About the FRN

Mission

The Hudson Valley Flood Resilience Network (FRN) connects local governments who are committed to taking actionable steps to manage current and future flood risk. We do this through:

  • Convening communities for peer learning on projects and strategies

  • Coordinating local and regional efforts

  • Sharing opportunities for funding and training

  • Facilitating communication between local governments and regional partners

  • Communicating on challenges and barriers as a unified voice

  • Catalyzing flood adaptation actions

Representatives from municipal and county governments in the Hudson River estuary watershed can join the FRN for free as Members. FRN is for all local governments, whether you're just getting started or building on ongoing efforts. The FRN can help you sort through options and find an approach that is right for your community.

Staff from agencies, regional organizations, or private-sector consulting firms can join the FRN as Partners. A list of current FRN Members and Partners is available here. For more details, check out our FRN flyer.

Flooding at Esopus Meadows Preserve in the Town of Esopus on December 23, 2022.

In November 2023, Emily Vail, Hudson River Watershed Alliance, and Jessica Kuonen, New York Sea Grant, presented about the Hudson Valley Flood Resilience Network at the Hudson River Watershed Alliance’s monthly breakfast webinar series. See the linked video to the left for an overview of FRN’s mission and structure, along with connections to support municipalities working through the Climate Smart Communities certification program.

Leadership

The Hudson Valley Flood Resilience Network uses a shared leadership model to center the needs of municipal governments, while bringing in the resources of regional partners.

The Network is led by an Advisory Committee, which includes:

  • Julie Noble, Sustainability Coordinator, City of Kingston (Member)

  • Nathan Mitchell, Chair, Piermont Waterfront Resiliency Commission, Village of Piermont (Member)

  • Michael Hofmann, Mayoral Aide, City of Hudson (Member)

  • Sylvia Welch, Funding & Development, Piermont Waterfront Resiliency Commission, Village of Piermont (Member)

  • Liz LoGiudice, Resilience Communications and Consulting, LLC (Partner)

  • Betsy Blair, Director, Blair Environmental Consulting (Partner)

  • Alex Wolf, Conservation Scientist, Scenic Hudson (Partner)

Operations and administration of FRN is co-facilitated by New York Sea Grant, the Hudson River Watershed Alliance, and the Consensus Building Institute.

August 2022 FRN site visit in the City of Hudson

History

FRN developed out of collaborative planning efforts that originated in response to historic flooding in 2011 and 2012 from Hurricane Irene, Tropical Storm Lee, and Superstorm Sandy. Three Hudson River communities assessed their waterfronts’ vulnerability to sea-level rise to each create a plan of action. Following this process, they found value in gathering and comparing strategies. In 2018, they decided to create a network of communities working together to tackle flood resilience in a supportive environment.

FRN has grown over time, through partnerships with NYS DEC Hudson River Estuary Program, Scenic Hudson, the Consensus Building Institute, New York Sea Grant, Hudson River Watershed Alliance, and the New York State Water Resources Institute.

In 2022-2023, River Network facilitated a process to develop a strategic roadmap for the Network. Using an in-depth stakeholder engagement process, the group worked to better understand the needs and goals of members, define an effective organizational structure, and develop ideas for programming to meet communities’ needs.

FRN has benefited greatly from the continued support of our partners, along with the continued leadership of the municipalities.