Pace Land Use Law Center Plays Key Role in Revitalization of Long Island Sound Intermunicipal Council

The Land Use Law Center at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University was recognized as Westchester County municipal leaders formally signed a new intermunicipal agreement reestablishing the Long Island Sound Watershed Intermunicipal Council (LISWIC), a coalition of 14 municipalities committed to advancing watershed protection, flood mitigation, and regional resilience. The signing, held at Playland Beach in Rye, NY overlooking the Long Island Sound and attended by Government officials including Congressman George Latimer, marks the official revival of LISWIC and a renewed commitment to regional collaboration across the watershed. It reflects more than 30 years of sustained leadership by the Land Use Law Center in training, convening, and supporting municipal leaders across the region.

Originally established in 1999 following participation in the Land Use Law Center’s Land Use Leadership Alliance (LULA) training program, LISWIC brought together local governments to collaboratively address shared environmental and infrastructure challenges across the Long Island Sound watershed. Through coordinated efforts, the coalition became a regional leader in stormwater management, securing state funding, shaping county legislation, and advancing intermunicipal cooperation.

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After a period of inactivity following the COVID-19 pandemic, the Land Use Law Center led efforts to reengage municipal leaders and reestablish the Council. Building on a series of LULA training programs in 2020, 2024, and 2025, the Center convened elected officials and sustainability leaders from across the watershed to address pressing environmental challenges and strengthen regional collaboration.

“These programs are designed not only to educate, but to catalyze action,” said Tiffany Zezula, Deputy Director of the Land Use Law Center. “The renewed energy behind LISWIC reflects a shared recognition that regional challenges such as flooding, stormwater management, and climate resilience require coordinated, intermunicipal solutions.”

The LULA training programs, supported by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Long Island Sound Futures Fund (2020), the Westchester County Association through County funding (2024), and New York Sea Grant (2025), brought together a diverse group of municipal officials and conservation leaders. During the program, participants received resilience audits and land use regulations from the Land Use Law Center and developed their own implementation plans prior to graduating from the program.

The renewed energy behind LISWIC reflects a shared recognition that regional challenges such as flooding, stormwater management, and climate resilience require coordinated, intermunicipal solutions.

—Tiffany Zezula

During the last day of the training program, Land Use Law Center staff reintroduced the concept of LISWIC as a model for regional cooperation. Local elected leaders expressed strong support for reviving the Council, prompting outreach to other key stakeholders, including various County Legislators who endorsed the initiative.

In the months that followed, municipal elected and administrators reconvened to reestablish LISWIC’s mission. A series of working meetings, facilitated by Center staff, resulted in updated bylaws, renewed intermunicipal commitments, and the formation of a new Executive Committee.

The newly established Executive Committee includes the Mayor of the Village of Mamaroneck as Chair, the Supervisor of the Town of Mamaroneck and the Mayor of the Village of Rye Brook serving as Vice Chairs, and the Village of Larchmont serving as Treasurer.

With its reformation, LISWIC is poised to once again serve as a leading model for intermunicipal collaboration—advancing coordinated strategies to address climate resilience, stormwater management, and watershed protection across the region.