This workshop was held Saturday, 17 October, 2026 in Dutchess Co, NY
This workshop was developed through a partnership with Cornell University and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Hudson River Estuary Program with funding from the New York State Environmental Protection Fund.
Forests cover most of the watershed of the Hudson River estuary, and as residents, we receive an array of environmental and health benefits. But are all forests the same? Forests are dynamic and vary in condition, composition, size, shape, and values. Forests face differing amounts of pressure from invasive species, land use, and climate change.
The Hudson River Estuary Program's Conservation and Land Use Team and Hudsonia Ltd are hosting a field workshop to explore forests and how land-use and conservation planning can help to protect these important ecosystems.
Recognizing the values of forests and the pressures they face strengthens local planning and is a key step toward conserving these essential ecosystems.
The workshop will discuss:
forest ecosystem services, such as clean water and temperature moderation;
wildlife use of forests;
different forest types;
threats to forests; and
conservation principles.
The discussion will draw on the Forest Condition Index (FCI), a regional data set (published by the New York Natural Heritage Program, DEC Hudson River Estuary Program, and Cornell University) that can be used to understand the values of individual forests within a regional context and to set priorities for conservation and land-use planning efforts.
The workshop was especially designed for municipal officials, including elected officials, members of planning boards and conservation advisory councils, and for members of watershed groups, land trust staff, and others who are regularly engaged in municipal or other land use planning and policy-making, reviewing land development proposals, advising landowners, or making land management or regulatory decisions. Municipal training certificates for 2.5 hours of credit were made available.
Visit our Fact Sheets page to access additional resources on this habitat type and more.