Next Meeting
Meetings of the Task Force are open to the public. The next Climate Smart Task Force meeting has been scheduled on:
- October 9, 2024, 9 a.m., Warren County Municipal Center's Human Services Building, 1340 Route 9, Queensbury, NY
Climate Smart Documents
- Climate Smart Communities Pledge
- Proposed Climate Smart Communities Certification Actions - Work Plan
- 2019 Final Benchmarking Report
Previous Task Force Meeting Documents
Climate Smart Coordinator
The Climate Smart Coordinator serves as a point of contact for the Climate Smart Communities Program and will facilitate project implementation. Currently, the Warren County Planning Department's Junior Planner serves as the Climate Smart Coordinator. Contact information for the Climate Smart Coordinator is below:
Matthew Smith
Warren County Department of Planning & Community Development
1340 State Route 9
Lake George, NY 12845
(518)761-7697
Contact by E-mail
Climate Smart Task Force
The Warren County Climate Smart Task Force was established to assist with development of strategies and actions to take to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve community infrastructure and systems in an effort to become more resilient to the impacts of global climate change. Members include Matthew Smith, Warren
County Junior Planner, Climate Smart Coordinator; Lisa Adamson, Clean Energy Community (CEC) Committee, Queensbury; Dan Barusch, Director of Planning and Zoning for the Village and the Town of Lake George; Chris Belden, Director of Planning, Town of Bolton; John Bowe, Executive Director, Cornell Cooperative Extension, Warren County; Kathy Bozony, chair, CEC Committee, Queensbury; Jeff Flagg, Economic Development Director, City of Glens Falls; Allison Gaddy, Senior Planner, Lake Champlain Lake George Regional Planning Board; Jim Lieberum, Manager, Warren County Soil and Water Conservation District; Jack Mance, Senior Transportation Planner; Adirondack/Glens Falls Transportation Council; Scott Royael, Warren County Solid Waste and Recycling Compliance Coordinator.
Public Engagement
Warren County is taking steps to reduce its carbon footprint and become more resilient to the impacts of climate change - and so can you. Warren County encourages the public to follow us on Facebook (@warrencountyplanning) and visit our website to hear about initiatives that local businesses and residents can take advantage of.
Businesses are eligible to apply to receive low-cost, long-term financing for energy efficiency improvements through Energize NY. For more information visit, https://www.eicpace.org/eicopencpace.
Climate Smart Communities
The New York State Climate Smart Communities Program was first introduced in 2009 to provide local governments with guidance and funding to undertake local actions to mitigate the contribution of greenhouse gas emissions and adapt local infrastructure and operations to the impacts of global climate change.
On June 24, 2019, the Warren County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to adopt the Climate Smart Communities Pledge and become a Registered Climate Smart Community. This designation demonstrates a commitment by county leadership to advance actions that mitigate influencing factors of global climate change and reduce their anticipated impacts.
On August 16, 2019, the Warren Board of Supervisors appointed members to Warren County Climate Smart Task Force. The purpose of this diverse group will be to prioritize actions and improvements that support a more climate resilient community.
Global Climate Change, Local Climate Action
For the past several decades, the scientific community has presented evidence to support the understanding that the planet is experiencing shifts in climate patterns and rising global temperatures. In Warren County, the consequences of a warming planet are already being felt; they namely include the frequency and intensity of heavy precipitation events and heat waves.
Recognizing the overwhelming importance of protecting and conserving our natural resources and infrastructure, Warren County leaders are taking steps to become a more climate resilient community.
Climate Smart Communities Program Certification
The Climate Smart Communities Program identifies specific actions for communities to complete that work toward statewide goals to minimize the impacts and contributions to global climate change. Communities that make concerted efforts to undertake these certification actions receive recognition by the State of New York. By completing enough qualifying actions, communities will become Certified Bronze, Silver, or Gold. Warren County received Bronze Certification in May 2020, and is working towards Bronze recertification.