A Poughkeepsie-based environmental group has acquired 173 acres in Columbia County. Some of the land plays a role in maintaining the quality of the local public water supply.
The acquisition in Greenport is part of Scenic Hudson’s ongoing Saving the Land That Matters Most campaign. The property includes forests, 65-acres of tidal and freshwater wetlands, and more than a mile of frontage along the main channel of South Bay Creek. The land purifies and replenishes the aquifer supplying the primary source of drinking water for Greenport. A portion of the property is visible from Olana State Historic Site. Scenic Hudson is focused on securing parcels along South Bay Creek for habitat protection and recreational use. Moving forward, it plans to conduct outreach with local residents and community leaders to learn more about how people would like to see these lands managed. One long-term possibility is to link trails along a larger corridor between the City of Hudson, South Bay Creek, Olana, the Rip Van Winkle Bridge, the Village of Catskill and RamsHorn-Livingston Sanctuary.
