Public Responding to Federal Listening Sessions, Deputy Secretary of the Interior Now to Join

Valley among 25 locations nationwide selected for America’s Great Outdoors Initiative

HUDSON VALLEY – As momentum and excitement grow in anticipation of Thursday, Aug. 5, and Friday, Aug. 6, federal listening sessions under President Obama’s America’s Great Outdoors Initiative—the Department of Interior (DOI) yesterday announced an important additional session for the public.

Deputy Secretary of the Interior David Hayes will host a third listening session to be held Friday, Aug. 6, from 1-2:30 p.m. at the Henry A. Wallace Visitor and Education Center at the FDR Home and Presidential Library in Hyde Park.

Billed as a “conversation” with the deputy secretary, the announcement indicates Mr. Hayes will talk about the America’s Great Outdoors Initiative and other DOI programs and engage in a question-and-answer session.

The Department of Interior is asking people to pre-register by noon on Thursday, Aug. 5, for the conversation with Mr. Hayes, via e-mail, josie_wallin@nps.gov. More information on all the sessions is available at www.doi.gov/americasgreatoutdoors.

The earlier-announced America’s Great Outdoors listening sessions are as follows:

A youth session (junior high, high school and college students) will be held Thursday, Aug. 5, from 3-5 p.m., also at the Wallace Center.

A general session will be held on Friday, Aug. 6, from 9 a.m.-noon at the Marist College Student Center in Poughkeespsie.

Sarah Olson, superintendent of the Roosevelt Vanderbilt National Historic Sites, said, “We are honored that Deputy Secretary Hayes will be coming to the FDR Home and Library to share his vision and hear from key constituents. We have a long tradition of collaborating with the conservation community, notably including the Trust for Public Lands, Open Space Institute and Scenic Hudson, in restoring and protecting the Roosevelt property. We hope residents and conservation leaders will take advantage of the presence of the deputy secretary to share their vision of what we can achieve through strengthened partnerships.”

Joan Davidson, chair of the Hudson Quadricentennial Commission and OurHudson.org, said, “During the Quadricentennial and over the past months, conservation and civic leaders from all over the Hudson Valley have attended OurHudson’s listening sessions and shared their hopes and dreams for the Hudson Valley in the years ahead. Now we are excited to have the opportunity to communicate with top federal officials and begin to work in partnership with them to realize our shared goals.”

Ned Sullivan, president of Scenic Hudson, said “FDR’s home and library, Val-Kill and the Vanderbilt estate are national treasures that add tremendous gravitas to the Hudson Valley’s importance as historic and cultural destinations—part of the valley’s $4.7-million tourism economy. We are thrilled that Deputy Secretary Hayes will be available to talk with valley residents and conservation leaders about our shared goals.”

Scenic Hudson has partnered with the National Park Service in conserving the land that now links FDR’s home and library with Val-Kill, land that otherwise was destined for a mega-mall. “Through our collaborative work, visitors to the region can walk along the Farm Lane Trail following the path Franklin and Eleanor utilized between Springwood, Roosevelt’s historic home, and Eleanor’s retreat at Val-Kill. In addition to enhancing the quality of life for residents, these amenities provide direct and indirect economic opportunities,” added Mr. Sullivan.

OSI partnered with the National Park Service to purchase and restore Top Cottage, FDR’s historic retreat in Hyde Park, and to expand the boundaries and bufferlands around Lindenwald, Martin Van Buren’s home in Kinderhook, Columbia County.

Christopher (Kim) Elliman, CEO of OSI, said, “We applaud the entire America’s Great Outdoors Initiative. We are delighted that the deputy secretary of the Department of the Interior is coming to the Hudson to explore its ecological, cultural and historic resources. A federal presence in the East is of critical importance now as we try to protect places like Hyde Park, Sterling Forest and the Hudson Valley. We hope this listening session augers well for a productive future.”

