Environmental Board
Balancing Natural Growth and Natural Resource Protection
Our Mission
We’re here to promote the conservation, protection, and enhancement of the Town of Esopus' natural resources, and ecosystems through education and collaborative action.
We meet on the third Wednesday of every month at 7 p.m. at Town Hall in Esopus.
Stormwater Taskforce
As a subset of the Environmental Board, the Stormwater Taskforce was created to connect residents and the Town in efforts to better record the various stormwater flooding incidents occurring across Esopus. During 2018 and 2019, this Taskforce assisted in data collection for a report detailing how the Town can improve its water system. The final version of this report can be found by clicking here.
For all stormwater illicit discharge complaints please contact the Stormwater Management Officer at 845-331-8630.
April 17th is International Bat Appreciation Day
International Bat Day is a great time to appreciate New York’s nine bat species. When spring temperatures become warm enough, bats will leave their hibernation sites and may be seen flying in search of insects. Unfortunately, many species of bats, including little brown bats, have faced severe population declines due to White-nose Syndrome.
Some bat facts:
- They are insect-eating machines, eating thousands of mosquitoes and other flying insects in a single night!
- Bats use echolocation (rapid pulses of sound that bounce off an object) to detect and catch insects.
- Bats are more closely related to primates than to mice.
- They are the only mammal that can fly.
To view bats, check out your local park or forested area, especially near water and along trails. Even your own backyard can be a great place to view bats if you have trees near your home!
Learn more about bats in Bats of New York State (PDF).
Photo by Al Hicks.
Bulletin courtesy of New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
Composting 101
As part of an initiative to promote local composting, in May 2020 the Environmental Board hosted an online webinar teaching the basics of composting and best practices for how it can be done at home. This webinar was recorded and can be viewed at your convenience on our Town YouTube Page or by clicking the video to the right.
Board Members
Mark Ellison, Chairperson
Cynthia McVay
Noel Russ
Chris DeCicco
Ellie Gartenstein
Laura Petit
Lee Gough
Nina Nichols
Secretary
Lisa K. Mance
845-339-1811, ext. 126
Fax: 845-802-5100
planning-zoning@esopus.com
Town Board Liaison
Evelyn Clarke
914-388-0691