CMRC to Host Business Stewardship Workshop February 16 at Hudson River Foundation

The Harbor Estuary Business Stewardship Initiative seeks to integrate the resources of local businesses with coastal marine conservation efforts by leveraging existing human, financial and institutional assets found within corporations, small businesses and industry to increase habitat protection and restoration.

The Business Stewardship Initiative will focus on offering real mechanisms for environmental coordination that are profitable and efficient. The Initiative will develop a program which provides businesses with the opportunity to voluntarily support coastal conservation activities, such as habitat protection and restoration, and will create a structure for acknowledging participants for their positive contributions through highly visible recognition programs.

As part of the Initiative, we will review business stewardship programs region-wide, including the NY Academy of Sciences’ Harbor Project and Port Authority’s Greenports Program, and also examine efforts in other ecosystems such as Chesapeake Bay’s Businesses for the Bay. This information will be used to develop a structured program that leverages existing volunteer resources, institutional knowledge, and financial capital to increase conservation and restoration activities in the Harbor Estuary.

HARBOR ESTUARY BUSINESS STEWARDSHIP WORKSHOP
DRAFT AGENDA

DATE: February 16, 2006
TIME: 1:00 – 5:00 PM
LOCATION: Hudson River Foundation

The CMRC will organize and facilitate a workshop with businesses and environmental organizations to develop Harbor Estuary Business Stewardship Program. The goal of the day will be to identify the resources and constraints of different business sectors in our region and align them with already established conservation goals. During each working session participants will prioritize the identified categories for the purposes of implementing a Business Stewardship Program.

Business Stewardship Workshop Agenda
1:00 Overview of Harbor Estuary Business Stewardship Initiative

1:15 Chesapeake Bay Program: Businesses for the Bay
Presentation by Bill Matuszeski and Mary Lynn Wilhere on B4B

2:00 Business Sectors in the Harbor Estuary
Part I - Working Session to Identify Sectors
Corporations
Industry & Manufacturing
Real Estate Development
Waterfront Dependent
Retail

Part II - Available Resources
Volunteer Resources
Institutional Knowledge
Financial Capital

3:15 Conservation Targets for Business Stewardship
Working Session to Prioritize Conservation Goals
Habitat Restoration
Pollution Prevention

4:00 Related Stewardship Efforts in the Harbor Estuary
Working Session to Identify Existing Stewardship Efforts
Harbor Project
Greenports

4:45 Developing the Program
Next Steps and Ways to Get Involved

For more information about the Business Stewardship Initiative and Workshop please contact info@thecmrc.org JB