Feed: SCENIC HUDSON

The Saturday, Feb. 11, Beauty of Ice Sculpting Competition at Long Dock Park in Beacon has been canceled due to the lack of ice. If conditions permit, we'll hold the event next year.

You're still invited to the opening reception for Mill Street Loft's new exhibit, "Hudson River Waterfronts—Yesterday & Today," from 4 to 6 p.m. in Scenic Hudson's River Center.

We expected plenty of river ice in February, but this winter has been unusual. The National Climatic Data Center reports that New York's average temperature in December was the sixth warmest December in 117 years of record keeping. While definitive figures for the first month of 2012 have yet to be released, preliminary numbers suggest it will rank among New York's 15th warmest Januaries.

Cold Spring's Hudson River waterfrontphoto: Liz Schevtchuk Armstrong, Philipstown.info

On Tuesday, Jan. 24, the Cold Spring Village Board unanimously endorsed all six principles for riverfront development that are detailed in Scenic Hudson's Revitalizing Hudson Riverfronts handbook and agreed that the principles should be reflected in the newly adopted village comprehensive plan. According to Philipstown.info, Cold Spring intends "to support mixed-use development that is compact and is site-sensitive in building design; in close proximity to transportation hubs where infrastructure exists; is publicly accessible; preserves open space, scenic views and critical environmental areas; and develops a sense of place."

"We're delighted that Cold Spring has joined the City of Beacon in formally embracing the principles in the guide," said Scenic Hudson Director of Land Use Advocacy Jeff Anzevino. "And we're eager to work with other riverfront communities as they plan for a prosperous, sustainable future."

First published in 2010, Revitalizing Hudson Riverfronts illustrates specific conservation and development strategies for creating environmentally and economically healthy communities along the Hudson. Electronic copies of the guide are available as a free download (PDF, 6.1MB).

Susan Hereth leading an environmental education field trip at Madam Brett Park.photo: Robert Rodriguez, Jr.

Scenic Hudson's Education Coordinator Susan Hereth has a new set of lessons featured on the website of Teaching the Hudson Valley, which helps educators discover and share the region's natural, historic, and cultural treasures with children and youth. The newest materials developed by Ms. Hereth are titled, "The Hudson River as the Context for Learning."

Ms. Hereth's and Scenic Hudson's approach to education is to get students outdoors and engaged in hands-on learning that connects them to the real world and particularly the Hudson River's unique environment. All the lessons align with state curriculum standards. Our Saving the Land That Matters Most campaign is about preserving special places along the river and creating parks, but the mission also includes helping people of all ages learn more about our local natural resources and become better environmental stewards. Informational park kiosks and trail guides are part of how Scenic Hudson parks act as "outdoor classrooms" for dynamic learning experiences.

We hope you'll be interested in learning more about the Hudson River and what makes it special, so we urge you to investigate this PDF file of one of Ms. Hereth's newest lessons. Also, check out our park-based educational materials, which are designed to get kids interested in experiencing the Hudson Valley's natural treasures.

The Black Creek offers numerous recreational opportunities for the public.Photo: Robert Rodriguez, Jr.

Late last month, New York State created the Black Creek State Forest in the town of Esopus (Ulster) by purchasing 600 acres of land from Scenic Hudson.

Scenic Hudson acquired the land in 2006 as part of its longstanding program to conserve land in the Black Creek corridor, an area of ecological, scenic and recreational resources along an important Hudson River tributary that flows through the towns of Lloyd and Esopus. The Black Creek corridor is part of the Plutarch/Black Creek Wetlands Complex, a prime area for breeding and migrating waterfowl that is highlighted in the New York Open Space Plan that helps define the state’s land-conservation efforts.

The newly created Black Creek State Forest adjoins the John Burroughs Nature Sanctuary and will become part of a network of public and private conservation lands surrounding Black Creek. "This acquisition is a terrific example of state, local and non-profit cooperation to protect one of the most intact tributaries of the Hudson River Estuary," explained New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Joe Martens. "The ecological significance and recreational opportunities provided by the Black Creek and its surrounding land makes this property a conservation priority for DEC's Hudson River Estuary Program. The property will conserve the natural habitats, creeks, woods and scenery that John Burroughs introduced to national audiences with his renowned essays, allowing future generations to use and enjoy this precious ecosystem forever."

"This land will connect people with nature, provide opportunities for exercise and recreation, and protect habitats essential for eagles and endangered species," said Scenic Hudson President Ned Sullivan. "We're grateful to Governor Cuomo and Commissioner Martens for making possible this important initiative."

New York State's purchase of the land was funded by the NYS Environmental Protection Fund. Scenic Hudson will use the proceeds from the sale to invest in additional land preservation projects that benefit the public.

For additional details, see this NYSDEC press release.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo delivering his 2012-13 budget proposal.

Andy Bicking, Scenic Hudson's Public Policy director, commended Governor Cuomo for a responsible and visionary budget proposal that will help New York State continue to recover from its fiscal crisis and offer real strategies to re-energize the Hudson Valley's regional economy.

