The Hudson River (NY) an American Heritage Designated River

INTRODUCTION Governor George E. Pataki, on behalf of the people of the State of New York and in cooperation with the communities, non-profit organizations, businesses and residents of the Hudson River Valley, is pleased to nominate the Hudson River for designation as an American Heritage River. New Yorkers embrace this voluntary, non-regulatory program. On behalf of them, Governor Pataki commits the cooperation of all New York State programs to work in cooperation with local governments and non-profit organizations to promote economic development, environmental and natural resource protection, and historic and cultural preservation of the Hudson River Valley. The Hudson River is one of America’s most important commercial and recreational waterways, and one of the jewels of New York State. Truly, no other river is as deeply connected to America’s heritage as the Hudson. The Hudson was the first great river that settlers encountered in the New World, and it has been central to America’s identity ever since. The Hudson first connected the nations of the Iroquois, Algonquins and Mohicans and young America to the west. The Hudson River Valley is where the course of the Revolutionary War was changed forever, and America’s love of its landscape was born. Seven generations of farmers have tilled the fields of the Hudson River Valley and preserved its open spaces. The commercial lifeblood of the nation sailed up the Hudson and westward along the Erie canal. At Ellis Island, America welcomed the immigrants that supplied its diversity and strength. From the docks and piers of Manhattan’s West Side, the sons and daughters of those immigrants sailed to defend our freedom in two world wars. The Hudson is one of America’s great environmental success stories — a symbol of what government and people can do by working together. The modern environmental movement was born in the Hudson Valley with the Scenic Hudson decision, which established the precedent for the National Environmental Policy Act. It was on the Hudson that the idea of having a Riverkeeper, a watchdog for environmental disturbance, developed. There are now several Riverkeepers across the country which are based on this model. Similarly, the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater became a symbol copied by river groups nationwide. These efforts are the culmination of 100 years of conservation. Today, the Hudson is recognized as an estuary of national importance. The Hudson River is a recreational corridor for boating, swimming, fishing and transportation. It is also an economic success story of new business and industry, productive agriculture, and waterfront communities springing back to life. New York State is now devoting unprecedented resources to the restoration and protection of the Hudson River and the revitalization of the waterfront communities that depend upon the river. The American Heritage Rivers program will complement New York State’s efforts under the Clean Water/Clean Air Bond Act, the State Environmental Protection Fund, the Hudson River Estuary Action Plan, the Hudson River Valley Greenway and the programs of the departments of Environmental Conservation, Agriculture and Markets, Transportation and State as well as the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and the New York State Thruway Authority/Canal Corporation. New York is ready to build upon other Federal-State partnerships such as the New York/New Jersey Harbor Estuary Program, Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area and the Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve. Through these programs and the American Heritage Rivers initiative, in partnership with Hudson River Valley communities and citizen groups such as Scenic Hudson, the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, Historic Hudson Valley, the Adirondack Council, the Open Space Institute, the Hudson River Foundation, Historic River Towns of Westchester, the Hudson Riverkeeper, the Nature Conservancy, the Adirondack Mountain Club and the Adirondack North Country Association, New York’s vision of a river connected by well-planned communities, restored and accessible natural resources and revitalized waterfronts will be realized.

I. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSED HERITAGE RIVER AREA A. Geographic Area New York State nominates the entire Hudson River, from its source at Lake Tear of the Clouds to the Verrazano Narrows in New York Harbor, 315 miles to the south. This includes all of the 19 counties that extend along the Hudson’s shores. B. Natural and Topographic Qualities The Hudson River begins at Lake Tear of the Clouds alongside Mount Marcy, the highest of the Adirondack peaks. From there it plunges through the spectacular gorges and waterfalls of the Adirondack Park and broadens as it leaves the Park’s boundaries and flows through the farmlands and quiet towns and villages of Saratoga and Washington counties. The Hudson River becomes a tidal estuary south of the Troy Dam, and flows through a valley flanked to the east by the Taconic Range and to the west by the Catskill Mountains. At Newburgh Bay, the Hudson’s shoreline broadens. As it passes Storm King Mountain and West Point, the river becomes deep, narrow and turbulent. It flows past Bear Mountain and the Palisades, towering cliffs that flank the river from north of the Tappan Zee Bridge to the boroughs of Brooklyn and Staten Island. The river meets the Atlantic Ocean at one of America’s most important ports, New York Harbor. In the river’s southern reaches, the mixing of the Atlantic Ocean’s salt water with the fresh water from the Adirondacks and the Hudson’s tributaries creates an estuary that nourishes a spectacular wealth of biodiversity. A total of 206 species of fish have been recorded in the Hudson, along with migrating raptors, butterflies, songbirds and waterfowl which rely upon its tidal marshes and uplands for food and shelter. The estuary also serves as a major spawning ground for the Atlantic commercial fishery. This spring, for the first time in more than a century, a pair of bald eagles successfully hatched and fledged an eaglet, a powerful symbol of the rebirth of the river. C. Economic and Demographic Life of the River Valley For more than two centuries, no other region of the country has been the site of such significant cultural, environmental and industrial history. From its headwaters in the Adirondack High Peaks to New York Harbor, the river connects New York’s northern forests to one of the world’s great cities. Like the river itself, the demographics and economy of the Hudson River Valley change along the river’s length, but the dominant features have remained unchanged for generations. Agriculture and tourism continue to be the mainstays of the region’s economy, although the dynamics of these forces have shifted and a new generation of innovative industries is beginning to emerge. At its northern end, within the 6-million acre Adirondack Park, there are 130,000 permanent residents whose livelihoods depends upon forestry, tourism, education and recreation. More than 8 million people live in the Hudson River Valley, including the 5.3 million residents of New York City. From the beginning, the Hudson served as the nation’s first great commercial transportation artery, linking New York City to the west by the Erie Canal and to the coal mines of Pennsylvania by the Delaware and Hudson Canal. The Hudson was the setting for some of the most significant American industrial and commercial enterprises of the 19th century, including the West Point Foundry, the first steamships and the iron mills of Troy. Port cities like Newburgh, Kingston and Poughkeepsie stimulated agricultural development in surrounding counties. After World War II, businesses such as IBM, General Motors and General Electric invested heavily in the Hudson River Valley. The suburbanization of the Valley was accelerated by the construction of one of the nation’s busiest commuter railroad networks and the expansion of the interstate highway system. As the lower Hudson River Valley became an increasingly popular bedroom community for the New York City metropolitan area, agricultural land in the Valley came under tremendous pressure. Today, approximately one million acres of the Hudson River Valley are farmland; farming is the Valley’s second largest industry after tourism. The region’s diverse agricultural enterprises include dairies, orchards, a growing horticultural industry and creative gourmet products such as field greens and goat cheese. Hudson Valley wines have recently achieved national recognition. Other natural resources are equally important to the Valley’s economy. From April through June 1997, the striped bass recreational fishery industry produced a direct local economic value of nearly $2 million. The Hudson River is one of the few places in America where shad are still fished commercially. Urban revitalization has restored some of the downtown areas in the Hudson Valley, especially in Yonkers, Kingston, Troy and Albany, while innovative leadership has attracted artists and antique dealers to the streets of Cold Spring, Peekskill, Beacon and Hudson. Many historic downtowns and vacant urban waterfronts, while left relatively intact, are in need of redevelopment. Development plans include water-related development, providing extensive public access to the river. These redevelopment projects will transform former industrial and commercial sites all along the Hudson River into restaurants, parks, marinas and other tourist destinations. Canal revitalization programs and the lifting of the ban on catch-and-release fishing in the upper Hudson are bringing renewed recreational and tourist industries to the area, and a needed boost to the local economy. Saratoga County has recently emerged as a major retail distribution center. In the past year, Kleenex, Ace Hardware and Wal-Mart have all located major warehouses in the county, bringing $6 million in capital investments and 400 new jobs to the upper Hudson River Valley. Other kinds of development also continue to flourish. In November, IBM announced it would invest $700 million — its largest facility investment ever — at Fishkill, Dutchess County. The Valley is also becoming more ethnically diverse as the African-American, Asian and Hispanic populations in many Hudson Valley communities continue to grow.

