The Village of Wilson and the Town of Newfane are making great strides in the state-sponsored Climate Smart Communities program.
Wilson just received bronze-level certification signaling it is on track to meet climate-change adaptation goals, and Newfane is aggressively pursuing bronze status now. The village and the town are in rare company in Niagara County, as only two other municipalities have pursued and won Climate Smart certification. They are to be commended for stepping up on an “issue” that affects every one of us — in the county, the country, the world.
The Climate Smart program encourages municipalities to take actions that promote energy efficiency, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support sustainable community practices, all to adapt to and mitigate the impacts of climate change, a.k.a. global warming. Participation is voluntary and the potential rewards include local tax savings, improved air quality, green space conservation, and reduction of future flood risk, as well as support for “greener” living.
Naturally there is a lot of data crunching and paperwork involved, but New York State lightens the load by providing free, local expertise. Here, the technical assistance comes from the University at Buffalo Regional Institute whose associate planner Erin Hanaburgh, the Climate Smart Communities program coordinator for Erie and Niagara counties, grew up in Wilson.
In the course of earning points on its application for bronze certification, the Village of Wilson’s resident-led Climate Smart task force produced a series of unique green programs, including “Fix It” clinics where residents could bring durable goods for free tune-up or repair, a subscription-based food waste composting program, and a continuing bike share program that now includes 20 refurbished bicycles. The bike share program, dubbed Wander About Wilson, uses wayfinding signage to connect two key locales in the village, the central business district and Wilson Harbor, so in addition to encouraging zero-emission transportation, it is encouraging local businesses along the route.
Newfane’s Climate Smart task force recently fielded a climate vulnerability assessment, a report that considers how certain climate-related hazards — extreme heat/drought and altered rainfall patterns — could affect the town’s agricultural base, its sportfishing/tourism industry and residents generally. The assessment is based on predictions that by the year 2100 in Niagara County, the July daily average high temperature will hover at 95 degrees, and total annual precipitation will have increased by up to 5 inches, mostly in winter and spring and with decreased rainfall in summer.
The assessment suggests a variety of measures to harden Eighteenmile Creek against overheating and other related damage, protect farmland, the Lake Ontario shoreline and local roads, better manage stormwater, and help prepare residents to withstand extreme weather. It even suggests a climate-related growth opportunity for the town, in the shaping of Olcott as a four-season recreation destination.
As Newfane prepares to update its comprehensive plan in 2027, the climate vulnerability assessment provides much food for thought about a focused, long-term plan to protect its bread-and-butter — tourism/recreation and agriculture, all weather-dependent — as well as its population.
Every reliable indicator points to future hardship and loss for all of us and ours, due to climate change. We can’t reverse the damage already done, but we can try to get ahead of what’s coming.
Forewarned is forearmed: That’s the spirit of the Climate Smart Communities program. Kudos to the Village of Wilson and the Town of Newfane for seizing the opportunity.
All of our communitie should be so smart.