Contact: Jay Burgess, Scenic Hudson, 845 473 4440, Ext. 222
Eileen Newman, Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, 845 265 8080, Ext. 7160
Mary Kay Vrba, Hudson Valley Tourism, 845 463 5445
Ethan Winter, Land Trust Alliance, New York Program 518 587 0774
Yancey Roy, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, 518 402 8545
Tina Posterli, Riverkeeper, 914 478 4501, Ext. 239
Valley Among 25 Locations Nationwide Selected for America’s Great Outdoors Initiative
HUDSON VALLEY – Los Angeles, Calif.; Denver, Colo.; Missoula, Mont.; Minneapolis, Minn.; and Charleston, S.C. are among the special places across the U.S. where senior officials from President Obama’s “America’s Great Outdoors Initiative” have been engaging citizens in conversations as the federal government seeks to develop a 21st-century conservation agenda to reconnect Americans with our great outdoors. Comments shared at these sessions will be included in a report to be presented to President Obama on Nov. 15, 2010. Hudson Valley residents are excited about the administration’s visit—and are reaching out to friends and neighbors, encouraging them to step up and speak out for the region’s great outdoors when a group of high-level federal representatives comes to the area for two listening sessions on Thursday, Aug. 5, and Friday, Aug. 6. Pete Seeger, local legendary folk singer and environmentalist, and area youth from Clearwater’s Power of Song program, will open the Aug. 6 general listening session with a song.
Valley land preservation, environmental education, and recreation and tourism groups are asking residents to join senior representatives from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of the Interior, Environmental Protection Agency and other agencies for public listening sessions in Hyde Park and Poughkeepsie.
The Hudson Valley offers natural areas, places of beauty unique in the entire country, clean water and safe, fresh food—and these outdoor resources are vital to quality of life and economic opportunity. The Hudson Valley has an important place in conservation history and was one of the first regions in the country designated by Congress as a National Heritage Area. The region also merited a stop by America’s Great Outdoors Initiative because the area has created enterprising, collaborative and progressive programs that are helping revitalize urban and town centers as well as rural communities.
Those interested can find out details and register to participate at www.doi.gov/americasgreatoutdoors.
Ned Sullivan, president of Scenic Hudson, said, “This is a terrific opportunity for Hudson Valley residents to tell why being outdoors in the region is special. It’s a chance to tell top federal decision-makers how we can partner with them, with kayak outfitters, park managers, local government and community groups to improve our outdoor experiences for tourists and residents. People should join the gathering to let the Obama administration officials know we want to work with them. If you care about healthy water, working farms, great parks or other parts of being outdoors—come participate.”
Speak Up for Valley’s Natural Treasures
“The greatest resource that the Hudson Valley has is our youth,” said Jeff Rumpf, executive director of Hudson River Sloop Clearwater. “They are creating a new generation that supports ecology and the economy along the river. Clearwater has gathered a wonderful and diverse group of young people representing our cities and towns for these sessions. A diversity of future leaders, as in nature, creates the strongest opportunity to build a vibrant and sustainable eco-Hudson for tomorrow.”
“We are fortunate that the Hudson Valley has been chosen as a site for this important initiative,” said Paul Gallay, Hudson Riverkeeper and executive director. “The listening session will allow us to foster an important dialogue between government and communities about the serious challenges we face in protecting the integrity of the Hudson River and our watersheds; majestic resources that bind us together and make us proud to live in such a magnificent corner of the world.”
“Our region’s historic sites, cultural landscapes, agricultural heritage and its legacy of environmental activism are part of why the Hudson River Valley has been called the ‘Landscape that Defined America,’” said Mark Castiglione, acting director of the Hudson River Valley Greenway and National Heritage Area. “We are lucky in the Hudson River Valley to have a vibrant network of grassroots, community groups and public-private partnerships that work together to connect people to that landscape. I applaud President Obama for exploring ways our federal partners can help support our region in accomplishing the goals of the America’s Great Outdoors Initiative.”
Mary Kay Vrba, president of Hudson Valley Tourism, said “As one of my colleagues phrased it, ‘the Hudson River Valley was the original great American outdoors’ and the Hudson River Valley continues to draw millions of visitors each year. This forum will give us an opportunity to highlight the great activities from world-class rock climbing to kayaking, hiking and biking. The Hudson River Valley is the gateway to New York State and offers an exceptional outdoor experience close to New York City, and is easily accessible. With additional federal assistance through this program, we can better tell our story to the international and domestic visitor and preserve the great historic landscapes.”
