Annual Report 2009

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Fueling the Green Economy with New Parks and Protected Lands

President Ned Sullivan (left) and Board Chair Frederic C. Rich.Vickie Muller

In past times of economic challenge, state government, joined by private philanthropists, spurred economic recovery through investment in parks and open space. Embracing this approach, Scenic Hudson is working with government and private partners to preserve must-save landscapes along the Hudson and build magical new parks to connect people to the river.

"To the many organizations that look after the Hudson Valley -- including Scenic Hudson, whose land acquisitions have given the region a wealth of public greenery -- the Walkway has two jobs: be lovely to look at (and from), and energize the economy."New York Times, October 6, 2009

Scenic Hudson this year invested in six new park projects from Westchester to Albany, including a major contribution to Walkway Over the Hudson. We joined the Walkway's founders, the Dyson Foundation and state and federal officials in transforming this rusting 19th-century railroad bridge into an astounding public park.

We also forged ahead with our Quadricentennial legacy initiative. We've now protected 3,400 acres of "the Land That Matters Most" with our partners. The recession has not diminished threats to the valley's beauty and ecological resources; 100,000 proposed new housing units still are on drawing boards. Protected land bolsters tourism, creates jobs, enhances the valley's competitiveness in the new "green economy" and supplies fresh produce to greenmarkets and restaurants from Manhattan to the Capital Region.

Scenic Hudson continues to carry the banner as the regional environmental watchdog, collaborating with partners in ensuring General Electric's cleanup of PCBs remains safe and on track, pushing to slash the massive fish kills by power plants and protecting habitats threatened by oversized development in places like Pine Plains.

We're both enormously grateful for your continued generous support that allows Scenic Hudson to achieve all this and more!

-- Frederic C. Rich, Board Chair and Ned Sullivan, President, November 2009

Download Scenic Hudson's 2009 Annual Report (PDF/2.1MB)