 - $5,775 Water Quality Improvement Project (WQIP), Tackapausha Pond Re-vegetation 2008 - $83,750 (WQIP), Hempstead Harbor Wetland Restoration II completed District Grant Money received $124,655 from 2006/2007 utilized in 2008

10. The future of the NCSWCD projects and grants:what we will do in 2009, our workplan… • Federal regulation Stormwater Phase II and under the NYS DEC’s Stormwater Permit GP-0-08-001, all developers, contractors and subcontractors must identify at least one trained individual from their company that will be responsible for implementation of the Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP). Conservation Districts are the exclusive trainers for this program.

11. District Advantage, Contractor Training • Soil and Erosion Contractor 4 hr Training (District Exclusive) 9,500 Contractorsin NC(Consumer Affairs data) 50 people/class x $80.00 per person = $4,000/class • Advantages to the county are many: Job Growth Continued construction activity Additional source of revenue

12. Educated Workforce, Soil and Erosion Workshops • Public sector… doing more with less. An educated workforce is paramount. NCSWCD can fill the void through trainings: • Nassau County employee education (200 DPW personnel) • Team with NC Planning Federation to reach other municipalities • Increased efficiency means more production.

13. Public Education on Stormwater, Erosion and Pollution Prevention Stormwater management, especially in urban areas and on Long Island with its hundreds of miles of coastline, is becoming a necessary step in seeking further reductions in pollution in our waterways and presents new challenges. NYS DEC 2008

14. Site Plan Reviews • The NCSWCD can perform site plan reviews and Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan reviews. Currently being preformed by DPW. • Can provide service to other municipalities • Can contract with municipalities to provide weekly site inspections as required by law • Advantage to Nassau County is the Conservation District can charge a fee for services on a per site basis. • Frees up DPW personnel for other projects.

15. Public Education on Stormwater, Erosion Control and Pollution Prevention • The NCSWCD can fill this void through outreach activities: Fairs and Festivals School Education days Envirothon program Contractor brochures Newsletter, with current information

16. Water Quality Monitoring • Currently the NCSWCD monitors three sites in the SSER using grant funding from the EPF. • Monitoring used to develop the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for the Western Bays

17. Potential additional Grants/Money • Federal 319 money for pollution prevention • USDA, NRCS Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program, Environmental Quality Incentive Program • AEM strategy for county open space and farms • USDA, RC&D local grants • L.I. Sound Futures Fund • Coastal Counties Restoration Initiative (CCRI).

18. Nassau County Soil and Water Conservation District Advantages for Nassau County • Access to exclusive funding sources • Brings money into the county for environmental projects through grants • Exclusive training for Contractors in Sediment and Erosion Control (NYSDEC) • Getting conservation on the ground • Educational Outreach to private and public entities • Site Visits and erosion control reports to homeowners • Can work county wide with other municipalities, private non-profit groups, State and Federal agencies.

19. Summation • It is more then money that keeps a county going. It is the quality of life that keeps people here. The NCSWCD helps provide that through additional funding and outreach activities. • Some projects and activities are long range and cannot be quantified on a yearly basis. Solutions to our problems are ongoing and need to continue. • Through the conservation district, money is available to Nassau County that would not otherwise be obtained.