Congressman Maurice Hinchey, the US representative for New York’s 22nd district, introduced the Hudson River Valley Special Resource Study Act to the House of Representatives on November 3, 2009. This bill directs the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study to evaluate the resources in the Hudson River Valley to determine the suitability of establishing the area as a unit of the National Park System. At core, this bill authorizes the study of this region to evaluate whether or not the Hudson River Valley is suitable as a unit of the National Park System and outlines the “study area,” which is the portion of the Hudson River from Rodgers Island at Fort Edward to the southern-most boundary of Westchester County, New York.Speaking with Andy Bicking, the Director of Public Policy and Special Projects of Scenic Hudson, about the prospect of the Hudson River Valley as a unit of the National Park System offered greater insight into this proposed legislation and what it means. According to Bicking, the bill in general is a great idea for the Hudson Region, as it would bring increased funding to conservation efforts orchestrated by the local government and non-profit organizations. Generally, New York State and the Hudson River Valley have not received the amount of federal funds as other nationally significant watersheds, such as Puget Sound and Chesapeake Bay. Therefore, this bill would bring in more financial resources making this proposed legislation more forward-looking for the Hudson Region.
The Hudson River Valley would not be a traditional National Park. This bill references the National River and Recreation Area (NRRA) designation of national park. The only NRRA in existence today is the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area. This designation applies more appropriately to the Hudson River Valley because, with this designation, the National Park Service (NPS) has a presence in the area, but does not own a large portion of the land as they do with traditional parks like Yellowstone National Park or the Grand Canyon. Bicking clarified that with this designation, the NPS partners with the state, local communities, and organizations to create an action agenda, which would guide the conservation efforts of the Hudson region. If conservation plans line up with the action agenda drafted by the NPS and its partners then the conservation could then be funded with federal dollars. This is a great benefit of the existing NRRA designation because local jurisdictions retain their voice while collaborating with the NPS through an action agenda, which would entitle the Hudson River Valley to a greater wealth of resources that could strengthen overall conservation efforts.
New York State has been supportive of conservation endeavors in recent years, evidenced by the Walkway over the Hudson, the signature project of the Quadricentennial. The state has also created the Hudson Estuary Program Action Agenda 2010-2014 draft or a blueprint that identifies projects to be conducted in the next five years to keep the Hudson River Valley green and prosperous, which is to be carried out by state agencies, the federal government, local municipalities, non-profits and other organizations. This document has many focuses including improving the water quality of the Hudson River and its tributary streams for nature and the people; conserving the world-famous scenic landscape that attracts visitors from around the world; and revitalizing waterfront communities to sustain vital human populations and a healthy environment. With the Estuary Program as the template for a federal action agenda, the new federal program has strong chances of being implemented in a timely fashion.
The Hudson River Valley Special Resource Study Act is being considered in 2010. The bill outlines two years for the NPS study to be completed. Therefore, with persistence and support, it could be possible to see the legislation of the Hudson River Valley as a unit of the National Park System passed by 2012, if not sooner.
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Congressman Maurice Hinchey, the US representative for New York’s 22nd district, introduced the Hudson River Valley Special Resource Study Act to the House of Representatives on November 3, 2009. This bill directs the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study to evaluate the resources in the Hudson River Valley to determine the suitability of establishing the area as a unit of the National Park System. At core, this bill authorizes the study of this region to evaluate whether or not the Hudson River Valley is suitable as a unit of the National Park System and outlines the “study area,” which is the portion of the Hudson River from Rodgers Island at Fort Edward to the southern-most boundary of Westchester County, New York.Speaking with Andy Bicking, the Director of Public Policy and Special Projects of Scenic Hudson, about the prospect of the Hudson River Valley as a unit of the National Park System offered greater insight into this proposed legislation and what it means. According to Bicking, the bill in general is a great idea for the Hudson Region, as it would bring increased funding to conservation efforts orchestrated by the local government and non-profit organizations. Generally, New York State and the Hudson River Valley have not received the amount of federal funds as other nationally significant watersheds, such as Puget Sound and Chesapeake Bay. Therefore, this bill would bring in more financial resources making this proposed legislation more forward-looking for the Hudson Region.
The Hudson River Valley would not be a traditional National Park. This bill references the National River and Recreation Area (NRRA) designation of national park. The only NRRA in existence today is the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area. This designation applies more appropriately to the Hudson River Valley because, with this designation, the National Park Service (NPS) has a presence in the area, but does not own a large portion of the land as they do with traditional parks like Yellowstone National Park or the Grand Canyon. Bicking clarified that with this designation, the NPS partners with the state, local communities, and organizations to create an action agenda, which would guide the conservation efforts of the Hudson region. If conservation plans line up with the action agenda drafted by the NPS and its partners then the conservation could then be funded with federal dollars. This is a great benefit of the existing NRRA designation because local jurisdictions retain their voice while collaborating with the NPS through an action agenda, which would entitle the Hudson River Valley to a greater wealth of resources that could strengthen overall conservation efforts.
New York State has been supportive of conservation endeavors in recent years, evidenced by the Walkway over the Hudson, the signature project of the Quadricentennial. The state has also created the Hudson Estuary Program Action Agenda 2010-2014 draft or a blueprint that identifies projects to be conducted in the next five years to keep the Hudson River Valley green and prosperous, which is to be carried out by state agencies, the federal government, local municipalities, non-profits and other organizations. This document has many focuses including improving the water quality of the Hudson River and its tributary streams for nature and the people; conserving the world-famous scenic landscape that attracts visitors from around the world; and revitalizing waterfront communities to sustain vital human populations and a healthy environment. With the Estuary Program as the template for a federal action agenda, the new federal program has strong chances of being implemented in a timely fashion.
The Hudson River Valley Special Resource Study Act is being considered in 2010. The bill outlines two years for the NPS study to be completed. Therefore, with persistence and support, it could be possible to see the legislation of the Hudson River Valley as a unit of the National Park System passed by 2012, if not sooner.