Scenic Hudson may be a thorn in the side to some waterfront developers, but for towns and villages relying on tourism to bolster their economy, the nonprofit group has turned waterfront dumping grounds into economic jumpstarts up and down the Hudson River.
U.S. Rep. Nan Hayworth toured Scenic Hudson”™s Long Dock Beacon waterfront, which is scheduled to open in July, with its president, Ned Sullivan, June 10. They drove south to Cold Spring, where a pocket park was created near the train station, open for fishing, relaxing and kayaking, meeting up with Cold Spring mayor Seth Gallagher and Hudson Highland Trust Executive Director Andy Chmar.
They ventured down to the conservation group”™s 87-acre West Point Foundry Preserve, acquired by Scenic Hudson in 1996 for $5 million. The foundry, active from 1817 until it closed in 1911, “was the reason the village of Cold Spring was born,” Sullivan said. A major producer of weaponry during the Civil War, it thrived until steel became king, employing close to 1,500 workers in its heyday. Today, only the foundry”™s main office building remains standing and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Scenic Hudson also bought the 14-acre property of its founder, former U.S. Congressman Gouverneur Kemble. “Kemble”™s  house is dilapidated and needs restoration ”“ it has a beautiful view of the Hudson. It”™s all part of our plan to make the foundry, the parkland that surrounds it and the original founder”™s house a tourism and recreation center that will be a real economic benefit to Cold Spring and other nearby villages here in Putnam County. We already have school groups visiting to learn about manufacturing and 19th century life here in the village.”
Scenic Hudson”™s restoration plan takes money and that”™s where bringing Hayworth to visit the parks  came into play. She”™s an avid supporter of park creation, said Sullivan, “who has really stepped up to the plate to take over where John Hall left off … she sees the value of creating waterfront parks for recreation and for the economic benefit they bring to the villages, towns and cities where they are located.”
Hayworth is stumping for Scenic Hudson to receive funding from the Highlands Conservation Act, which became law in 1994 under President Bush. The act is geared toward conserving land and natural resources in New York, Connecticut, New Jersey and Pennsylvania through federal assistance for land conservation projects. Under its terms, the government either acquires the land or an interest in it from a willing partner to permanently protect resources of high conservation value.
Each year, governors of the four Highlands states may submit land conservation projects in the Highlands for funding not to exceed 50 percent of the total cost; projects must be consistent with areas identified as significant.
The act authorizes the Department of the Interior to allocate $10 million in funds from 2005 through 2014 or until it is expended. Under the act, the Department of Interior will partner with a non-governmental agency to preserve a significant land area and give a matching grant not exceeding 50 percent of the project cost. Hayworth pledged to stump for funding for Scenic Hudson”™s endeavors along the river.
Scenic Hudson just completed the Katherine Davis Riverwalk Center in Sleepy Hollow due to a $4 million donation by Davis and $800,000 raised by Scenic Hudson in partnership with Westchester County. “ (County Executive) Rob Astorino has a terrific understanding that these projects connect people with the Hudson Valley and bring them here by train or car to visit our parks, our restaurants, our shops and hotels.”
Hayworth is well aware of the challenges New York faces. “Governor Cuomo is advocating for fiscal discipline. He”™s been focusing on the ”˜must haves,”™ not the ”˜want to haves.”™ So far, I”™m very impressed.”
Sullivan said Hayworth is taking a leadership role in Congress.
“It”™s very gratifying to have her as a partner who wants to see the Hudson Valley become a major tourist destination because of its beauty and accessibility. According to our research, people who are looking for new headquarters or ”˜green”™ manufacturing sites consider the Hudson Valley because of its quality of life; and parks and recreation are a big part of that. We are focused on preservation, but also on restoring our economic health in the Hudson Valley. These waterfront projects are a major way to make that happen.”
The Highlands Conservation Act was signed into law by President Bush in 2004, not 1994. (FYI, in 1994, Bill Clinton was president.) It’s a bit of a stretch to imply credit to Bush for the bill though, since it enjoyed a veto-proof majority.