Hudson River Valley Greenway —a model for the Delaware Valley?

By TOM KANE

Is the Delaware River Valley interested in tapping into technical assistance and grants by inviting a New York State designated greenway project like the Hudson River?

That’s the question New York State Senator John Bonacic is actively pursuing. He is soliciting opinions from river town supervisors and will hold an informational meeting on April 30 at 11:00 a.m. at the Upper Delaware Council on Bridge Street in Narrowsburg to acquaint interested parties with how a greenway works. Hudson River Valley Greenway Executive Director Carmella Mantello will be on hand.

“For years, towns in other parts of the state have received funds because of a greenway designation. Like the scenic byway designation, I will leave it to the towns to determine whether the greenway designation is something they are interested in,” Bonacic said.

The birth of a local greenway concept

The concept of a Delaware River Greenway was born when Bonacic heard Governor Pataki call for the establishment of a Niagara River Greenway during his 2004 State of the State address.

“The only state greenway was on the Hudson—New York’s major river,” Bonacic explained. “The governor’s proposal to create a greenway on a minor river like the Niagra led me to think that the funding of a greenway for the Delaware was possible.”

He wrote an initial letter to the river town supervisors in Sullivan, Delaware and Orange Counties to pursue the question.

So far the towns of Delaware, Cochecton, Tusten, Highland, Lumberland and Deerpark have responded positively. Hancock wishes to stay neutral until it learns more, and the Town of Fremont has come out against it until it knows more, Supervisor James Greier said.

What is the Hudson River Valley Greenway?

The Hudson River Valley Greenway Act of 1991 created a process for voluntary regional cooperation among the 259 communities in the 16 counties in the Hudson River Valley.

Two organizations created by the act to facilitate the greenway process are the Hudson Valley Greenway Communities Council and the Greenway Conservancy for the Hudson River Valley.

The Hudson Valley Communities Council, a state agency, works with local and county governments to promote land-use planning and create a way that communities and counties can work together.

“We want people to think beyond borders,” said Mantello. “The community council, for example, will fund a planner for communities as a technical assistant to help them with a comprehensive plan if they want. As another example, we’ll work with a community that wants to revitalize its Main Street. Another project could be to help a riverfront community develop a river access. There are many possibilities and it’s up to the towns which one they chose.”

The Greenway Conservancy for the Hudson River Valley, a public benefit corporation, works with local governments, organizations and individuals to establish a Hudson River Valley Trail system, promote the Hudson River Valley as a single tourism destination area, assist in the preservation of agriculture, and with the council works with communities to strengthen state agency cooperation with local governments.

“In building trails, we don’t want to own any land or purchase land,” Mantello said. “We get people to buy into the idea. The funding we offer is to help a community develop a trail. It’s our goal to have a land trail, perhaps a rails-to-trails in some instances, on both sides of the river, from the north at Troy to the Battery.”

A river trail is also in the works, she said.

“Kayakers are able to access the river at over 70 locations along its route,” she said. “A greenway on the Delaware would make things like this possible.”

Who belongs to Hudson River Valley Greenway?

“Of the 259 communities, 209 have joined the greenway,” said Mantello. It stretches from the Troy Dam in the north to Battery Park in New York City, she said.

Six counties have also joined the conservancy and are actively engaged in developing compacts for communities in their counties. These are Dutchess, Westchester, Putnam, Rockland, Orange and Albany counties.

Reasons for Joining a Greenway Project

The obvious reason for towns and counties to join the greenway, she said, is to get additional funding that they would not otherwise get.

The two grants programs that members can utilize are the Community Grants Program and Compact Grant Program.

Community Grants are given to communities that have joined the greenway. They are eligible for matching grants—usually $5,000 to $10,000—for community planning. The council will consider grant requests in excess of $10,000 for collaborative efforts involving two or more municipalities that partner under one project.

Compact Grants, which provide 50 percent matching grants on a reimbursement basis, are given to communities for natural and cultural resources protection, conservation and management of renewable natural resources, regional planning, economic development, public access and heritage education. The 50-percent match may be provided in the form of an in-kind or other non-monetary contribution.

Not another form of government

In a second letter to river towns, Bonacic states that the greenway is not another level of government. “The last thing, I believe, we need is another form of government to manage a program like this,” Bonacic said. “In fact, the program is really nothing more than an opportunity to try and statutorily drive state funding into our area.”

Groups can join (or not join) it at anytime and even drop out after joining, the letter said.

In recent years, Bonacic has used his influence in the state to bring funding to several towns along the Delaware River.

“Senator Bonacic has been very supportive of the river towns for years,” said Town of Delaware board supervisor Bill Moran. “That’s why we want to support his idea.”

One of the most vocal opponents to the greenway idea is Fremont resident Noel van Swol, president of the Independent Landholders Association an organization that actively opposed the National Park Service presence 20 years ago. He has warned town and county leaders that the greenway will take away property rights and will be “like a camel getting its nose in the tent,” bringing the structure down.

Mantello said, “We are proud of the accomplishments of the greenway and have proven over the years the effectiveness of programs that have brought positive growth to the river valley while respecting the principle of home-rule.”

Bonacic extended an invitation to all those with concerns about the greenway to attend the April 30 meeting.

“The more the merrier,” he said.

The HRVG website is hudsongreenway.state.ny.us.

Current programs of the Hudson River Valley Greenway

—Technical and financial assistance for local planning efforts and regional planning with groups of communities, counties and organizations.

—Technical and financial assistance for development of the Hudson River Valley Greenway Trail system for hiking, biking and paddling. The Greenway Trail is designed through local volunteer and municipal planning with the goal of promoting the region’s natural and cultural resources while providing local opportunities for recreation and public access to the Hudson River.

—An incentives package for communities participating in regional planning compacts including an advantage in state funding programs; indemnification for communities in law suits brought pursuant to zoning and other planning changes; the ability to regulate waterfronts through local rather than state regulations, and incentives to create plans using generic environmental impact statements to provide a measure of planning predictability through a broader public process.

—Participation in the programs of the Hudson Valley Tourism Development Council to foster the potential of tourism as a regional economic development engine.

—Grant programs for nonprofit and municipal partners focused on strengthening the industries of agriculture and tourism, on the conservation of natural and cultural resources and on best management practices and sound municipal planning.