For Release: Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Grannis Announces 'Quad Legacy' Plan, Acquisition of Original Livingston Manor Lands

On-the-ground Projects to Focus on Conservation of Hudson, Champlain

As part of the 2009 Hudson-Fulton-Champlain Quadricentennial, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Pete Grannis today unveiled a plan for developing on-the-ground projects tied to the commemoration. Grannis also announced the first "legacy project" of the celebration: acquisition of a portion of the historic Livingston Manor on the shores of the Hudson River in Columbia County.

DEC purchased the 320-acre parcel from the Livingston family for $2.4 million, facilitated by the Trust for Public Land. The parcel, to be known as the Livingston State Forest, includes some steep Hudson River shoreline and opportunities for a variety of uses.

"As we approach the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson's historic voyage, the timing of this acquisition could not be better," Grannis said. "It will not only protect a scenic and historic area but also provide more opportunities for New Yorkers to connect to the natural world. We owe thanks to the Livingston family for making this happen. This is just one type of the many projects we hope to roll out as we move toward the Quadricentennial."

"The Livingston State Forest has played a historic role in New York State," said Matt Shurtleff, the Trust for Public Land Project Manager. "Its preservation will provide for the sustainable management of an important local economic resource and, at the same time, ensure continued public access for a variety of recreational pursuits along the Hudson River."

In addition, Commissioner Grannis also announced a $20,000 commitment from Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corporation to support a children's booklet about the Hudson River to support DEC's Hudson River Estuary curriculum. The agreement is an example of public-private partnerships encouraged to commemorate the Quadricentennial.

LIVINGSTON LANDS
In 1686, Robert Livingston was issued a royal patent by the governor of New York, entitling him to 160,000 acres between the Hudson River and the Connecticut and Massachusetts borders. The Livingston family tree includes Robert R. Livingston, who attended the Continental Congress and was once a member of the committee to draft the Declaration of Independence. He served as Secretary of Foreign Affairs (under the Articles of Confederation) and, in 1789, administered the presidential oath of office to George Washington.

Over the centuries, the property, which is a small portion of the original manor, has had a variety of uses. At first, settlers were encouraged to homestead. Then, in the middle of the 18th century, a narrow gauge railroad was built across the property to ferry iron ore. (The bed of this track still exists and makes a great hiking path.) Directly over the border on property owned by Edmund Livingston's cousins are giant brick kilns originally used to smelt iron. More recently the property was used for agriculture. Currently, it is all forested.

The lands purchased today have remained in the Livingston family for 10 generations. Other portions of the original 160,000-acre manor were split off over time. About 16,000 acres formed the town of Clermont, and approximately 8,000 acres became Germantown. The rest covered four townships. The "manor" itself and the manor-lord system ceased to exist after the American Revolution.

Since 1948, Edmund Livingston has owned a 320-acre remnant of the original patent, located in the town of Livingston. He has practiced careful stewardship of the land, enrolling in a forest-management program overseen by DEC while allowing access to hikers, campers, hunters, fisherman and horseback riders.

QUADRICENTENNIAL LEGACY PROGRAM
Next year, 2009, marks the 400th anniversary of the voyages of Hudson and Samuel de Champlain along the water bodies that bear their names. In 1609, their exploration of these waterways opened the American continent to a new global era that was made possible by the unique geographic advantages and rich natural resources of the river and the lake. For centuries, even before 1609, visionary leaders have recognized the assets of these waterways and used them in transformative ways that redefine the American experience.

New York has also included recognition of Robert Fulton's steamboat journey up the Hudson (1807) as part of the official commemoration. Fulton's steamboat launched a transportation revolution and was one of the most transformative events of its day.

The Legacy Program will be rolled out over several years and will create tangible benefits for future generations to enjoy. The program is intended to focus on conservation of the Hudson River and Lake Champlain. DEC will develop plans to provide more waterway access, protect open spaces, improve water quality and restore signature species and habitats of these waterways. Action plans for the river and the lake will guide these efforts. (See Legacy Program outline below and Web links to the action plans.)

Among the goals is to provide a "State of the Lake" report for Lake Champlain and a "State of the River" report for the Hudson. Working with Vermont and the Lake Champlain Basin Program, New York will collect historical data on the lake and relate it to current conditions. Long-term monitoring trends will be presented in a Web-based format to supplement the Lake Champlain Atlas. Similarly, DEC will prepare a report on the river using high-tech maps and digitized comparisons and provide Web resources and curriculum materials.

Web links:
For more information on the Quadricentennial, go to http://www.exploreny400.com/

For more information about the Hudson River Estuary Action Agenda, contact the Hudson River Estuary Program, NYS DEC R3, 21 S. Putt Corners Road, New Paltz, NY 12561, telephone, 845-256-3016, email: hrep@gw.dec.state.ny.us or on the web at http://www.lcbp.org/

2009 QUADRICENTENNIAL LEGACY PROGRAM

For its contribution to the 2009 Quadricentennial Legacy, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has announced a multifaceted program designed to: provide new opportunities for public enjoyment of the Hudson River and Lake Champlain; ensure that future generations benefit from these extraordinary natural resources; and enhance water quality to support recreational opportunities such as fishing and swimming.

In 1609, the exploration of these waterways opened the American continent to a new global era that was made possible by the unique geographic advantages and rich natural resources of the river and the lake. For centuries, even before 1609, visionary leaders recognized the assets of these waterways and used them in transformative ways that redefined the American experience.

