 Spring in the Catskills beings an incredible array of wildflowers, wildlife and the first trickle of visitors. This year is your opportunity to favor these beauties. Hurricane Irene moved thousands of tons of soil, road and organic material. Roots rhizomes, seeds and other reproductive parts of invasive species that are now sprouting in places we've been protecting and threaten the beauty, biology and marketability of this unique place.
Westchester is a great resource of information about how to battle invassive species, drive up the Saw Mill River Parkway and see trees engulfed in Asian Bittersweet. Local parks have abundant Garlic Mustard where the Trillium, Solomon Seal, Jack In The Pulpit and Maiden Hair ferns used to grow. Groundwork Hudson Valley and The Saw Mill River Coalition sponsor invasive species removal volunteer days. Thousands of tons of bad plants are pulled cut and piled each year. Volunteer leaders from The Native Plant Center often say to beat back invasives you've got to "hit them early, hit them hard." Luckily in the Catskills we are on the front line of invasive plant movement and can thwart them with small efforts.
Why should we in the Catskills get this on our radar? Property values, tourism, hunting, and because we love it here! Most importantly because we can affect change now, snooze even one season and the plants will get way out ahead of us.
Want an easy starter project? One you can incorporate into your fun day? Right now Garlic Mustard is in full bloom and can be easily identified and easily pulled. When you hike, bike, stroll, patrol, ride, play or skip in the Hudson Valley pull it, weed whack it, smash it, dance a boogie on it, or anything else you can think of to kill this plant!
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Need to repair your home after Hurricane Sandy? Integrate green design, save money, and improve your ecological footprint.
How to start:
Improving your building's envelope will make your home more comfortable and reduce energy costs. Since every home is different, getting a free energy audit will help you figure out what green repairs will give you the best return on investment. You audit is the first step to qualifying for NYSERDA's new and very attractive On Bill Recovery financing. You can get a free audit for your home, business of place of worship.
Leverage government and power authority incentives to fund parts of the improvements. Need a new roof? Consider white roofing, or tasteful light colored shingles that qualify for tax breaks, find out what your local building code requires from roofs that hold up solar panels, or what it would take to install a green roof.
Need to replace applinaces? Replacing with Energy Star rated appliances will save you money and energy.
Flooded basements often mean needing to replace large heating equipment. Buying more efficient boilers and hot water heaters save money, energy and our good for the environment.
Need to rework the yard, or business property? Consider a rain garden that can help prevent flooding in the future, a xeriscape that requires no watering, or a kitchen garden that can provide you (or your employees!) with fresh vegetables, instead of lawn. All these options help you create a more sustainable community, improve your green image and prepare you for future weather.
 EFC created the HELP loans in cooperation with the State Department of Health (DOH), the State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), the State Emergency Management Office and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. EFC and DOH jointly administer the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, while DEC and EFC administers the Clean Water State Revolving Fund. DEC engineers have contacted all affected facilities and are available for further assistance. EFC financial analysts are available to water and wastewater plant administrators and other municipal officials for questions and consultation. For further information, local governments in FEMA-designated counties are invited to call James Levine, EFC Senior Vice President and General Counsel, for assistance with a HELP loan at 1-800-882-9721 or via email at irenerecovery@efc.ny.gov.
 Governor Cuomo today announced that federal disaster assistance is now available for homeowners, renters, businesses and municipalities in additional counties as a result of damages incurred by Hurricane Irene.
Today's additions include: Individual Assistance: Herkimer Public Assistance: Franklin, Hamilton and Herkimer Residents and small businesses in a total of 28 counties are now eligible to apply for the following assistance: the Individuals and Households Program, Crisis Counseling, Disaster Unemployment Assistance, USDA food coupons and distribution, USDA food commodities, Disaster Legal Services, the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and Small Business Administration disaster loans.
Counties currently eligible for assistance from Hurricane Irene are:
Individual Assistance (Assistance to individuals and households): Albany, Bronx, Columbia, Clinton, Delaware, Dutchess, Essex, Greene, Herkimer, Kings, Montgomery, Nassau, Orange, Otsego, Putnam, Queens, Rensselaer, Richmond, Rockland, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Suffolk, Sullivan, Ulster, Warren, Washington and Westchester counties.
Public Assistance (Assistance for debris removal, emergency protective actions and the repair or replacement of disaster-damaged facilities): Albany, Bronx, Clinton, Columbia, Delaware, Dutchess, Essex, Franklin, Greene, Hamilton, Herkimer, Kings, Montgomery, Nassau, New York, Oran ge, Otsego, Putnam, Queens, Rensselaer, Richmond, Rockland, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Suffolk, Sullivan, Ulster, Warren, Washington and Westchester counties.
Direct federal assistance is authorized.
The counties currently eligible for assistance from Tropical Storm Lee are:
Individual Assistance (Assistance to individuals and households): Broome, Chenango, Delaware, Otsego, Schenectady and Tioga counties.
All counties in the State of New York are eligible to apply for assistance under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (Assistance for actions taken to prevent or reduce long term risk to life and property from natural hazards).
Additional counties may be made eligible for federal assistance as ongoing damage assessments are completed.
