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Environmental Management Council

Environmental Management Council

Care about preserving our area's natural resources? 

Consider joining the Environmental Management Council! We are currently accepting applications for municipal and at-large members.

Video Available: Flooding -- Are you ready? Let's talk about it.

Watch a recording of the EMC's fall 2022 public outreach event

Sign up for the EMC's Green Scene e-newsletter!

Want to stay up to date on local environmental issues but don't have the bandwidth to comb through multiple emails every day? Check out the Green Scene, the EMC's bimonthly e-digest of environmental news and events relevant to Tompkins County.

Subscribe today!

Agendas and Minutes
Membership Roster
Annual Reports

Meetings

The EMC meets at 4 p.m. on the second Thursday* of every month but August. All are welcome!

Meeting dates, times, and locations are subject to change. For information on the next meeting, please call the County Planning and Sustainability Department at (607) 274-5560.

Check out the Agendas and Minutes page for more information. 

View Guest Presentations given at past meetings

History and Mission Statement

The Tompkins County Environmental Management Council (EMC) has been the Legislature's official citizen advisory board on local environmental issues since 1971.The purpose of the EMC is to identify problems, propose priorities, and promote coordination of activities in the development and management of our natural resources and to provide a public forum for the discussion and resolution of these problems and completion of proposed projects.

More information can be found on the EMC Background page.

Membership

The EMC is composed of the following voting members appointed by the County Legislature: 12 at-large members and 16 municipal members (one designated by each municipality in Tompkins County). Voting members serve two-year terms and must reside in Tompkins County. The EMC also has associate (non-voting) members appointed by the EMC chair to lend expertise to committees as needed.

Visit the EMC Membership page to learn more. 

Outreach and Education

A Guide to Improve Soil and Create Rain Gardens, Bioswales, and Pollinator Habitat
2018 EMC Climate Adaptation Committee Flood Survey and Risk Study
2018 Update of Invasive Plants List 
2017 UNA Inventory Update
Environmental Alert: Important Recommendations for Indoor & Outdoor Lighting
Windpower FAQ

Special Events

Environmental Justice: A local lens on a global issue

2020 Fall Community Outreach Event
October 8; Via Zoom Webinar

Watch video of the full presentation.

Learn more about the program and presenters.

A Community Conversation on Management of County-owned Forests

December 18; 4:00-5:30pm, BorgWarner Room East, Tompkins County Public Library

The EMC hosted a public informational meeting to present its draft report on the County-owned Forest Management Plan and receive comments.

Development with the Earth in Mind

2019 Fall Community Outreach Event
October 17; BorgWarner Room, Tompkins County Public Library

Video: full presentation

"Development with the Earth in Mind: The Compelling Need for Sustainable Community Development and Environmental Protection" 

Video: individual speakers

Ithaca Green New Deal; Nick Goldsmith, City and Town of Ithaca
Housing Demand and Impact of Development Patterns on GHG Emissions; David West, TC Department of Planning and Sustainability
Planning with Transportation Integration; Lauren Gabuzzi, Downtown Ithaca Alliance
Is Green Development Sustainable? Brent Katzmann, Warren Real Estate
Designing for Longevity; Noah Demarest, Stream Collaborative
City as Sponge; George Frantz, Cornell University Department of City and Regional Planning

Video: Q&A discussion

https://youtu.be/Yx06hb2LV-I?t=4429

Learn more about the 2019 fall community outreach program and presenters

View slides from the 2019 fall community outreach presentation

 

The Tompkins County Planning and Sustainability Department provides financial assistance and staff support to the EMC.