Legislator Harriet Cornell Named Outstanding Environmental Volunteer

by Rockland Daily Staff 

Rockland County's 25th Outstanding Environmental Volunteer Awards took place this morning at Kennedy Dells County Park in New City. 

Rockland County Legislator Harriet Cornell was presented with the 25th County Executive’s Outstanding Environmental Volunteer Award during a ceremony.

Legislator Cornell has been a Rockland County Legislator since 1984, going above and beyond to service residents. She also serves as Chair of the Environmental Committee, is a board member of the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, and has volunteered as a member of the Hudson Valley Greenway Conservancy. She has also worked with the County Executive to re-establish Rockland's Open Space Preservation and Acquisition program, initially launched in 1999, which allowed for 31 individual properties amounting to 1,204 acres of land to be acquired and preserved.

The legislator's work enabled dozens of volunteer organizations and hundreds of local volunteers to become involved. She recently hosted a virtual meeting about PFOA and PFOS.

County Executive Ed Day said, "This year's winner, Harriet Cornell, has been a passionate advocate for our environment and is extremely deserving of this award. Legislator Cornell worked with my office to create and then chair the Rockland County Task Force on Water Resources Management. The Task Force studied local data, performed outreach to regional stakeholders, and ultimately created a Comprehensive Water Conservation and Implementation Plan. Legislator Cornell also worked extensively to stop a proposed desalination plant from being built along the Hudson River. Legislator Cornell's ideas and advocacy have led to incredibly positive change in our County, and we have been lucky to have her in our corner on numerous occasions." 

Rockland County Government planted a Pink Dogwood tree in honor of Legislator Cornell at Kennedy Dells County Park.

County Executive Day concluded, "Rockland and all of New York State are extremely lucky to have a leader and advocate like Harriet Cornell watching out for our natural environment. And so, on behalf of the people of Rockland and the future generations of Rocklanders to come, I thank you for your dedication and hard work preserving and protecting this County."