The Natural Resource Inventory (NRI) is being developed by City of Peekskill and guided by the Conservation Advisory Council (CAC) to serve as an important resource to assist stakeholders such as City officials, developers, and residents in making informed and environmentally responsible land use decisions.  This NRI will compile information on important, naturally occurring resources within and adjacent to the City of Peekskill and will also include a compendium of cultural resources unique to the City of Peekskill. A consultant team led by MJ Engineering and Land Surveying will provide technical assistance during this process. This NRI will comprise maps, data, and a report to provide a strong foundation for informed land-use planning and decision-making. 

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Among the powers and duties listed in Chapter 24 of the City Code, the CAC’s goals include keeping open space and wetland inventory maps, as well as helping to build awareness and support for the management and protection of Peekskill’s natural resources.   This NRI is intended to be used as a tool to meet those goals, in accordance with the City Code and Article 12-f of the New York State General Municipal Law.

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The maps and supporting data in this NRI will include information regarding health and quality of water resources, open spaces, agricultural lands, soils, biological communities, historical sites, and landmarks.   Having multiple layers of data presented in a visual format can assist stakeholders in making important decisions proactively, rather than uncovering information “too late”. Decisions such as where to place a firehouse, a commercial lot, an organic farm, as well as how to lay out a development, and what lands to protect and preserve can be made with the right information in a compiled source.

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This shall be an evolving, living document maintained by the City of Peekskill Conservation Advisory Council to reflect both the availability of more accurate data and the natural and human changes to the landscape over time.

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The data sources for these maps include federal, state, and county agencies, non-profit organizations, and knowledgeable individuals. All maps compiled into this set of NRI materials will use Geographic Information System (GIS) data and software. The spatial accuracy of features on these maps is dependent on the original data sets used to make the maps. Some agencies, including Westchester GIS and the New York State GIS Clearinghouse, have provided us with multiple data sets originating from other entities. We will indicate the original sources of data on each map to the best of our knowledge.