About Us

The Hudson Valley Regional Council (HVRC) was established in 1977 as a organization of county governments comprising Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster and Westchester counties. It’s one of 650 such councils in the United States that in addition to providing a regional perspective, offer planning, education & outreach, and advocacy for the communities they serve.

Currently, HVRC is preparing the new Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) for the region. The annual CEDS report provides a snapshot of the regions economic status and identifies key economic development initiatives. HVRC is partially funded by the US Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration and through that alliance and the CEDS, HVRC can assist local projects with federal funding opportunities.

The Hudson Valley Regional Council also partners with the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation to provide education and outreach to local municipalities with respect to Water Quality and storm water management. Recent initiatives have included extensive work on Green Infrastructure projects throughout the Hudson River region. Examples of these projects are available on this site.

HVRC also has a very active Solid Waste Committee comprised of professionals from all seven counties. They study issues involving solid waste, including recycling and composting. A new project is researching the feasibility of regional composting facilities that could recycle organic materials and remove them from the waste stream.

The Board of Directors of the Regional Council includes elected officials and/or their representatives from the seven-county region. Individual counties can have three to five members depending on their population. In larger counties, the mayor of the largest city is appointed a member. The seven-county footprint we serve has also been designated as an Economic Development District by the United States Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA).

The HVRC is funded though an EDA planning grant, matching funds from the seven counties, and through partnerships with various agencies, such as the state Department of Environmental Conservation and Hudson River Watershed Alliance, they administer programs of regional significance. The HVRC was established under Article 5-G of the General Municipal Law of the State of New York on December 15, 1977. The Articles of Agreement were revised in March, 1982 and July, 1992.