Assembly Resolution No. 521

BY: M. of A. Levenberg

CONGRATULATING Frances F. Dunwell upon the
occasion of her retirement after 30 years of
dedicated service to the New York State Department
of Environmental Conservation

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to recognize those
individuals who have dedicated their lives to public service, striving
diligently to enhance the quality of life in their communities and to
bring about positive change in the environment; and

WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern and in full accord with its
long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to
congratulate Frances F. Dunwell upon the occasion of her retirement
after 30 years of dedicated service to the New York State Department of
Environmental Conservation; and

WHEREAS, Frances F. Dunwell has served the people of the State of
New York with distinction during her 30-year tenure as Hudson River
Estuary Coordinator at the New York State Department of Environmental
Conservation (DEC), overseeing the implementation of the Hudson River
Estuary Action Agenda, an ambitious program to conserve the fish and
wildlife, landscape, and water resources of the Hudson River Watershed
from Troy to the New York harbor; and

WHEREAS, Frances F. Dunwell has played a key role in strengthening
DEC's management of tidal habitats and coastal fisheries, protecting
shoreline properties, establishing and fostering a groundbreaking new
DEC program to identify and conserve at-risk plants, animals, and
habitats, and developing ambitious long-range goals for the Hudson
River; and

WHEREAS, Throughout her tenure, Frances F. Dunwell has demonstrated
an unyielding commitment to protecting and preserving the natural beauty
and resources of the Hudson River and its surrounding areas, and her
exceptional work has been recognized with numerous awards and accolades;
and

WHEREAS, Frances F. Dunwell's leadership and expertise will be
deeply missed by her colleagues at the New York State Department of
Environmental Conservation and throughout the environmental community in
New York State; and

WHEREAS, Frances F. Dunwell dedicated her career to the conservation
of the Hudson River Watershed from Troy to the New York Harbor,
implementing the Hudson River Estuary Action Agenda to conserve the fish
and wildlife, landscape, and water resources of the region, which won
the EPA's highest award in 2012; and

WHEREAS, Frances F. Dunwell's experience in environmental
conservation began with her work in the Dutchess County Environmental
Management Council in 1975, before becoming the Executive Director of
the Center for the Hudson River Valley; over the course of her career,
she strengthened DEC's management of tidal habitats and coastal

fisheries, supported the development of the Hudson River National
Estuarine Research Reserve, and helped map and conserve sites on the
river side of the railroad tracks that have become new public access
areas; and

WHEREAS Frances F. Dunwell created the Hudson River Improvement Fund,
a grant program of the Hudson River Foundation which supports river
projects, and developed ambitious long-range goals for the Hudson River
and supervised the implementation of priority actions to make progress
towards these goals; and

WHEREAS, Frances F. Dunwell administered the Hudson River Estuary
Program from its inception to its current status as a model of
ecosystem-based management with an annual budget of $7.5 million,
including a grant program, carried out by an interdisciplinary team of
professionals, and guided by an active advisory committee of
stakeholders; she also represented DEC on Hudson Valley Greenway, the
Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area, and the
Hudson-Fulton-Champlain Quadricentennial Commission; and

WHEREAS, Prior to working for DEC, Frances F. Dunwell was a Richard
King Mellon Fellow at Yale University, where she did research for her
award-winning book, The Hudson River Highlands, published in 1991; she
completed a Master's degree and served as Associate Director of Scenic
Hudson, where she supervised a project to list historic sites in the
Hudson Highlands on the National Register of Historic Places, and
established statewide bi-partisan coalitions to support passage of NYS
Waterfront Revitalization Law and Conservation Easement Law; and

WHEREAS, It is incumbent upon all citizens to recognize and applaud
the efforts of individuals such as Frances F. Dunwell who work
tirelessly on behalf of protecting our natural surroundings for the
benefit of present and future generations of New Yorkers; now,
therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
congratulate Frances F. Dunwell upon the occasion of her retirement
after more than 30 years of dedicated service to the conservation and
restoration of the Hudson River Estuary, and to wish her continued
success in all her future endeavors; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to Frances F. Dunwell.