WGXC-90.7 FM
Scenic Hudson conserves 173 Greenport acres
Aug 31, 2013 12:03 am
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South Bay Creek. Photo from Scenic Hudson website.[/caption]Scenic Hudson announced Thu., Aug. 29, the conservation group has acquired 173 acres in Greenport that impact the local public water supply. The property features forests, clay bluffs, a 65-acre complex of tidal and freshwater wetlands, and over a mile of frontage along the main channel of South Bay Creek. That creek flows into the Hudson River through South Bay in the City of Hudson. The land purifies and replenishes the aquifer for Greenport's drinking water, with those wellheads located on adjacent property. A portion of the property also is visible from Olana State Historic Site, whose vistas, according to Scenic Hudson, "contribute significantly to its popularity as one of the region’s top tourism destinations, attracting more than 170,000 visitors annually and generating nearly $8 million of economic stimulus each year in surrounding communities. Since 1992 Scenic Hudson and its conservation partners have protected more than 2,400 acres visible from Olana." (WGXC is organizing a fundraiser with Olana in September.) The newly acquired land is just east of 148 Scenic Hudson-protected acres in the South Bay watershed, and next to the state-designated South Bay Creek and Marsh Significant Coastal Fish and Wildlife Habitat. Scenic Hudson says it plans to conduct outreach with local residents and community leaders to learn more about how people would like to see these lands managed. They say one possible idea is to link trails along a larger “cultural and conservation corridor” between the City of Hudson, South Bay Creek, Olana, the Rip Van Winkle Bridge, the Village of Catskill and RamsHorn-Livingston Sanctuary.
South Bay Creek. Photo from Scenic Hudson website.[/caption]Scenic Hudson announced Thu., Aug. 29, the conservation group has acquired 173 acres in Greenport that impact the local public water supply. The property features forests, clay bluffs, a 65-acre complex of tidal and freshwater wetlands, and over a mile of frontage along the main channel of South Bay Creek. That creek flows into the Hudson River through South Bay in the City of Hudson. The land purifies and replenishes the aquifer for Greenport's drinking water, with those wellheads located on adjacent property. A portion of the property also is visible from Olana State Historic Site, whose vistas, according to Scenic Hudson, "contribute significantly to its popularity as one of the region’s top tourism destinations, attracting more than 170,000 visitors annually and generating nearly $8 million of economic stimulus each year in surrounding communities. Since 1992 Scenic Hudson and its conservation partners have protected more than 2,400 acres visible from Olana." (WGXC is organizing a fundraiser with Olana in September.) The newly acquired land is just east of 148 Scenic Hudson-protected acres in the South Bay watershed, and next to the state-designated South Bay Creek and Marsh Significant Coastal Fish and Wildlife Habitat. Scenic Hudson says it plans to conduct outreach with local residents and community leaders to learn more about how people would like to see these lands managed. They say one possible idea is to link trails along a larger “cultural and conservation corridor” between the City of Hudson, South Bay Creek, Olana, the Rip Van Winkle Bridge, the Village of Catskill and RamsHorn-Livingston Sanctuary.