County Planning To Partner in Bid for Climate Smart Certification

By DAN SULLIVAN
OTSEGO COUNTY

New York State’s Department of Environmental Conservation sponsors the Climate Smart Communities program, which encourages local governments to focus on making themselves more efficient, adaptive and resilient in the face of climate change.

Communities get involved first by pledging to become Climate Smart through a local government resolution. Then a task force is formed to tackle the challenging process of obtaining Climate Smart Communities Certification.

Of New York’s more than 1,600 municipalities, 460 have pledged thus far, while 166 have achieved either Bronze or Silver certification. Otsego County leads the Mohawk Valley region in both pledged communities, 13, and those that have been certified, four. Now, Otsego County—through its Planning Department—will partner with the Mohawk Valley Economic Development District to complete certification, which will make it the 18th of New York State’s 62 counties to do so.

Work began on Otsego County’s path to Climate Smart Certification in 2019, but the COVID-19 pandemic effectively halted progress until the present. On Tuesday, April 22, the Climate Smart Task Force was reconvened at The Meadows Complex office of the Planning Department. The task force co-chairs are Samantha Francisco, sustainability coordinator at MVEDD, and Kevin Musser, Otsego County senior planner. The task force also includes representatives from Otsego 2000 and the Otsego County Conservation Association.

The county’s current Climate Smart Task Force picks up where the previous group left off. The original task force had amassed 120 points comprising various Pledge Elements in the certification program, though some of these have since expired. The CSC pledge encompasses 10 key elements that guide local governments in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to climate change, including compiling an inventory of emissions, a decrease in energy use, a shift to clean, renewable energy, and implementation of climate-smart land use, among others.

While 120 points qualifies Otsego County for Bronze certification, it behooves communities to submit more than that number.

“It’s important to submit for more than 120 points, as the DEC standards are exacting, with many points getting disqualified,” Francisco explained. “So, the task force will be looking to reach around 150 points to submit in January 2026.”

The points awarded derive from actions completed under Pledge Elements detailed in the Climate Smart Communities Certification Checklist, which contains nearly 100 actions. Some of these are mandatory. Applicants for Bronze Certification, for instance, must cover at least three “Priority Actions” from among the following: greenhouse gas inventories, climate action plans, building energy audits, comprehensive plans with sustainability elements, electric vehicle charging stations, climate vulnerability assessments, natural resource inventories, and community engagement strategies. Requirements for Silver Certification are even more demanding.

The considerable amount of effort required to attain certification brings rewards. Grants for climate change adaptation and mitigation are available for certified communities, enabling them to reach higher levels of certification and thus greater resiliency and efficiency. Most importantly, the county’s success in achieving certification can spread to local municipalities as well.

“Once we get the county certified, we’ll start helping our towns and villages work toward certification,” Musser said. “Some of our actions may be shareable for points in their applications.”
That, plus the experience of having successfully navigated the process, will enable the Planning Department to be of help to all interested Otsego County communities.

For more information on the Climate Smart Communities program, e-mail sfrancisco@mvedd.org, musserk@otsegocountyny.gov or visit https://climatesmart.ny.gov/.