Scenic Hudson has protected 180 acres ”” including nearly a mile of Hudson Riverfront ”” in the town of Ulster. Located adjacent to Sojourner Truth State Park, whose lands Scenic Hudson protected in 2019, the site also contains remnants of a historic brickmaking industry.
Because of its extraordinary variety of land features ”” including ridges, coastal lowlands, wetlands and a stream ”” the land provides habitat for numerous rare, threatened or endangered species. It also will facilitate the inland migration of wildlife from flooded habitats, a likelihood since a portion of the site will be inundated under current sea level rise scenarios. For these reasons, the land is a “mustsave” priority ”” receiving a 100% irreplaceability rating in Scenic Hudson”™s Hudson Valley Conservation Strategy.
The protected land also offers the potential to enhance recreational opportunities. With its proximity to Sojourner Truth State Park and the Hudson River Brickyard Trail/Empire State Trail, it presents enticing possibilities to responsibly increase river access for residents of the hamlet of East Kingston, the town of Ulster, and the city of Kingston, as well as for visitors who sustain the local tourism economy. In fact, when combined with the state park, this land would create one of the longest stretches of publicly accessible riverfront in the Hudson Valley. Until the completion of site stabilization work, the land will remain offlimits to the public.
Funders who provided generous support for Scenic Hudson”™s acquisition of the land include Astor Courts Estate; The Peter and Carmen Lucia Buck Foundation; Peter Hofmann, M.D.; and William Burback; Will Nixon; The Lozen Foundation; Lucy Rockefeller Waletzky, M.D.; Tatiana Kaletsch; and Stew Meyers.
Scenic Hudson President Ned Sullivan said, “Acquiring this land builds upon Scenic Hudson”™s 60-year commitment to protecting and connecting people to the Hudson Valley”™s natural and historic treasures, places critical for gaining a better understanding of the region”™s past and observing its fascinating and varied wildlife. ”¦” irreplaceable habitats, strengthening the resiliency of river shorelines threatened by rising sea levels, and increasing public access to those special places where the region”™s natural beauty and history converge.
