What is a CVAAP and why complete one?
A CVAAP identifies community assets, systems, and populations that are susceptible to climate change. A vulnerability assessment is a necessary step in developing a climate adaptation strategy because it identifies and characterizes the environmental, infrastructural, and social elements of a community that need adaptive measures. Drafting a CVAAP includes the following steps:
• Identify climatic hazards occurring and likely to occur within the geographic boundary of interest.
• Identify community assets, systems, and populations currently and likely to be exposed to the identified climatic hazards.
• Assess the sensitivity and adaptive capacity of each exposed asset, system, and population to each applicable hazard.
• Use a prioritization methodology to rank each identified community facet to inform adaptation strategies.
• Define and initiate a public engagement strategy, starting with the co-creation of a community climate adaptation and resilience vision.
• Develop and prioritize strategies to adapt to changing conditions and achieve the community’s resilience vision.
• Seek feedback and input into the prioritized strategies and the vision from key stakeholders, including frontline communities, as well as the general public.
A CVAAP increases local awareness and literacy of climate vulnerability and resilience and encourages a community to take ownership and support implementation of actions.
There are numerous hazards resulting from climate change. Based on scientific data collected over decades, the largest threats to Westchester County stem from increasing temperatures, rising sea levels, and changing precipitation patterns. These hazards cause social, environmental, and infrastructure damage and losses.
To avoid such damage today and into the future, the Town and Village of Ossining works with partners, such as community-based organizations, regional planning organizations, states, and federal agencies, to increase resiliency and adapt to these conditions. Devastating storms, such as Tropical Storm Isaias and
Irene and Superstorm Sandy, have reinforced this need and led communities in Westchester County, such as Ossining, to climate action resiliency planning to protect residents and mitigate risk. Ultimately, leadership on climate resilience will reduce the exposure and vulnerability of citizens, infrastructure, and ecosystems, and will serve as a model for communities across New York State and the country.
The Climate Smart Communities (CSC) Program is a New York State program that helps local governments take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to a changing climate. The program offers grants, rebates for electric vehicles, and free technical assistance, and also provides a framework for implementing climate-smart resiliency actions. A Climate Vulnerability Assessment and Adaptation Plan (CVAAP) is a fundamental action taken as part of the CSC Program, as it identifies community assets, systems, and populations that are susceptible to climate change. A CVAAP is a necessary step in developing a climate adaptation strategy because it identifies and characterizes the environmental, infrastructural, and social elements of a community that need adaptive measures. The CSC Program ensures that recommendations to promote community resiliency are based on climate science and relevant data and address the top hazards in a community.
Among Ossining’s key findings included the impact of rising temperatures and heat waves on vulnerable populations, and the effects of sea level rise and flooding on local roads, highways, dams, and low-lying buildings, train tracks, and electrical conductors. The CVAAP also considers the multitude of secondary effects from changing precipitation patterns, i.e., heavier downpours on trees and wires creating power outages, as well as on storm drains and undersized culverts or passages that become easily clogged and overwhelmed.
The Village and Town of Ossining recognizes that greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are catalyzing climate change, the consequences of which pose risks to the future health, wellbeing, and prosperity of our community. Attention to GHG emissions and issues-related, have been subject in our Climate Action Plan (2010), and the Comprehensive Plan (2022).
The Climate Action Planning Institute Adaptation (CAPI Adapt) , a project of the Hudson Valley Regional Council, and funded by the DEC's Hudson River Estuary Program, via the New York State Environmental Protection Fund - provided technical assistance. The Town and Village of Ossining created CAPI Adapt teams to focus on the creation of the CVAAP. The framework provided mandates an inclusive process, with public outreach and engagement each step of the way. Among other community engagement efforts, Members of the Town of Ossining and Village of Ossining CAPI Adapt Teams met with municipal officials and committees, tabled at local events, and attended CAPI Adapt cohort trainings and meetings, including a full day kick-off workshop where the cohort was presented with top local climate hazards, prepared by the Hudson River Estuary Program.
Source: District of Squamish, BC: https://squamish.ca/climate-action/local-action/adaptation/
The attached draft plan has been created by the Village and Town of Ossining. Actions recommended in this combined municipal draft will reduce the effects of climate change on our residents.
The Climate Action Planning Institute (CAPI) Project is a 16-month venture that began in February, 2023 under the auspices of the Hudson Valley Regional Council. Our segment of the program consists of 9 municipalities in Westchester who are each documenting the environmental impact of our individual government operations, with a focus on the emissions from our energy usage. The participating local governments are: the Villages of Hastings-on-Hudson, Irvington, Ossining, Pelham and Tarrytown; the Town of Ossining; the Cities of Peekskill and White Plains and the County of Westchester. Each municipality has created a Government Operation Greenhouse Gas Inventory (GOGHGI) and is currently working on a Government Operations Climate Action Plan (GOCAP).
