Scenic Hudson is a non-profit
environmental organization in New York that protects land, creates, and enhances parks, and advocates for environmentally responsible policies and development practices.
History
Scenic Hudson was founded as the Scenic Hudson Preservation Conference on November 8, 1963, when Hudson Valley residents organized to save
Storm King Mountain from being transformed into a pumped-storage hydroelectric plant. The organization successfully mounted the
court case, which saved the mountain and, for the first time, gave U.S. citizens legal standing to challenge development proposals on environmental grounds. Known as "The Scenic Hudson Decision," the case became a cornerstone of
environmental law
Environmental law is a collective term encompassing aspects of the law that provide protection to the environment. A related but distinct set of regulatory regimes, now strongly influenced by environmental legal principles, focus on the manage ...
in the
United States, and is widely credited with launching the modern environmental movement.
After the Storm King Mountain case, Scenic Hudson gained more visibility. It began working with other local communities to protect important natural resources and adopting sound environmental policies.
The Chair of the Board of Directors of the organization is Kristin Gamble, who succeeded James C. Goodfellow.
Current projects

The organization has three major focus area: Protecting land, creating and enhancing parks and preserves, and advocating for environmentally responsible policies and development outcomes.
Land
Working primarily along the Hudson River between New York City and Albany, the organization acquires land and
conservation easements to create parks and preserves, protect lands of high scenic and ecological importance, and conserve farmland. Much of its land protection work is completed in partnership with private landowners, local land trusts, and local, state, and federal public agencies. Land and conservation easements are typically acquired and held by Scenic Hudson's affiliate organization, The Scenic Hudson Land Trust, Inc. The organizations have protected over 31,000 acres in nine counties. In 2011, the organization received the
Land Trust Alliance's National Land Trust Excellence Award.
Parks
Scenic Hudson has created and enhanced more than 60 parks, preserves, and historic sites.
Advocacy
Land-Use
Scenic Hudson works with municipalities and other environmental organizations to connect the public with the Hudson River, improve water quality, encourage responsible development practices, and revitalize urban waterfronts. In 2010, the organization published ''Revitalizing Hudson Riverfronts'', a handbook which provides guidance for balancing conservation and development goals on urban waterfronts. More recently, it launched a series of task forces to help riverfront communities adapt to climate change-induced
sea level rise. The organization also works with the Hudson Valley Smart Growth Alliance.
Revitalizing Downtown Poughkeepsie
In 2020, Scenic Hudson along with other local partners acquired two old manufacturing buildings and properties in the city of
Poughkeepsie. The acquisition is a part of a bigger project slowly underway by Scenic Hudson to revitalize the city’s Northside neighborhood. The spaces will likely be used for office spaces, “parkland,” and public gathering spaces. Another element of the project slightly farther along is the Pershing Avenue Neighborhood Farm, of which the construction started in Fall 2020. The farm will consist of a quarter acre plot, with half being used for educational purposes, and all food grown will be distributed through Dutchess Outreach, another local non-profit organization. The second half will act as a
community garden where community members can rent out space. The hope is that the farm will give the community safer spaces to be outside, as well as a food supply.
The Pershing Avenue Neighborhood Farm is a part of a response to the status of the city of Poughkeepsie as a
food desert
Food is any substance consumed by an organism for nutritional support. Food is usually of plant, animal, or fungal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals. The substance is ingest ...
. A 2014 study found that one in four households in Poughkeepsie was
food insecure
Food security speaks to the availability of food in a country (or geography) and the ability of individuals within that country (geography) to access, afford, and source adequate foodstuffs. According to the United Nations' Committee on World ...
. This statistic was the same for access to a car, which has been proven to impact food security. Today there are only three accessible food stores within the city limits, two of which are on the outskirts and may be difficult to access without reliable transportation. In 2018, Dutchess Outreach Fresh Market distributed 8,000 pounds of food grown in the
Hudson Valley region, and the Pershing Avenue Farm will provide an additional stream of local food to that critical source. Additionally, in encouraging local residents to learn to grow their own food, the hope is that there will be a further increase in accessibility to healthy food.
While Scenic Hudson has been a critical actor in this project, a number of other organizations in the area have been instrumental. These include Cornell Cooperative Extension, Nubian Directions, Dutchess Outreach, Poughkeepsie Farm Project, Poughkeepsie Alliance, and the City of Poughkeepsie. Additionally, press releases from Scenic Hudson indicate that they will continue to work with community members for insights on planning. All of these moving parts are instrumental in ensuring a
grassroots
A grassroots movement is one that uses the people in a given district, region or community as the basis for a political or economic movement. Grassroots movements and organizations use collective action from the local level to effect change at t ...
, sustainable approach to revitalizing the dilapidated downtown area.
Public policy
Scenic Hudson has helped establish and advance numerous environmental initiatives, including the Hudson River Estuary Program, the New York State Coastal Management Program, the Hudson River Valley Greenway, the
Clean Water Act
The Clean Water Act (CWA) is the primary federal law in the United States governing water pollution. Its objective is to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation's waters; recognizing the responsibiliti ...