"Last year the governor and the Legislature worked together to deliver an on-time, gimmick-free budget that closed a $10-billion budget gap. The strong collaboration between the Executive and Legislative branches delivered a highly effective Regional Economic Development Councils approach that invested in the Hudson Valley's parks, scenic views, working farms, urban waterfronts and natural resources—like the Hudson Estuary," said Mr. Bicking.

He continued, "The governor's 2012-13 budget proposal again delivers strategies critical to creating jobs and protecting our region's unparalleled natural resources while closing a $2-billion budget gap. The Environmental Protection Fund is proposed for flat funding ($134 million) compared to the two previous budgets, and $200 million has been allocated to the Regional Economic Development Councils strategy that has already begun to generate jobs in our region.

"In addition, the governor's New York Works program has dedicated $94 million for capital improvements in our state park system to ensure New York State remains a destination for out-of-town visitors while it also offers 'staycation' opportunities for Hudson Valley residents."

The governor's entire budget address can be viewed online.

Scenic Hudson Directory of Land Use Advocacy Jeff Anzevino addressing nearly 100 members of the greater Kingston community at the Jan. 12 Forum.

On Thursday, Jan. 12, almost a hundred government officials, planning professionals and environmentalists came to the Steel House restaurant on the Kingston waterfront for "Revitalizing Hudson Riverfronts: Opportunities in an Era of Global Climate Change." The all-day forum focused on rising temperatures and water levels and how they relate to Hudson Valley planning and infrastructure. Speakers included Steve Rosenberg, Jeff Anzevino and Sacha Spector from Scenic Hudson, Kingston Mayor Shayne Gallo, Kristin Marcell of the NYS DEC Hudson River Estuary Program and Ulster County planning director Dennis Doyle. Following the speaker presentations, the audience broke up into smaller group for practical workshops and a mapping exercise.

Additional details -- including links to videos of several presentations -- can be found in this Midhudson Messenger report.

Bill Streeter of Delaware Valley Raptor Center with Peregrine Falcon

Come to Long Dock Park in Beacon on Monday, Jan. 16 for our annual School's Out Winter Fun Day. Take full advantage of your day off and banish cabin fever by letting your kids do something fun, free and educational. Meet six magnificent birds of prey courtesy of Bill Streeter, director of the Delaware Valley Raptor Center, then venture outdoors to view some of these incredible creatures in their natural habitat. If birds aren't your thing, try out a pair of Tubbs Snowshoes or learn how to start a fire and build a shelter the Native American way with "Shane Whitefeather" Hobel of Mountain Scout Survival School. See this page for additional details and to RSVP.

Among the more than 300 volunteers who supported Scenic Hudson this year in improving our parks for public enjoyment—a group of hearty helpers made a big impact on Saturday, Dec. 10. Traveling from up to 30 miles away, they joined Scenic Hudson staff and board members in creating a temporary sandbag wall along Foundry Brook, which runs through Scenic Hudson's West Point Foundry Preserve in Cold Spring, Putnam County. The project was necessary because rushing water from Hurricane Irene jumped the brook's banks, opening up a new channel that endangered areas of the sensitive archeological site—listed on the National Register of Historic Places. We're fortunate to have people who love the nature, beauty, family farms and waterfronts of the Hudson Valley enough to contribute as volunteers or financial supporters, because we can't do it without you. See our volunteering page for information about how you can get involved.

Foundry Brookphoto: Robert Rodriguez, Jr.On Saturday, Dec. 10, we're asking volunteers to help us build a temporary sandbag wall along Foundry Brook, which runs through our West Point Foundry Preserve property in Cold Spring (Putnam). Rushing water from Hurricane Irene jumped the brook's banks and opened up a new channel that is endangering areas of the park -- a sensitive archeological site that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The work will be strenuous, involving transporting and stacking heavy sandbags, but it will be highly rewarding. See this page for additional details and to RSVP.

Hudson Valley family farms give us so much—fresh and healthy food, food security, scenic beauty, cultural heritage, wildlife habitat and more.

As small businesses, family farms also create jobs and contribute mightily to the regional economy. Scenic Hudson is working in some innovative ways with family farms to preserve farmland and keep agriculture viable in our region.

In a series of interviews during September, October and November on WAMC/Northeast Public Radio’s The Roundtable, hosted by Joe Donahue, Scenic Hudson and others championing the power of local family farms talked about leading issues affecting local farmers—and all of us.

Sept. 21 Segment: Ned Sullivan, president of Scenic Hudson; Marc Molinaro, member of the NYS Assembly; and Ben Shute, young entrepreneurial farmer, Hearty Roots, Red Hook, NY, discussed changes in agriculture—new markets and business models.

Oct. 26 Segment: Ned Sullivan; Mary Kay Vrba, director of Dutchess County Tourism and president of Hudson Valley Tourism; and Laura Pensiero, a chef and registered dietician whose Gigi Hudson Valley encompasses a restaurant and farm market that emphasize local, farm-fresh cuisine, chatted about agritourism.

Nov. 16 Segment: Steve Rosenberg, senior vice president of Scenic Hudson; Becky Thornton, president of the Dutchess Land Conservancy; and Sue Crane, supervisor of the Town of Red Hook, conversed about farmland preservation and state/federal agriculture policy.