2022 NYSACC Conference on the Environment

From NYSACC:

The New York State Association of Conservation Commissions cordially invites you to our “FREE” 2022 Conference on the Environment to be held virtually on Thursday, October 6th.  This year our theme is the Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act of 2022. This will be the first time in a generation that our state’s residents will have the opportunity to vote on November 8th for or against a $4.2 Billion dollar referendum covering many facets of inclusive and equitable funding for many programs meant to create a resilient New York in the face of Climate Change.

The conference attendees will learn what’s in the Bond Act during its opening “blue-ribbon” panel discussion, as well as hearing advocates for its passage.  Following the opening panel, there will be six workshops drilling deeper into each of the major bond act themes.  Building on the success of last year’s conference, NYSACC will again hold this event on our innovative  Gather Town platform, which allows for interactions between individuals in private settings, while also ramping up to hear major speakers in our 500-seat virtual auditorium or participating in panel-led multiple smaller workshops.  You will also have the opportunity to network in our lounge while sipping on virtual cups of coffee or glasses of wine and beer!

What does the Bond Act mean to local municipalities?  Besides bringing the impacts of Climate Change front and center to our state’s residents and businesses, it will also provide a huge source of environmental and energy conservation funding that you, as our members, will have access to use within your cities, towns, and villages.  By attending this meeting, it is our hope you will go back to your municipal legislature and leaders and request their support for its passage and have them send out notices to their residents of the importance of this bond act.  Since we believe that accessing state funding, whether it’s from the bond act or existing programs, our conference this year will have workshops on using New York State’s Grant Gateway,  the primary funnel to find grants to pay for programs your municipalities will need to use.

To be clear, NYSACC cannot advocate for the Bond Act’s passage, since we are essentially an educational organization.  Our main goal is to provide you with the information you need to submit recommendations to your local government.  However, we will include both NYS government representatives who will provide straight-up information without opinion, as well as advocates for this referendum who will argue why it’s critical for its passage.  Education leads to informed decision-making, and we hope that by attending this conference you will gain that knowledge and use it for the benefit of the communities you live and work in.

For more information on the 2022 Conference on the Environment, including a place to register and learn more about the Gather Town platform, please go to nysacc.net.  Or use this convenient registration link here

Over the next few weeks, we will be contacting you with updates on the addition of first-rate speakers and further events, such as Advisory Commission awards and Gather Town introductory classes.  NYSACC is your association, and we look forward to seeing you on October 6^th!