II. NOTABLE RESOURCE QUALITIES OF THE AREA  The Hudson River and its Estuary The Hudson River estuary, which extends for 154 miles of the river’s 315-mile length, is a unique natural resource of regional and national significance. It is the spawning ground for major species of Atlantic coast fish such as striped bass and shad, and provides an important gene pool for wild stocks of species such as the sturgeon, which are facing worldwide decline. It is the flyway for migratory birds — ducks, geese, osprey — which stop to feed in the Hudson’s shallows. It is a refuge for rare and endangered species of animals and plants such as bald eagles and heartleaf plantain. Its watershed contains drainage basins from five surrounding states. Agriculture From the Adirondacks to New York City, the Hudson flows past almost one million acres of farmland. The distinctive Hudson River ecosystem is ideal for grapes and apples. The Hudson River Valley is home to the first significant grape vine plantings in the United States, as well as the nation’s oldest (1839) continuously operating winery. The Valley also is home to the unique “black dirt” region of Orange County, an area of highly productive soils for growing onions, lettuce and other vegetables. History The Hudson River runs deep through the cultural, historic and economic heart of our nation. The Hudson played a vital role in nearly every era in American history. The American Revolution and the Colonial Era The Hudson River Valley played a key role in the Revolutionary War, as it did in political and commercial life during the colonial era of the 17th and 18th centuries. Significant battles and wartime events took place in New York Harbor, on Manhattan Island, and at White Plains, Stony Point, the Hudson Highlands and West Point, New Windsor/Newburgh, and Saratoga. The British hoped to divide the states by controlling the Hudson; their failure was key to America’s victory. Most of the major Revolutionary War battlefields and military headquarters in the Hudson Valley have been preserved by the State and Federal governments. In 1850, George Washington’s Headquarters at Newburgh on the Hudson became the first protected State historic site in the nation. Industrial America Troy and Cohoes were principal sites for the Industrial Revolution in North America in the late 18th century. The Hudson became America’s premier industrial and commercial river in the 19th century, following the launching of the steamboat Clermont in 1807 and the construction of the Erie, Champlain and Delaware & Hudson canals. At the same time, New York City became the dominant American port. Providing access to western produce and to coastal and international markets, the canals fostered a booming mercantile trade and were essential to the settlement of the Great Lakes area. The construction of the railroads later in the century consolidated this role while gradually supplanting water-borne commerce. Landscape Painting, Landscape Design, Literature and Architecture The Hudson Valley scenery inspired the Knickerbocker writers, one of America’s first literary movements, and the Hudson River School of Painters, launching the newly independent American nation in the world of arts and letters and crafting our national identity and culture. The breathtaking scenery from which these writers and artists drew inspiration has remained relatively unspoiled by subsequent development. The Hudson was also the birthplace of American landscape architecture. Several properties designed according to the naturalistic principles of Downing, Vaux and Olmsted remain in the Hudson River Valley today, recalling a time when harmony with nature was expressed in many aspects of life, including the design of homes, gardens, cemeteries and parks. Immigration and the Movement West America’s role as a haven for refugees from persecution and poverty, symbolized by the Statue of Liberty, is a vital element of our history and culture. For nearly 400 years our shores have drawn immigrants seeking opportunity, freedom and justice. More than 20 million immigrants entered America through Ellis Island, at the mouth of the Hudson, enriching the culture and economy of the state and the nation. In the 19th century, these immigrants built America’s canals and railroads, supplied the factories of the burgeoning industrial economy, and founded America’s first trade unions. Many of those who sought opportunity in the west migrated up the Hudson River and beyond by canal or rail. Modern American Environmentalism Non-profit groups and other community organizations have a long history of active involvement in the Hudson River Valley. In 1936, the Hudson River Conservation Society organized to preserve Hudson Highland scenery from destructive mines. In the 1950s, the Boscobel Restoration in Garrison rescued an 1806 mansion and initiated a new era of postwar historic preservation. In the 1960s, the battle to save Storm King Mountain led to the organization of Scenic Hudson and a precedent-setting court decision that was the cornerstone of the National Environmental Policy Act. Since then, Hudson River Valley environmental organizations, working with the State and local governments, have led a monumental campaign to restore and protect the Hudson. Today, more than 400 environmental groups, sportsmen’s organizations, historic societies and a myriad of other non-profit organizations attest to the extent of local commitment to conserving the quality of life and regional heritage that make the Hudson River Valley unique.