Ethan Winter, New York conservation manager for the Land Trust Alliance, noted that in announcing this initiative President Obama called for “public private partnerships and locally supported conservation strategies.” Mr. Winter added, “The professionalism and success of land trusts in the Hudson Valley and New York State’s innovative Conservation Partnership Program should serve as a national model. This is an exciting opportunity to highlight our region’s collaborative efforts to conserve farms, working forests and community gardens, enhance outdoor recreation and public access, and protect the fragile watersheds that provide our cities with clean drinking water.”
Janet Burnet, co-chair of the New York Committee of the Highlands Coalition, said, “This listening tour will no doubt address many important issues and opportunities. Water quality in the Hudson Valley is vital for drinking supplies and to support rapidly expanding interest in water-borne recreation. We also know that land preservation and management directly relate to the health of our water resources. I look forward to a brisk turnout of residents to speak on these and other vital topics.”
Edward Goodell, executive director of the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference, said: “For 90 years, members of the Trail Conference have been blazing trails and maintaining footpaths throughout the greater New York metropolitan region. We are up to 1,700+ miles of trails maintained by 1,600+ volunteers annually. These trails offer opportunities for people of all abilities to access and enjoy the outdoors. We are very excited by the president’s Great Outdoors Initiative and look forward to working with many new and familiar partners on continuing to expand opportunities for people to connect with nature.”
Patrick Hooker, commissioner of the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, said, “From apples to angus cattle, the Hudson Valley has long been famous for its fruits, vegetables, wines and livestock. We are very proud to welcome the America’s Great Outdoors program to the nation’s original breadbasket to enjoy the beauty and the bounty of our region.”
Pete Grannis, commissioner of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, said, “I applaud Secretary Vilsack for bringing the American Great Outdoors Initiative to the Hudson River Valley, which is in many ways the birthplace of American conservation. We are justly proud of the outdoor legacy we have created in New York through innovative community partnerships like our Hudson River Estuary Program that serve as national models for protecting watersheds and connecting people of all ages to world class outdoor recreational opportunities.”
“At the turn of the last century, New York led the way to protect vast acres of land for the enjoyment of future generations and the protection of wildlife in both the Adirondacks and Palisades. At the turn of this century, the 65,000 protected acres of the New York/New Jersey Highlands stand as our legacy for the next generation to enjoy and protect,” said Carol Ash, commissioner of the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. “The heart of the Highlands is the Hudson Valley. Known for its riverfronts, cultural and historic landmarks and its ability to support rare habitat, the Hudson Valley is a thriving piece of geography worthy of recognition by the president and his Great America Outdoors Initiative. We welcome the opportunity to work with him and our regional and national partners as we redefine our relationship to the natural world for the 21st century.”
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]]>Contact:
Gay Mills
Executive Director
Genesee Land Trust
585-256-2130
gmills@geneseelandtrust.org
Rochester, NY- Genesee Land Trust, the Monroe and Wayne County based land and waterway preservation organization has recently learned that it has been awarded $1,083,707 in grant funding from the Farm and Ranch Protection Program, (FRPP) a United States Department of Agriculture Program, to support the purchase of conservation easements (development rights) on four farms located in Wayne County, NY. The grant application made by the local non-profit was evaluated by the National Resources Conservation Services winning federal funds in what was a highly competitive application process.
The four farms whose development rights will be held by Genesee Land Trust are located in various towns within Wayne County. This grant award will add 1100 acres of preserved land to the 2000 acres of productive farm lands currently protected in perpetuity, by the Trust.
One of the properties, Alasa Farms, is the most ambitious land protection project the Genesee Land Trust has undertaken. Overlooking Sodus Bay, the property has not only scenic and farmland value (crop land, orchards) but is also an important migratory bird stopover and nesting area, with woodlands and tributary creeks of Sodus Bay. Alasa Farms is also home to the Cracker Box Palace, a non-profit no-kill farm animal shelter and rehabilitation center that is greatly loved and appreciated by people throughout the region.
