State agency funds 23 projects along Hudson River
The towns of Esopus and Saugerties are among area communities approved for state grants intended to protect the Hudson River and make it more accessible for recreational activities.
Municipalities and nonprofit agencies in Ulster, Dutchess and Columbia counties are among 23 applicants sharing $957,000 in grants from the Environmental Protection Fund, which is administered by the state Department of Environmental Conservation’s Hudson River Estuary Program.
“These grant awards build on local conservation efforts and priorities by advancing new possibilities for nature-based tourism and creating expanded recreational opportunities for people of all abilities,” said Basil Seggos, the state environmental conservation commissioner.
Maximum funding for individual projects was $50,000. Applications that won approval included the Arm of the Sea Theater in Saugerties, which won $50,000 to repair a wooden bulkhead and walkway along the Lower Esopus Creek on property adjacent to Tina Chorvas Park. The project is in conjunction with the group’s Tidewater Center, a planned educational and performance facility.
“They are just trying to make a permanent home down there to try and improve the arts in Saugerties,” village Mayor Bill Murphy said. “We’re taking some abandoned waterfront property that’s been dormant and abused for years and hopefully turning it into something that’s an asset to the community.”
The town of Esopus will receive $30,750 to finance engineering studies at Freer Memorial Beach and Lighthouse Park. The funds are intended to provide an assessment of the sites’ long-term resiliency to rising sea level and flooding, and to improve public access to the Hudson River for canoeing, kayaking, fishing and hiking along the shoreline.
Other projects receiving funding include $35,000 for New Paltz to update the town’s Open Space Plan with online information that includes maps that identify natural resources, including water systems that feed the Hudson River. The project is intended to be used as a reference source for land use planning, development, and conservation programs.
The town of Poughkeepsie’s efforts to create an open space plan will get a $40,000 boost to help identify priorities for land use and develop a natural resource protection plan.
Hudson River Sloop Clearwater will receive
$40,000 to create an interactive traveling exhibit. “The Mighty Hudson,” to help provide people with a better understanding of the river and its biology.
Pace University will receive $37,588 to fund the Southern Columbia/ Northern Dutchess Land Use Leadership Alliance training program for communities updating planning and zoning codes in watershed areas. The program is intended to provide
information about regulations that can protect natural resources and improve resiliency from storm events.
Columbia Land Conservancy was awarded $49,999 toward its development of the Taghkanic Headwaters Watershed Connectivity plan, which identifies municipal and private actions that can be taken to preserve unfragmented forests and streamside habitats. The program is being developed to protect the city of Hudson water supply, preserve forested areas, and create recreational opportunities.