Tara Sullivan, who served as executive director of the Quadricentennial said, “During last year’s River day flotilla from New York Harbor to Albany, more than 120,000 people thronged to the Hudson waterfront to celebrate New York’s history and promising future. Residents and tourists were hungry for opportunities to enjoy and celebrate the river and all it has to offer, boosting business for restaurants and shops along the Hudson corridor. The upcoming visit of federal officials gives us the opportunity to explore with them a way to sustain the momentum created by the economic and environmental gains that we made during the Quadricentennial year into the decade ahead.”

Carol Ash, commissioner of the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, said, “I’m grateful to President Obama and Secretary Salazar for embarking on this important initiative. With the many serious challenges facing our society today, it may be tempting to treat parks as a luxury—but they are not. Public parks and open spaces are essential to a healthy, vibrant society. I look forward to a productive dialogue between state and federal governments and our community partners to better our shared stewardship of the wonderful parks and landscapes in the Hudson Valley and throughout New York.”

Pete Grannis, commissioner of the New York State Environmental Conservation, said “This provides residents and officials another terrific opportunity to share input about how to strengthen partnerships with the federal government and connect people to nature. It also provides us with another chance to showcase the Hudson Valley, which has become a model for local, state, federal and even international preservation efforts.”

“To keep our drinking water safe and fully enjoy the Hudson’s extraordinary recreational opportunities, we need to enforce our environmental laws and invest in community water protection infrastructure,” said Paul Gallay, Hudson Riverkeeper and executive director. “Riverkeeper is excited about the dialogue the Department of Interior is helping to promote around these and related issues. We’re confident that it will help promote a healthier, happier and more vibrant Hudson Valley.”

“The national parks are important to the visitor in the Hudson Valley. The presidential homes, the library and museum help to provide the historical and cultural experiences our visitors are looking for,” said Mary Kay Vrba, president of Hudson Valley Tourism. “These historic sites are as important as the natural wonders of the west and need the attention of the Department of Interior to remain in top-of-mind awareness to the nation. Accessibility, promotion and preservation are vital in the ongoing branding of the Hudson River Valley, and we need the department’s support to strengthen these partnerships.”

“Recognizing the significance of our region’s natural and cultural resources, Congress made the Hudson River Valley one of the first National Heritage Areas in the Nation,” said Mark Castiglione, acting director of the Hudson River Valley Greenway and National Heritage Area. “National Heritage Areas work to tell our nation’s story outside of traditional National Park boundaries. I look forward to working with the Department of Interior to build our existing partnerships and discovering ways we can work together to engage new audiences to share the Hudson River Valley’s pivotal role in our nation’s heritage.”

Dave Conover, education director for Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, said, “This is a yet another great opportunity, especially for young people, to share their thoughts and to hear directly from a federal official about how the government can support and enhance environmental education efforts in the Hudson Valley.”

Janet Burnet, co-chair of the New York Committee of the Highlands Coalition, said, “The New York State Committee of the Highlands Coalition welcomes  Deputy Secretary of the Interior David Hayes to the New York State Highlands—a place of special beauty and resource value. Our members are grateful for this opportunity to participate in this conversation about the Hudson River Valley and the wonderful cultural and environmental assets of the Highlands. Preservation of  the New York State Highlands not only ensures that future generations will inherit our cultural resources but will also reap the benefit of healthy ecosystems and abundant drinking water supplies—essential elements for recreation, human health, spiritual enrichment and a sustainable economy.”

Scenic Hudson works to protect and restore the Hudson River and its majestic landscape as an irreplaceable national treasure and a vital resource for residents and visitors. A crusader for the valley since 1963, we are credited with saving fabled Storm King Mountain from a destructive industrial project and launching the modern grass-roots environmental movement. Today with more than 25,000 ardent supporters, we are the largest environmental group focused on the Hudson River Valley. Our team of experts combines land acquisition, support for agriculture, citizen-based advocacy and sophisticated planning tools to create environmentally healthy communities, champion smart economic growth, open up riverfronts to the public and preserve the valley's inspiring beauty and natural resources. To date Scenic Hudson has created or enhanced more than 50 parks, preserves and historic sites up and down the Hudson River and conserved more than 30,000 acres.

###