The FRPP grant will help to secure easements on the Albright Farm in the Town of Ontario, the DeMinck Farm in the Town of Walworth and the Mason Farm in the Town of Williamson, all of which have received grant awards from New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, in partnerships with individual towns. Jim Hoffman, Chairman of the Wayne County Board of Supervisors and the Town of Williamson says that the FRPP grant funding which will protect four Wayne County Farms is particularly welcome news.
“This type of funding is crucial for the preservation of our county’s largest industry – agriculture.Alasa Farms is one of the jewels of Wayne County, with its scenic beauty, natural habitats and rich farmland. Cracker Box Palace, which is located there, has long provided a service to our residents by sheltering and rehabilitating animals when they had no place to go.” Hoffman added that “a strong agricultural base positions us favorably within the emerging sustainable global economy. We greatly appreciate the role of the Genesee Land Trust in helping to secure federal funding to protect and preserve irreplaceable farmland in Williamson, Walworth, Ontario and Sodus.”
The FRPP award is a giant first step in securing the preservation of Alasa Farms. Of the $1,083, 707, in grant revenue, $607,000 will be used for the Alasa Farms project. Additional funding is being sought and fundraising by the Genesee Land Trust has begun in earnest. Gay Mills, executive director, is thrilled by the news that all four farms will receive funding. Further, Mills says she is committed to the campaign to preserve Alasa Farms – a North Coast treasure. “The Genesee Land Trust board of directors and staff are energized by the winning of the FRPP grant and welcome the work that lays ahead in completing this major north coast farmland protection project. We are confident of the continued support of our membership, our friends and the greater community.”
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News from Bear-Paw Regional Greenways
63 Nottingham Road
Post Office Box 19
Deerfield, New Hampshire 03037
CONTACT:
Daniel Kern, Executive Director
Phone: (603) 463-9400 / Fax: (603) 230-2447
Email: info@bear-paw.org
For information, please visit http://www.bear-paw.org
Strafford, N.H.– In January, Bear-Paw Regional Greenways, the Blue Hills Foundation, and the Town of Strafford purchased 1,015 acres of valuable wildlife habitat on Evans Mountain overlooking Bow Lake. The project partners then launched a campaign to raise over $500,000 to pay off loans and permanently protect the property and the Samuel P. Hunt Foundation just awarded $25,000 to the effort!
The Evans Mountain property is part of a 6,000-acre unfragmented forest connected to conservation focus areas identified in the NH Wildlife Action Plan (WAP) and the Conservation Plan for New Hampshire’s Coastal Watersheds. Permanent conservation of the Evans Mountain property has been a goal of the Town of Strafford for over three decades and is recognized as a priority in the town’s Master Plan and Bear-Paw’s Conservation Plan. It includes some of the most ecologically significant natural lands in southeastern New Hampshire. According to the Wildlife Action Plan, New Hampshire requires a network of permanently conserved lands that effectively represents the state’s wildlife and habitat diversity. Protecting threatened and essential habitat resources such as this – large unfragmented forests (including both uplands and wetland habitats), riparian/shoreland habitats, and wildlife corridors connecting significant habitat – is a priority.
Property Features
Large, Unfragmented Forest
The area that includes the Evans Mountain property is one of the largest remaining blocks of forest in southeastern New Hampshire – more than 6,000 acres of unfragmented habitat that includes several Town forests, Blue Hills Foundation conservation lands, and Bear-Paw easements. Large, unfragmented forests of this size are rare in the rapidly developing southeast and south-central regions of our state. What remains offers vital support to the region’s biodiversity. Moose, bobcat, fisher, and bear depend on these large areas of habitat to survive and some birds, such as goshawks and veery, depend on these forest interior habitats to breed. Large forests also provide a refuge from roads and other human impacts and an area large enough that allows natural processes to play themselves out without interference.
Connectivity
Maintaining connectivity for wildlife – north to south, east to west, and across elevations – is becoming increasingly important in a fragmenting landscape. Permanent protection of the property will help maintain these connections with other areas of significant conservation and ecological value that are already protected. The property adds directly to over 1,000 acres already conserved and it serves as part of a permanent connection between town forest lands and the privately conserved lands owned by the Blue Hills Foundation further to the north and west.
Habitat and Species Diversity
The property has a mosaic of habitat types and a wide variety of tree, shrub, and herb species as well as a varied topography. It includes upland forests of hemlock-hardwood-pine and Appalachian oak-pine, more than two miles of ridgeline with north and south-facing rocky ledges and steep slopes. Headwater streams and riparian areas, basin swamps, beaver-influenced wetlands, scrub-shrub swamps, marshes, peatlands, and vernal pools add to the diversity.
