WHAT IS GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE?
Green infrastructure is a set of approaches and technologies, many using plants and soils, that infiltrate, evaporate, capture or reuse stormwater to maintain or restore natural watershed benefits in our communities. Green roofs, vegetated swales, rain gardens, cisterns and rain barrels, permeable pavement, and street trees with enhanced tree boxes are some common examples. Green infrastructure projects often involve retrofitting existing “grey” infrastructure--roads, parking lots, buildings, and stormwater systems--to improve the capacity to hold and absorb stormwater. Other GI practices improve a landscape’s capacity to absorb stormwater by restoring natural features like forests, fields, floodplains, or wetlands. In addition to effectively managing rainfall and runoff, green infrastructure can help improve air quality, reduce energy demands, mitigate urban heat island impacts, and capture carbon while also providing communities with aesthetic and natural resource benefits.
GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE EXAMPLES FOR STORMWATER MANAGEMENT IN THE HUDSON VALLEY
From NYS Department of Environmental Conservation http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/58930.html
