About Us How did BCEQ impact these projects? Accomplishments Council for Environmental Quality (BCEQ), BCEQ works cooperatively with partners and a non-profit 501(c)3 membership organization, is Jerome Park Pelham Bay community groups to improve and organize for a located in City’s only mainland borough. BCEQ members worked tirelessly for years to save One of the causes on which BCEQ was founded was better environment. Founded to do for the Bronx what Earth Day does for the Jerome Park Reservoir from plans to build a the clean up of thousands of gallons of toxic waste BCEQ is a founding member and sponsor of the country, BCEQ works for a future with better air, filtration plant in the reservoir-lake surrounded by a illegally dumped into the large landfill in Pelham Bay Bronx Parks Speak Up. For 15 years, along with many land, and water quality. 2-mile public pathway, densely populated high rise Park. BCEQ members joined the community to ensure partner groups, BCEQ has presented this annual spring buildings, and “education mile.” this mountain of garbage was remediated and networking conference for environmental and park BCEQ’s annual membership meetings focus on water restored to beautiful parkland. stakeholders. One direct outcome of Speak Up was the and other environmental issues in the Bronx. creation of the Alliance. Based on concerns raised at annual membership Bronx River meetings, BCEQ was challenged to improve the river’s As one of the founding members of the Bronx River When the City decided to take parkland to build a filtration plant in , BCEQ joined with natural resources and its linkage to the , Alliance, BCEQ worked up and down the river. They the Friends of Van Cortlandt Park and other community and Estuary. Once a organized stakeholders, identified problems and groups, to guarantee mitigation promises were kept. popular area for recreational boating, limited public potential solutions, and worked with the government access adversely impacts the river’s health and to enforce the Clean Water Act in order to provide Macomb’s Dam Park was the for the recreational use today. The Harlem River Working access for swimming, as well as boating and fishing. Highbridge neighborhood and countless sports leagues before it was alienated for the Yankees to Group was formed to tackle all the issues facing build their new stadium. BCEQ joined the surrounding the river. community effort to ensure replacement parkland was usable and accessible. Greenroof at St. Simon Stock School In response to development that Fall at the Van Cortlandt Lake tears down rather History than restores, BCEQ BCEQ has fought many battles to protect the Bronx’s created Low Impact ecology. The only borough-wide environmental Development group in NYC, BCEQ was founded by Theresa Lato, guidelines that Helen Reel and other Bronx preservationists who be- advocate for things lieved local community exchanges could work toward like green roofs to creating, “an aesthetic and unpolluted environment, absorb runoff generated by concrete footprints. with a natural and historic heritage.” Each June BCEQ presents three Keeping it Reel Awards: Since that time, BCEQ has been a leader in cleaning to an outstanding environmental educator, student, and waterways for swimming, boating and fishing; community leader. The awards are named in honor of preserving pristine drinking watersheds; limiting co-founder Helen Reel. garbage-filled landfills by recycling, reusing and For over 35 years, BCEQ has been writing and waste reducing; guarding regional and local parkland publishing the Environmental Focus newsletter, also as natural cleansers for surrounding waterways, as available at www.bceq.org. BCEQ maintains a calendar temperature lowering of the heat island effect, and of Bronx events on its web page, and annually publishes as air purifiers through natural tree canopies. Clockwise from top left: Farmers Market at Poe Park; Canoeing on the Harlem River; Enjoying the sun at Orchard Beach; Tour de Bronx on Pelham Parkway. the Bronx environment photo calendar. Pelham Bay Jerome Park

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For more information, to become a member or to donate, please visit : www.bceq.org spots have in common? What do these four To get on our email list of notifications, contact: [email protected]

As President Ira Charles Levenberg-Engel says: BCEQ! Keep in Touch! BRONX

Bronx River Harlem River Credits Text: BCEQ Communications Committee Photos: Karen Argenti, Ludger K. Balan, Maria Bird, Maria Luisa Cipriano, Clarence Eckerson, Rosanna Viera Map: OASIS NYC www.oasisnyc.net Design: Anne LaFond “an aesthetic, unpolluted environment with a natural and historic heritage Brochure produced by

“an aesthetic, unpolluted environment with a natural and historic heritage” © 2009 Jerome Park Pelham Bay

What do these four spots have in common?

BRONX BCEQ!

Harlem River Bronx River