III. THE COMMUNITY’S PLAN OF ACTION  A. New York’s Vision of the Hudson River For generations, New Yorkers have cried out for State and Federal action to protect and restore the Hudson River. New York State has heard their demands and has adopted a comprehensive program to guide State management of the river. Designation of the Hudson as an American Heritage River would further those efforts by effectively coordinating State, Federal and local programs to remove pollutants, restore degraded wetlands, protect fragile habitats, revitalize community waterfronts, protect and rehabilitate historic structures, stimulate cultural activity and provide public access to one of America’s greatest natural resources. New York has embarked on a visionary effort to integrate environmental restoration and economic revitalization in the Hudson River Valley; Federal assistance could provide a critical helping hand in many areas of this initiative. For years, New York State had no plan to guide efforts to protect the river, and no funds dedicated for that purpose. Governor Pataki has made revitalization of the Hudson River a top priority for his administration, and has provided the funds and the plans to make restoration of the river a reality. In 1996, Governor Pataki signed the Hudson River Estuary Management Plan, a comprehensive blueprint for the long-term protection and restoration of the river and its entire ecosystem from New York Harbor to the Troy dam. Governor Pataki has committed $37 million to implementing the Management Plan, as well as an additional $38 million for water quality projects affecting the Hudson River Estuary as part of New York’s efforts to clean up New York Harbor. In total, $75 million in State funds have been dedicated for the restoration and protection of the Hudson River ecosystem. In addition, $200 million in State and City funding has been committed to the creation of the Hudson River Park in New York City. New York’s plan of action derives from the people and local governments of the Hudson River Valley. It reflects the programs the citizens of New York have directed the State to create, the ways in which they have elected to work together with each other and with the private sector, and the enormous strides they have made in reclaiming their river. Designation of the Hudson as an American Heritage River would complement these efforts by providing Federal assistance with voluntary, non-regulatory programs that will help restore the river and revitalize the economy of the valley while respecting private property rights and working in cooperation with local governments and non-profit organizations. The American Heritage Rivers Initiative will help restore the Hudson River to its full, undiminished glory. Upon designation, Governor Pataki will assemble a task force from involved private citizens, organized interest groups, and regional businesses, as well as local, State and Federal agencies. Through this task force New York will work to accomplish its objectives for the Hudson River. B. Prior Accomplishments and Existing Plans and Projects New York State is devoting unprecedented resources to the Hudson River today. Important progress has been made already, and in the next few years the pace of work will accelerate dramatically. Among New York’s many environmental priorities, none are more important, and none are receiving more attention. New York State’s efforts to restore and protect the Hudson River are guided by the Hudson River Estuary Management Plan, a comprehensive blueprint for the protection and renewal of the river and its ecosystem. Governor Pataki signed the Management Plan in spring 1996 and has provided more than $37 million for its implementation. The estuary plan is the State’s first initiative to integrate all of its programs in support of a distinct ecological area. It addresses: managing aquatic resources, such as sturgeon, striped bass, shad, eels and blue crabs, and restoring their habitats; preserving upland resources, such as open space, scenery and biodiversity; enhancing water-based recreation and tourism; revitalizing the river-based economy through improved water quality and remediation of contaminants; and stewardship through partnership as an organizing principle. The scope of the work New York State has undertaken in the Hudson River Valley through the Estuary Management Plan is truly astonishing. Work is underway on many projects, and in the near future the pace of work will accelerate rapidly as implementation of the Management Plan continues. Guided by the Hudson River Estuary Management Plan, and funded by the 1996 Clean Water/Clean Air Bond Act and the State Environmental Protection Fund, New York State is: Restoring the river’s habitats, revitalizing degraded industrial waterfronts through brownfields clean-ups and redevelopment, repairing boat launches and restoring the vitality of the entire ecosystem. Buying environmentally sensitive land, restoring wetlands, monitoring fishery resources and investigating the sources of contamination in the river. Conducting a three-year study of the River’s shad populations, the first since 1951. Implementing 12 new projects to monitor and evaluate contaminants in the Hudson River. A comprehensive monitoring plan for the river is being developed. Approximately 30 projects will be under way by 1998. Digitally mapping the Hudson River’s tidal wetlands and identifying the Hudson’s submerged habitats and nursery areas in need of protection. Pursuing Governor Pataki’s commitment to protecting 4,000 acres of open space along the Hudson River. Significant progress has been made with the purchase of 1,145 acres of land on Fishkill Ridge in Dutchess County, and Turkey Point and Eve’s Point in Ulster County. Building and repairing eight boat launches on the Hudson. Five such projects are already underway, in Bethlehem, Newburgh, Athens, Peekskill, and