Several species of conservation concern have been recorded near the property. Blanding’s turtle, wood turtle, and small whorled Pogonia occur in the area. The property’s south and southwest facing rocky ledges and slopes provide good habitat for black racers and ideal habitat for one of the southern-most breeding populations of bobcat in the state. The Isinglass River is home to American eel and the bridled shiner. Loons and bald eagles use nearby Bow Lake and this unfragmented forest block may provide a buffer to their territories and help protect water quality in the lake. Considering its size and remoteness, there is great potential for the discovery of other species with further study.
Headwater Streams and Water Quality
The property includes the headwaters streams of three important watersheds – Bow Lake, the source of the Isinglass River, Huckins/Nippo Brook, a tributary of the Isinglass River, and the Big River, a large tributary of the Suncook River. It also overlooks Bow Lake, the second largest lake in Strafford County, and includes frontage on the Willey Ponds. Intact headwater streams are increasingly recognized as critical components of healthy ecosystems – providing important wildlife habitat and protecting water quality downstream.
Ecosystem Function, Biodiversity, and Climate Change
Climate change threatens to exacerbate existing stressors on wildlife, biodiversity, and other ecosystem functions. Land use change, habitat fragmentation, pollution, spread of invasive species, and disruptions of natural processes are major threats to natural systems. Dealing with these threats is one of the most important strategies for adapting to climate change. Evans Mountain is mostly free of these existing threats and by conserving this property we are maintaining resiliency within the larger region.
Education, Recreation, and View
Evans Mountain also offers many outdoor recreation and education opportunities. The property includes a portion of a local snowmobile trail and is used for a variety of other non-motorized recreation uses, including hiking and hunting. The property also offers spectacular views of the nearby Bow Lake to the south and of Mount Washington and the White Mountains to the north. Visitors quickly get a sense of the landscape setting of this property. Public access will be assured by the conservation easement protecting the property.
Plans for the Future
Once conserved, a comprehensive management plan will be prepared to guide activities on the property. The project partners plan to raise enough funding for both the acquisition of the property as well as the restoration of wildlife habitat and wetland and riparian areas damaged in prior years. Although the property was heavily logged in the past and much mature forest was removed, it provides an opportunity for managing early successional habitat to benefit snowshoe hare, bobcat, small mammals, beaver, and moose, among other species. Eventually, the property will succeed to mature forest – New Hampshire forests have shown to be quite resilient to logging and other disturbances.
And now they need to pay for it.
It is not their usual way of doing business on a land protection project, but the Evans Mountain tract is so important that Bear-Paw, the Blue Hills Foundation, and the Town of Strafford were willing to secure loans to make it happen. Blue Hills and Strafford came up with almost half of the $765,000 purchase price, and private individuals provided loans for the remainder – loans which need to be repaid! Additional costs associated with completing the project bring the total needed to $500,000.
Bear-Paw is already at work applying for grants, and because of the high conservation value of these 1,015 acres, prospects are good, but certainly not assured. Bear-Paw is looking for energetic people to help with the Campaign to Save Evans Mountain. A number of events are already in the works and a campaign kick off is planned for Memorial Day weekend. Contact the Bear-Paw office at 463.9400 or info@bear-paw.org if you would like to get involved or to make a contribution to this incredible opportunity.
Bear-Paw is a non-profit land trust with a mission to permanently conserve a network of lands that protects our region’s water, wildlife habitat, forests, and farmland. Established by resident volunteers, Bear-Paw works to conserve open space in Candia, Deerfield, Epsom, Hooksett, Northwood, Nottingham, Raymond, and Strafford through outreach, education, and land protection project assistance. Bear-Paw’s goal is to safeguard the region’s irreplaceable water resources, important wildlife habitat and travel routes, and productive forests and farms. Its members envision a region of scenic beauty and rural character where diversity and quality of life are sustained. For information about how to become a member, land protection options for landowners or volunteering with the land trust, please contact Daniel Kern at Bear-Paw Regional Greenways, Post Office Box 19, Deerfield, NH 03037, 603 463-9400, or info@bear-paw.org. You can also visit their website at www.bear-paw.org.
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