A conservation easement on 16 scenic and ecologically important acres adjacent to the Hudson River’s Vanderburgh Cove has been donated by landowners to Scenic Hudson, the organization announced recently.
The land is highly visible from numerous public viewpoints, including South Mill Road (a state-designated Scenic Road), Amtrak, the Hudson River and two of Scenic Hudson’s most popular Ulster County parks, Esopus Meadows Preserve and Shaupeneak Ridge preserve. The property also contains more than half a mile of shoreline along two significant wetlands—the tidal marsh and intertidal mudflats in Vanderburgh Cove—and Fallsburg Creek, a Hudson River tributary. The forested land adjoins 203 acres previously protected by Scenic Hudson through a conservation easement. Upland portions of the property will allow for the inland migration of species whose habitats face inundation by rising waters, a Scenic Hudson news release said.
“Conserving this land is critical for preserving the beauty and ecological diversity of Vanderburgh Cove—one of the Hudson River Estuary’s true ecological powerhouses as well as a very popular paddling destination. Its protection also ensures that visitors to two of Scenic Hudson’s flagship parks will continue to enjoy the magnificent views that compelled us to create these natural areas and that contribute greatly to their popularity. We thank the landowners for their generosity and vision in permanently protecting this natural treasure,” said Scenic Hudson President Ned Sullivan in the news release.
The acquisition is the latest victory in Scenic Hudson’s ongoing Saving the Land That Matters Most campaign and it helps mark Scenic Hudson’s 50th anniversary.
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