Mills-Norrie State Park. A comprehensive assessment of the river’s access points and potential sites for future developments is being conducted. Beginning work on a project to develop five new interpretive centers which will help encourage natural resource based tourism. A respected interpretive planner has been hired to design a plan for a network of centers featuring the natural history and human uses of the estuary. Other, complementary initiatives also are making important progress towards the protection of the Hudson River. In the lower Hudson Valley, an intensive public process led to the creation of the Hudson River Valley Greenway, a structure of voluntary regional cooperation, based on the principle of Home Rule, economic incentives and connection of the Valley’s resources through hiking, biking and water trails. Through the Greenway, communities agree to adopt common planning principles: natural and cultural resource protection; economic development; public access and heritage and environmental education. The Hudson River Valley Greenway Trail System will connect the valley’s residents with its natural, cultural and historic resources. Congress recognized the unique qualities of the Hudson River Valley in 1996 when it designated it a National Heritage Area. The National Park Service, in conjunction with the State of New York through the Hudson River Greenway, is working to focus funds and resources on helping to protect, develop and interpret the history, culture and environment of the Hudson River Valley. The designation also recognizes the commitments of the 58 Hudson River communities who have voluntarily chosen to participate either in Coastal Management or Greenway planning, including the entire Westchester County shoreline, which has organized as a separate non-profit organization to promote economic development, historic and cultural preservation, river access and community planning. Dutchess County has become the first county in New York State to create a sustainable development plan. More than 3,000 farms in the Hudson River Valley have chosen to participate in New York State’s Agricultural District program, which will preserve 870,000 acres of agricultural land. New York State, through its Environmental Protection Fund and the Clean Water/Clean Air Bond Act, the Estuary Management Plan, Coastal Management Program and the Hudson River Valley Greenway is working as a partner with local communities in revitalization and preservation efforts. For example, this past spring, work on the first “brownfields” project to be funded from the Bond Act, the transformation of a blighted industrial site into a riverfront park in Irvington, was begun. This project is an example of the close partnerships that have developed in New York to the benefit of the Hudson River. The design was a joint effort between the Village of Irvington and Scenic Hudson, while the majority of the financing is supplied by the State. The Hudson Valley Tourism Development Council, representing both the public and private sectors, is supplementing both the work of the State’s newly revived I Love New York campaign and also the Greenway planning and trail process in the valley’s communities. Eight designated Heritage Areas, each with its own community driven plan and visitor’s center, provide stepping stones for visitors traveling in the Hudson River Valley. C. Expected Federal Role: Projects To Be Undertaken Although many State-local partnerships exist along the Hudson River, Federal agencies could be better integrated into these initiatives. The most direct benefit of American Heritage River designation would be the new and enhanced relationships that the Federal government would forge with New York State, local governments, non-profit and other community organizations in support of several existing management plans and programs. In general, New York sees designation of the Hudson as an American Heritage River as an opportunity to: Integrate the Federal government as a partner in recent State and local initiatives. Focus and integrate Federal programs among themselves. Provide technical assistance to the myriad project and programs described below. Trouble-shoot where integration and technical assistance bump up against the realities of implementation. Implement recently adopted Federal, State and local plans for the restoration, revitalization and long-term protection of the Hudson River Valley. The following are more specific elements of New York State’s partnership with the Federal government that could help protect, restore and revitalize the Hudson River Valley. 1. Resource Protection and Management a. The Hudson River Estuary Management Program As already described above, the Hudson River Estuary Management Plan is a comprehensive blueprint for the restoration and protection of the river. A wide array of projects are being implemented under the plan; Federal support could assist many of them. Key opportunities for Federal involvement include: Remediation of PCBs and other contaminants in the river. Partnering in habitat restoration. Designing environmentally sensitive waterfront bulkheads and piers. Providing technical assistance for citizen monitoring of water quality and biodiversity health. Supporting brownfields clean-ups and redevelopment. Developing a model for economic analyses of scenic protection. Facilitating natural resource interpretation. Participation in ecosystem monitoring. b. Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve The Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve (HRNERR) is a network of four coastal wetlands located along 100 miles of the Hudson Estuary. The Reserve program is administered by New York State in cooperation with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and local citizen advisory committees in the four locations with Reserve sites. The primary goal of the Reserve is the protection and prudent management of the river’s biologically diverse estuarine communities. The sites are managed as long-term natural field laboratories for research and education. Key opportunities for Federal involvement include: Habitat restoration and enhancement in partnership with the Army Corps of Engineers. Interpretive exhibits and facilities featuring Hudson River ecology. Research on habitat monitoring and assessment including status and trends analysis. Public education on coastal management issues such as recreational boating and non-point source pollution. c. New York/New Jersey Harbor Estuary Program The New York/New Jersey Harbor Estuary Program (HEP) originated in 1988 when the Governors of New York and New Jersey requested that the New York-New Jersey Harbor Estuary be designated as an “Estuary of National Significance” under Section 320 of the Clean Water Act. The HEP Management Conference was convened as a partnership of Federal, State, and local governments, interstate agencies, scientists, civic and environmental groups, the fishing community, business and industry, working to protect and restore the New York harbor portion of the Hudson River estuary. The Harbor Estuary Program released its Final Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan in March 1996. Major recommendations relate to management of habitat and living resources, toxic contamination, dredged material, pathogenic contamination, floatable debris, and nutrients and organic enrichment. Key opportunities for Federal involvement include: Tracking, monitoring and reporting on program implementation and effectiveness. Seeking commitments for the implementation of plan recommendations. Gaining new information through monitoring, modeling, and research. Seeking and advocating adequate funding for plan implementation. d. Dredging Programs in New York Harbor In response to a bi-state agreement signed by Governors Pataki and Whitman, New York State established a dredged material management task force to coordinate New York’s role in solving the Harbor’s dredging problems. The agreement earmarked $13 million to identify contaminants entering New York Harbor, including upriver sources that migrate to the harbor. Contaminants impede navigation and commercial uses due to the difficulty of disposing of polluted dredged material, as well as causing ecological impacts and resulting restrictions on fishing. A policy of pollution prevention is being pursued to reduce future dredging costs and restore the fishery. Key opportunities for Federal involvement include: Development of data management systems. Contaminant source reduction and remediation. Modeling sediment transport. Development of biological measures of ecosystem health. e. Other Opportunities for Federal Involvement in Resource Protection Provide Federal Housing Authority loans and grants to small cities and population centers to separate storm and sanitary sewers and eliminate bypassing of sanitary sewage treatment plants during times of heavy surface runoff. Through the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, protect scenic landscapes and fish and wildlife habitats when awarding permits for new energy facilities such as transmission and pipe lines and intake structures. Improve project review coordination with other Federal agencies, State agencies, and local governments regarding Coastal Zone Management Act consistency responsibilities. Help develop watershed management programs. 2. Public Access Require continued maintenance and repair of vehicular and pedestrian bridges over railroad tracks to the Hudson River and avoid cutting off existing access when expanding existing facilities and operations. Promote programs such as the joint Riverkeeper-Metropolitan Transit Authority initiative to protect and expand public access to the Hudson, which has been historically hindered by the presence of railroad tracks. Maintain historic railroad structures and find new uses for structures no longer needed for railroad operations. Promote the reuse of right of ways, such as through the Rails to Trails program which is converting an abandoned rail right of way into a bike path through the length of Westchester County. Promote the reuse of Federal surplus real property to advance community- based Local Waterfront Revitalization Programs and increase public access to the Hudson River. 3. Community and Waterfront Development Help promote economic development along the river. Help the State and river communities develop environmental and economic status and trends analysis. Apply the benefits of the Federal Brownfields Showcase Aid program to Hudson River municipalities. Provide pilot grants for brownfield redevelopment on Hudson River waterfronts. Promote the reuse of historic structures. Assist in the redevelopment of the Port of Newburgh and the continued development of the Port of Albany-Rensselaer to once again make the Hudson River a major economic gateway to the west. Provide resources for the revitalization of the shoreline infrastructure for commercial and recreational purposes. Increase participation in the development of Local Waterfront Revitalization Plans in communities along the navigable portions of the river, including the area above the Troy Dam. Assist, through the departments of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Commerce and Interior in creating an overall waterfront strategy in the development of the Hudson Valley as a major, worldwide tourist destination. Designate economic development zones in those Local Waterfront Revitalization and Greenway communities seeking urban redevelopment. Create a economic development initiative for the Hudson River similar to that created by HUD for the State Canal System Corridor. Expand HUD’s Small Cities Program to revitalize waterfront commercial districts. Support artists and art programs that contribute to the variety of uses on revitalized and redeveloping waterfronts. Help communities design environmentally sensitive and commercially useful waterfront bulkheads and piers. 