HAPPY EARTH DAY!

Dear New Yorker,

Happy early Earth Day! We hope you're enjoying the start of spring.

In celebration of our home planet this year, we wanted to let you know about some of the exciting, new initiatives that the City Council is working on to help protect the Earth and make New York a more sustainable city.

If you have any questions about the initiatives below, please contact Danielle Porcaro in our Community Outreach Division at (212) 788-7300 or DPorcaro@council.nyc.gov .

Thanks and have a great Earth Day and a wonderful weekend!!!

Sincerely,

Christine C. Quinn

Speaker

NYC Council

James F. Gennaro

Chair, Environmental Protection Committee

NYC Council

Strengthening the Connection Between Local Farmers and Consumers

As part of our FoodWorks plan, the City Council has been working with stakeholders to help make it easier for local farmers to sell their products in the City, reconnecting New Yorkers to their food and bringing locally grown products into city markets. A major highlight of this effort was the Farm to City Expo we held in conjunction with the International Restaurant and Foodservice Show and the Pride of New York Pavilion on March 6th. Nearly two-hundred farmers and buyers - food manufacturers, distributors, food retail operators, restaurateurs and more - came out to the Javits Center, sharing information and creating connections that will help strengthen production and improve our local economy.

Fighting for Federal Food Funding for New York's Families

The Farmer's Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) provides underserved families with the opportunity to buy farm-fresh, locally grown produce. Not only does it help women and their children to access healthy food, but it also supports local farmers and encourages them to sell locally. Yet, Congress slashed the program's budget last year and is eyeing additional cuts this year. Without this program, farms will suffer, markets will likely close and the City's most vulnerable residents will lose access to the healthiest and most nutritious produce available.

That's why we have called on the federal government to restore funding to the FMNP in New York and to continue supporting our residents and farmers.

If you're interested in taking action on this issue and signing onto GrowNYC's petition, please go to http://www.change.org/petitions/the-u-s-senate-restore-the-cuts-made-to-wic-and-senior-fmnp-in-new-york-state .

Bringing Fresh Food (Again!) to City Hall

The City Council is very proud to announce that it's moving into the second season of its community supported agriculture (CSA) program! Last year was such a huge success, that we signed up to receive more fresh, organic produce from Norwich Meadow Farm and are looking forward to more healthy eating and cooking this summer.

CSA's are a great way to get fresh produce while supporting our local farmers. To find a CSA near you - or start one of your own! - visit www.justfood.org .

Census of Agriculture - Making Sure Our Local Farmers Get Counted!

Not only does the City Council want to promote farmers upstate, but we also want to support the local farmers and growers working in neighborhoods across the five boroughs. One way to do that is by making sure that our urban farms are recognized by the USDA Census of Agriculture, which counts anything producing more than $1000 in produce every year as a farm.

According to the last Census, there are only 20 farms in New York City - but there are more than that! Many of our community gardens, as well as the growing number of rooftop farms, could be counted - but to do that, they must fill out the 2012 Census.

Make sure you and your farm get counted!!!

Sign up online at www.nass.usda.gov/counts or call toll free (800) 892-1660, and the USDA will mail you the official Census this fall.

City Council Passes Asphalt Recycling Legislation

Currently, about one million tons of asphalt are removed from city streets every year, and the unused portion of that waste asphalt - about 80,000 tons per year - is sent to landfills. But with the passage of Local Law 71, passed in December 2011, the City and private entities will now be required to increase the use of recycled asphalt from City streets.

That may not seem like a big deal, but by increasing the amount of recycled asphalt used on city streets and private property (such as parking lots), Local Law 71 will reduce the amount of asphalt sent to landfills, diminish the amount of material mined for new asphalt, and save the City some $2 million per year in reduced disposal and material costs.

We look forward to seeing this go into effect in January 2015 and would like to thank the NYC Department of Transportation and the Mayor's Office of Longterm Planning and Sustainability for its support on this important initiative.

Green Buildings

In February 2010, the Green Codes Task Force, a group of leading practitioners convened by the Urban Green Council at the request of Mayor Bloomberg and the City Council, released a set of recommendations on how best amend city regulations to promote green buildings.

Building on the work of the Green Codes Task Force, the NYC Department of City Planning (DCP) has proposed a citywide zoning text amendment to remove zoning impediments to the construction and retrofitting of green buildings.

The City Council will be holding a public hearing on DCP's proposed Zone Green Text Amendment next Tuesday, April 24th, at 9:30 a.m. in the 16th Floor Committee Room at 250 Broadway in Lower Manhattan. If you're interested in weighing in this issue, please stop by! You can also share your view with us via email at speakerquinn@council.nyc.gov .

35 Ways to Celebrate & Give Back to the Planet!

Interested in volunteering on Earth Day? Click on the links below:

FRIDAY, APRIL 20

Earth Day Indoors at Grand Central Terminal - www.grandcentralterminal.com

Earth Day in Times Square - http://www.earthdayny.org/

NY Public library Stories, Songs and Activities That Celebrate Our Earth - www.nypl.org

SATURDAY, APRIL 21

Earth Day Indoors at Grand Central Terminal - www.grandcentralterminal.com

Family Art Project: Who Will Speak for the Trees? - www.wavehill.org

First Annual New York Green Festival - www.javitscenter.com

A Recycled Percussive Hootenanny with Billy Jonas - www.symphonyspace.org

Earth Day Recycled Art at City Treehouse - www.citytreehouse.com