How To Apply
 Governor Cuomo today announced a new emergency loan program for local governments to help finance immediate repairs to drinking water and wastewater treatment facilities in communities damaged by Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee. The Hurricane Emergency Loan Program (HELP) would provide up to $1 million in no-interest loans for critical assessment and repair to damaged drinking water and wastewater treatment facilities.
Repairs to pump stations, electrical equipment, treatment facilities and other critical equipment are eligible along with temporary emergency services such as vacuum truck hauling, bypass pumping and disinfection, and related engineering and other professional services.
How this came to be and what Governor Cuomo, Matthew J. Driscoll, and Joe Martins have to say about it...
Skip all that and let me know who to call for HELP....
Purchases of appliances and equipment, with the exception of dehumidifiers, must be for replacement purposes only and purchases covered by insurance or FEMA are not eligible. Audits to verify insurance claims and/or FEMA assistance may be conducted. All grants will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis for completed applications, which will be available beginning Monday, September 19 at www.NYSApplianceRebates.com< http://www.NYSApplianceRebates.com> or by calling 1-877-NY-SMART (877-697-6278). The grant program will continue until funding runs out. Senator Tom Libous said, "We need to help the flood victims in our community get back on their feet. Part of that is helping replace equipment that's essential to their home and businesses. This program is another step toward easing the burden of this disaster and rebuilding our community." Senator Betty Little said, "As we move from the cleanup efforts to the rebuilding phase after the recent storm destruction, this rebate program will allow households to afford the costs of replacing damaged appliances. Governor Cuomo has repeatedly said that the state will do all it can to help those affected by Irene recover, and I commend him for establishing this program that will help families return to normal living after this storm." Senator James L. Seward said, "We must do all we can to help households who lost so much rebuild without going bankrupt. The flooding and storm damage destroyed many vital household appliances, and this rebate program will cover most if not all the costs of new equipment purchased helping people stay in their homes and return to life as usual as soon as possible. Governor Cuomo has shown true leadership in the aftermath of these storms and I look forward to continuing to work together to rebuild communities across our state." Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo said, "I have seen firsthand the flood damage in our community and spoken with numerous individuals affected by the devastation. This rebate program will help families save money as they replace damaged appliances and start rebuilding their homes and lives."
 New York Departmant of Environmental Conservation is providing general assistance and guidance to help local communities address damaged facilities, debris disposal and solid waste. The DEC's Guidance for Storm Related Waste page can help also contact your regional DEC office for specific answers.
In an effort to keep overall cleanup costs to a minimum and to reduce the overall impacts from the disaster debris it is important that those conducting the cleanup be mindful to separate out those waste materials which are benign or exempt from regulation, such as tree branches and limbs, from other more environmentally concerning debris during the cleanups. Care should be taken to set aside such materials as household hazardous waste, gasoline containers and propane canisters and other regulated solid wastes that would require special handling.
Emergency Spill Response
DEC is deploying spill response teams to assess flooding related spills throughout the impacted areas. DEC operates a 24-hour Emergency Spill Hotline (1-800-457-7362) for the public to notify the department of suspected spills.
 Governor Cuomo announced today that the Adirondack Park Agency (APA) and the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) are waiving permitting requirements for emergency repairs as result of Hurricane Irene, allowing community leaders and private landowners to directly respond to the need for waterfront, road and bridge stabilization, and emergency repairs.
"Government needs to do all it can to help devastated communities and homeowners get back on their feet and sometimes that means getting out of the way and allowing for quick rebuilding and restoration," Governor Cuomo said.
Local officials responsible for roads and bridges as well as individual property owners should take the urgent and immediate steps to stabilize and repair property, roads and bridges without consultation with the APA. The APA will be available to confirm emergency advice for officials or individuals in writing when requested.
Hurricane Irene has caused widespread damage to public and private property and infrastructure from wind, flooding and stream bank and coastal erosion. Much of the replacement and repair of the damage will take place in environmentally sensitive areas such as coastal erosion areas, protected waterways, and wetlands. Permitting for construction and repair projects in these areas is suspended. When possible, work should be undertaken in consultation with the DEC to ensure that the project will be carried out in a manner that will cause the least adverse impact to natural resources.
To consult on environmental impacts in the wake of Hurricane Irene, individuals and businesses may contact the Regional Environmental Permits Office
Storm Debris Disposal Guidance
 New York Farm Bureau is encouraging farmers affected by Hurricane Irene to carefully document their damage and report to the USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA). “We’re telling our farmers to take photos, take notes and make sure they have a record even if they don’t know the full extent of the damage,” said Dean Norton, President of New York Farm Bureau.The New York Farm Bureau website www.nyfb.org and the FSA website have a list of the federal agricultural relief programs that are available.
FSA provides emergency loans to help producers recover from production and physical losses due to natural disasters. Emergency loans may be made to farmers who:
own or operate land in a county declared a disaster area or a contiguous county;
are established family farm operators and have sufficient experience;
have an acceptable credit history;
are unable to receive credit from commercial sources;
can provide collateral to secure the loan; and
have repayment ability.
Loans for crop, livestock and non-real estate losses are normally repaid within 1 to 7 years. Loans for physical losses to real estate are normally repaid within 30 years. In certain circumstances, repayment may be made over 40 years.In addition to loans, disaster declaration will make farms eligible for livestock indemnity and some other programs.
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