4. Tourism Provide interpretive assistance in the development of the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area. Increase the level of funding to local government and non-profit organizations for survey, preservation, and restoration of historic structures and landscapes. Through the National Park Service, work with local historic sites to develop inter-site shuttle service to reduce traffic and avoid the need to redesign historic rural road corridors. Connect shuttles with rail and waterborne transportation as well as park and ride facilities. Facilitate natural and cultural resource interpretation. Promote the region as a historic, cultural and recreational resource. Increase participation in the Federal Certified Local Government historic preservation program. Sponsor national and regional conferences on tourism similar to the 1995 White House Conference on Travel and Tourism in order to highlight the importance of tourism and coordinate Federal, State and local efforts. Promote public-private partnerships which utilize Federal, State and private funding sources, such as the Heritage Area Interpretive Visitor Center in New York City. 5. Agriculture Increase participation in the Agricultural Environmental Management Initiative, a program that encourages interagency cooperation that is now being tested in a pilot program in the Wappingers Creek Watershed, Dutchess County. Improve coordination of State and Federal farmland protection programs that fund the purchase of development rights of key parcels of farmland. Assist in streamlining and coordinating the implementation of agricultural “best management practices” awarded under both the State’s Agricultural Nonpoint Source Abatement and Control Program and the Federal Environmental Quality Incentives Program. 6. Transportation Continue funding through the Intermodel Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) and other programs that encourage alternative and mass transit opportunities including bike trails and light rail systems water transportation. Assist in resolving dredging problems in the Hudson River portion of the Champlain Canal, restoring that canal as a transportation corridor. Provide flexible standards for highways supported with Federal funds to avoid over design and consequent adverse visual impacts on scenic highway corridors. Continue ISTEA funding for surveying and designating scenic roads and constructing corridor improvements. Promote intermodal transportation networks under ISTEA that include water borne transportation. Support the proposed Building Efficient Surface Transportation and Equity Act (BESTEA) that provides for municipal planning, community education and historic preservation. 7. Navigation Assist in resolving dredging issues in New York Harbor that would both clean up the harbor and restore New York and New Jersey as world class shipping destinations. Provide technical assistance in dredging and contaminant management. Remediate problems associated with the Federal channel, such as dikes at creek mouths that redirect siltation to local harbors, necessitating more frequent localized dredging. Coordinate local municipal dredging projects with Corps of Engineers channel dredging to reduce costs of local dredging. Extend the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers’ drift removal program to include the entire Hudson River area and remove derelict barges that limit water surface use and present navigational hazards to boaters. Complete the U. S. Coast Guard’s Area Contingency Plan for hazardous material response, law enforcement, and investigation. Locate U. S. Coast Guard navigation aids in historic lighthouses to ensure their preservation and return warehoused historic elements to local lighthouse museums to help generate patronage of the museums. 8. Community Planning Provide planning and design grants to preserve community character. Develop a coordinated approach to Federal permitting and making Federal programs more responsive to local needs. Assistance in downtown revitalization, including retention of historic post office buildings. 9. Education Support programs of colleges and universities on regional history and maritime heritage. Help educate the public on coastal management issues such as recreational boating, non-point source pollution, and protection of natural and historic resources. D. Fiscal Resources The State of New York and the private sector have committed hundreds of millions of dollars to economic revitalization, natural resource and environmental protection and historic and cultural preservation along the Hudson River. In 1996, Governor Pataki proposed and led the effort that created the $1.75 billion Clean Water/Clean Air Bond Act. Additionally, the State’s annual Environmental Protection Fund now provides $100 million per year for open space conservation, municipal landfill closure projects, and waste reduction and recycling initiatives. The Clean Water/Clean Air Bond Act provides $25 million for the Hudson River, and the State has allocated $12 million from the Environmental Protection Fund in the last two years for implementation of the Hudson River Estuary Management Plan. In addition, $25 million from the Bond Act is devoted to New York Harbor, the Hudson’s terminus, and the New York-New Jersey port restoration project has dedicated another $13 million to an estuary-wide contaminant reduction program. In total, the State’s current financial commitment to environmental restoration and protection of the Hudson River is $75 million. In addition, $200 million in State and City funding has recently been committed to the creation of a 550-acre park stretching along five miles of New York City waterfront on the