The Hudson Valley Regional Council (HVRC) is the primary project facilitator for CAPI. In conjunction with staff from ICLEI (International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives), a global network of more than 2500 local and regional governments active in over 125 countries, HVRC will guide participants in the development of their GHGIs and CAPs. They are focused on economic development, clean energy and sustainability initiatives in conjunction with the State of New York.
Now that we know what our emissions are, we will be building our Climate Action Plan to reduce them by 40% by 2030. This is a NYS legal requirement found in the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) of 2019. Around the creation of our GOCAP is the need to communicate with and gain ideas from the public, Town Departments and the Town Board as to how best to achieve our goals. The Town Board will need to approve the final document. Creating the GOCAP will earn us points in the NYS Climate Smart Communities program, which we participate in. This will make us eligible for a number of grants to implement the plans laid out in the Climate Action Plan, and also aid us in achieving compliance with State law. At the conclusion we will also make a presentation of our GOCAP to the other project members.
Town of Ossining’s CAPI Goals
Town of Ossining’s Desired Outcomes
As the Town of Ossining proceeds through this lengthy process, documentation will be posted on this page. Please see below:
pdf Download and view the Government Operations Greenhouse Gas Inventory.(916 KB)
pdf Download and view the Communitywide Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory(967 KB) - The Town of Ossining recognizes that greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from human activity are causing climate change, the consequences of which pose substantial risks to the future health and well-being of our community. This Community GHG Report was developed using a template provided by Hudson Valley Regional Council.
Download and view the Government Operations Climate Action Plan.
The Town of Ossining is seeking residents, business owners, and other community stakeholders to participate in the Town’s Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee.
Please fill out the form below and upload a current resume, or submit a letter of interest addressing the same questions and a current résumé to Victoria Cafarelli in the Town Supervisor’s office at . The Town Board may schedule interviews in January 2020 for potential candidates. If you have any questions, please contact the Town Supervisor’s office at (914) 762-6001.
Sustainable Ossining is a plan for the future. The Town of Ossining’s Comprehensive Plan is a sustainable framework establishing policies for the area’s long-range planning and development. This Comprehensive Plan will create a blueprint for a more environmental, equitable, and economically sound Town of Ossining.
The Town of Ossining, New York is developing a Comprehensive Plan with sustainability elements, including a dedicated section on improving bikeability and walkability in the community. The town will submit for Climate Smart Communities Certification in the near future, with deliverables from this project utilized to qualify for certification under the following Pledge Element 6 actions: Comprehensive Plan with Sustainability Elements and Planning and Infrastructure for Bicycling and Walking. The Town of Ossining is working with Pace University Land Use Law Center and Westchester County on this project. This project has been funded in part by the Climate Smart Community Grant Program, Title 15 of the Environmental Protection Fund through the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
If you have additional questions or concerns, please reach out to us at .
pdf Download Comprehensive Plan 2020 - Request for Proposals(1.38 MB)
pdf RFP Questions and Answers April 2020(540 KB)
For reference, you may visit the Comprehensive Plan 2015 in our Project Archives.
Millwood-Ossining Go! Bike and Pedestrian Trail Plan
pdf Town-wide Tree Inventory(1.10 MB)
Cornell University’s Climate-adaptive Design studio
pdf Study on the impacts in Ossining of adopting the Homestead/Non Homestead option(928 KB)
2012 Ossining Community Climate Action Plan
Ossining School District Enrollment Projections
Columbia University’s Hudson River Flood Impact Decision Support System mapper
The Towns of Ossining and New Castle and the Village of Ossining were recently awarded a grant from the Hudson River Valley Greenway to develop a plan for an Open Space/Bike Lane/Commerce Connectivity Corridor, which would create enhanced pedestrian and bike access between commercial zones and open space in the Ossining and New Castle area. This plan aims to connect the Ossining Train Station to the business districts in downtown Ossining and along North State Road, reaching the Millwood Hamlet, as well as to the many beloved open spaces in the region.
This trail network will be an “Emerald Necklace” for the region, bolstering economic development and the tourism industry, while reducing the community’s environmental impact through the conservation of open space and decreased dependence on cars for transportation. These improvements for pedestrian and bike access and safety are expected to be especially beneficial to the many residents in our community that do not have access to a car for transportation to and from work, school, and play.
An inter-municipal task force has been established and has begun the process of identifying potential routes to bring the plan to fruition. The task force is comprised of individuals that represent various stakeholder groups and municipal leaders involved in this project – the Towns of Ossining, New Castle, and Yorktown; the Villages of Ossining and Briarcliff Manor; Westchester County Department of Planning; Westchester County Department of Transportation; New York State Department of Transportation; New York State Assemblywoman Sandy Galef’s Office; Westchester Cycle Club; Yorktown Trail Town; and the Town of Ossining Environmental Advisory Committee.
MOGO Task Force invites you to submit comments on the Empire State Trail plan:
https://www.ny.gov/empire-state-trail/about-empire-state-trail
Any questions or additional comments? Please contact the Town Supervisor’s office at (914) 762-6001.
This project is supported by the Towns of Ossining, New Caste, the Village of Ossining, Westchester County and a Hudson River Valley Greenway Grant.
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