, the
Hudson Valley Community Preservation Act and the National Heritage Area Designation, and the
Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve
The Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve is a National Estuarine Research Reserve in the state of New York.
Home to more than 200 species of fish, the Hudson River serves as a nursery ground for such important fish as sturgeon, stripe ...
, a
National Estuarine Research Reserve, and created and managed in partnership with the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Scenic Hudson is currently working with other environmental organizations to facilitate the removal of
polychlorinated biphenyl materials from the Hudson River.
Conservation Partners
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Audubon New York
The National Audubon Society (Audubon; ) is an American non-profit environmental organization dedicated to conservation of birds and their habitats. Located in the United States and incorporated in 1905, Audubon is one of the oldest of such organ ...
*
Columbia Land Conservancy The Columbia Land Conservancy is an environmental nonprofit organization and land trust located in Columbia County, New York in the greater Hudson Valley. Its mission is to conserve farmland, forests, wildlife habitat, and rural character of Columb ...
*
Dutchess Land Conservancy
Dutchess County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 295,911. The county seat is the city of Poughkeepsie. The county was created in 1683, one of New York's first twelve counties, and later organ ...
*
Esopus Creek Conservancy Esopus may refer to:
;In New York
*Esopus, New York, a town in Ulster County
**Esopus (village), in the town of Esopus
*Esopus Creek, a tributary of the Hudson River
*Esopus Meadows Lighthouse, a lighthouse on the Hudson River near Esopus, New York ...
*
Greene Land Trust
Greene may refer to:
Places United States
*Greene, Indiana, an unincorporated community
*Greene, Iowa, a city
*Greene, Maine, a town
** Greene (CDP), Maine, in the town of Greene
*Greene (town), New York
**Greene (village), New York, in the town ...
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The Highlands Coalition
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
*
Hudson Valley Smart Energy Coalition
Hudson may refer to:
People
* Hudson (given name)
* Hudson (surname)
* Henry Hudson, English explorer
* Hudson (footballer, born 1986), Hudson Fernando Tobias de Carvalho, Brazilian football right-back
* Hudson (footballer, born 1988), Hudson ...
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Hudson Highlands Land Trust
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Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve
The Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve is a National Estuarine Research Reserve in the state of New York.
Home to more than 200 species of fish, the Hudson River serves as a nursery ground for such important fish as sturgeon, stripe ...
*
Land Trust Alliance
*
Metropolitan Transportation Authority
*
Mohawk Hudson Conservancy Mohawk may refer to:
Related to Native Americans
*Mohawk people, an indigenous people of North America (Canada and New York)
*Mohawk language, the language spoken by the Mohawk people
*Mohawk hairstyle, from a hairstyle once thought to have been t ...
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National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
*
National Park Service
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Natural Resources Conservation Service
Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), formerly known as the Soil Conservation Service (SCS), is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) that provides technical assistance to farmers and other private landowners an ...
*
New Baltimore Conservancy
New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created.
New or NEW may refer to:
Music
* New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz
Albums and EPs
* ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013
* ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator ...
*
New York State Conservation Partnership Program
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New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (informally referred to as NYSDEC, DEC, EnCon or NYSENCON) is a department of New York state government. The department guides and regulates the conservation, improvement, and protection ...
*
*
The Nature Conservancy, Eastern New York Chapter
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in E ...
*
New York-New Jersey Trail Conference
New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created.
New or NEW may refer to:
Music
* New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz
Albums and EPs
* ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013
* ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator ...
*
The Olana Partnership
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in E ...
*
Open Space Institute
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Orange County Land Trust
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Pallisades Interstate Park Commission
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Protect the Pallisades
Protection is any measure taken to guard a thing against damage caused by outside forces. Protection can be provided to physical objects, including organisms, to systems, and to intangible things like civil and political rights. Although t ...
*
Riverkeeper
Riverkeeper is a non-profit environmental organization dedicated to the protection of the Hudson River and its tributaries, as well as the watersheds that provide New York City with its drinking water. It started out as the Hudson River Fisherma ...
*
Thomas Cole House
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Trust for Public Land
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Westchester Land Trust
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Winnakee Land Trust
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United States Department of Agriculture
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Wallkill Valley Land Trust Wallkill may refer to the following in the U.S. state of New York:
*Wallkill, Orange County, New York, a town
*Wallkill, Ulster County, New York, a hamlet and census-designated place
*Wallkill Correctional Facility, in Ulster County
*Wallkill River ...
*
Walkway Over the Hudson
The Walkway over the Hudson (also known as the Poughkeepsie Bridge, Poughkeepsie Railroad Bridge, Poughkeepsie–Highland Railroad Bridge, and High Bridge) is a steel cantilever bridge spanning the Hudson River between Poughkeepsie, New York, ...
External links
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See also
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Glynwood Center
References
{{Reflist
Land trusts in New York (state)
Hudson River
1963 establishments in New York (state)
Organizations established in 1963