Hudson.Local governments, private organizations and residents along the river have also participated in two State programs to preserve and protect both agricultural land and the economy it supports. Since its creation in 1996, more than $1.2 million has gone to five river counties, as well as another $1.5 million in a State program for nonpoint source abatement. In 1996 New York began a Canal Revitalization program, a $32.3 million five-year capital investment that will focus on developing harbors, service ports and trails along the canal system. A dozen new service ports will be added to the 33-mile long canalized section of the Hudson, providing essential services and access for boaters. Landside improvements include the development of the Canalway Trail and enhancement of public spaces and visitor services. Two foundations — the Hudson River Foundation and the Wallace Fund for the Hudson Highlands — supplement the millions of public dollars spent by the State in scientific research, land acquisition, waterfront revitalization and the protection of the agricultural lands, while national environmental organizations such as the Nature Conservancy, the Trust for Public Land, the Conservation Fund and the National Trust for Historic Preservation have committed and spent millions of dollars preserving the Hudson River Corridor. E. Measures of Performance The success of the American Heritage River designation will be measured both directly and indirectly. Direct measurements will be made in terms of the number of restored waterfronts, increased access to the Hudson River, the number of miles added to the Greenway Trail system, acreage of open space land protected, changes in indicators of environmental quality, number of brownfields sites remediated and redeveloped, jobs created along the corridor, increased use of the river as a commercial and recreational waterway, visitation at public historic sites, hotel/motel occupancy rates, a decrease in the number of farms and acreage lost and preservation of the character of the communities along the river. Other measurements will include the number of communities that request Federal assistance in their programs; the number of communities that participate in the Coastal Management and Greenway programs, and the number of requests for buildings to be added to the National Register of Historic Places. Many important State, Federal and local programs have been discussed in this application which will benefit from the increased coordination of services that designation as an American Heritage River will bring. The ultimate success of those programs will in part reflect the support the Hudson River receives from the American Heritage Rivers initiative.

IV. WHO SUPPORTS THE NOMINATION AND PLAN OF ACTION  Perhaps nowhere in New York State has citizen participation been more fully realized than in the communities along the Hudson River. The result has been the development of an unusual level of trust between the State and its people. Along with this application, we submit more than 1,800 letters and resolutions from many of the communities, citizens and organizations throughout the Hudson River Valley who support the Heritage Rivers program. These letters of support reflect both the depth and breadth of local enthusiasm for this important initiative. New Yorkers from every walk of life stand to benefit from the American Heritage Rivers Initiative, and they have clearly expressed their approval of it. New Yorkers are unified in their passionate desire for the restoration, revitalization and protection of the Hudson River Valley; the American Heritage Rivers initiative has an important role to play in that effort. Programs with similar goals have already received extensive public support. The Hudson River Estuary Management Plan was the result of seven years of public interaction to set goals and objectives for the comprehensive management of the Hudson River ecosystem. The program is guided by a management advisory committee composed of representatives of commercial fishermen and sportsmen, industry, environmental organizations and non-profits, local government, other State agencies, and concerned citizens. Eighteen public hearings and testimony by virtually every segment of the lower Hudson Valley community led to the creation of the Greenway program, which included citizen committees concerned with issues ranging from agricultural preservation to the participation of minorities in the river’s revitalization. The State Heritage Area program and the Coastal Management program also share the goals of the Heritage Rivers Program. They are now being embraced by the Valley community. Each municipality that participates in the Coastal Management program creates its own local committee to design its own plan. The Office of State Parks has regional citizen commissions to assist its management of parks and historic sites, while most historic sites have “friends” groups that are becoming increasingly creative and active in helping the State find ways to restore and maintain sites. Non-profit economic development groups, such as Mid-Hudson Pattern for Progress, work closely with both the environmental community and the State in promoting and attracting development and innovative technology. New York State will continue to broaden public support by working with the people and communities of the Hudson River Valley to design the programs and projects of the Heritage Rivers program. This would initially be accomplished through printed brochures and fact sheets followed by a series of public meetings along the river corridor, and later by smaller meetings with individuals or communities that request them. Joint biannual reports on the progress of the program would be published, with perhaps a more frequent newsletter providing additional information.

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