For both the river and the lake, DEC will take ambitious steps to create connections for people with nature, safeguard these natural assets, improve water quality, and prepare for a sustainable future so that this and future generations can continue to reap the benefits of a quality environment. In so doing, we will allow innovation to flourish, as it has in this extraordinary corridor, from the Canadian border to New York, for generations in the past.

Building on the involvement of our citizens in developing state-adopted plans for both water bodies, we will use the Champlain "Opportunities for Action" plan and the Hudson River "Action Agenda" to guide our Legacy program. Both plans are founded on principles of collaboration. Neither can be fully implemented by DEC alone. We need the help of local government, private enterprise, the non-profit sector and federal agencies to achieve the full potential of our conservation vision. We invite other agencies and the public to join with us in implementing these regional plans, demonstrating the power of coordinated government action and public-private partnerships to achieve regional goals. We will also embrace the planning efforts of other agencies such as the Lakes to Locks plan.

This is the Legacy program we will advance over the next three years leading up to, including and following the 2009 commemorative events:

CONNECTING PEOPLE TO NATURE

We will create opportunities for the public to enjoy the recreational benefits of the River and the Lake and to learn about these ecosystems.

Lake Champlain Legacy

Lake access projects will provide new or improved facilities for fishing, boating and lighthouse restoration. School programs and curriculum modules will educate students about the past, present and future of the lake. By 2009, in partnership with the state of Vermont and the Lake Champlain Basin Program, DEC will provide a State of the Lake Report, collecting historical data on the Lake Champlain environment and relate it to current conditions. Long-term monitoring trends will be presented in a Web-based format to supplement the Lake Champlain Atlas.

Hudson River Legacy (Lake Tear of the Clouds to the Harbor)

River access projects such as fishing piers, boat launches and docks will be developed or enhanced. Hudson River curriculum modules will be available on-line for use in schools and at field stations. DEC will prepare a State of the Hudson report comparing historic and current conditions, with high-tech maps and digitized comparisons and provide web resources and curriculum materials. We will highlight emerging management issues and launch a monitoring program to track ecosystem trends. We will work towards gaining participation of the federal government in supporting all these programs, through a federal Gateways program for nature centers and national estuarine management programs. We will take steps to expand the capacity of the DEC Pack Forest camp and develop green infrastructure at our Five Rivers and Norrie Point facilities.

SAFEGUARDING NATURAL ASSETS

We will protect for future generations the key vistas and habitats of the River and the Lake and take steps to restore their signature species and natural heritage

Lake Champlain Legacy

Working with willing property owners, DEC will conserve key scenic vistas and fragile grassland, wetland and woodland habitat and will encourage private partners to conserve additional acres. In accordance with the Lake Champlain management plan, DEC will work with the state and federal partners in the Lake Champlain Basin Program to prevent the introduction of new invasive species and the spread of existing ones. We will continue our efforts to restore and maintain a balanced and diverse ecosystem in the basin that is consistent with what Samuel de Champlain observed in 1609. Efforts to control sea lamprey and restore a self-sustaining native fishery will continue, along with ongoing programs to preserve and protect rare and endangered species such as the peregrine falcon, bald eagle, and eastern timber rattler.

Hudson River Legacy (Lake Tear of the Clouds to the Harbor)

DEC will conserve fragile habitats such as tidal wetlands, eagle nesting and foraging sites, and scenic vistas for which the Hudson is legendary, such as views from the Franklin D. Roosevelt home and the Saratoga battle site. In accordance with the Hudson River "Action Agenda," DEC will advance its programs to conserve and recover signature species of the river, such as sturgeon, herring, striped bass, shad, eel, and oyster, as well as projects to conserve the unique natural heritage of the watershed and the resiliency of its streams. Working with willing property owners, DEC will work with state and federal partners to prevent the spread of invasive species and continue our efforts to restore and maintain a balanced and biologically diverse ecosystem in the watershed.

CLEAN WATER

We will improve water quality to support uses such as fishing and swimming.

Lake Champlain Legacy

A goal of the Lake Champlain Basin management plan is to restore water quality to promote a healthy and diverse ecosystem and provide for sustainable human use and enjoyment of the waterways. DEC will focus water quality improvement efforts on reducing pollutants of concern from point and non-point sources in those parts of the watershed that most significantly exceed established water quality standards so that water quality of the future meets the exceptional standards of the past.

Hudson River Legacy (Lake Tear of the Clouds to the Harbor)

In 1940, in his ground breaking book The Hudson, Carl Carmer expressed the wish that the Hudson would one day be safe for swimming. The dream began to be realized in 1965 when state voters passed the Pure Waters Bond Act, and it gained momentum with the passage of the 1972 federal Clean Water Act, which called for a fishable, swimmable waters by 1984. To date, billions have been invested in making the Hudson safe for fishing, swimming and drinking, and the goal of swimmable waters is at last within reach. DEC will focus on the remaining necessary steps that will make it possible to swim safely in the Hudson, beginning with the highest priority clean water projects. We will also partner with agencies to establish and improve sites for river swimming, where appropriate.

SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

We will assist in enabling Lake and River Communities to meet the challenges of changing environmental conditions

Lake Champlain and Hudson River Legacy

While the 2009 events will commemorate the past, it is important to also prepare for the future. We find ourselves at a transformative moment in history. Predicted changes in global temperature, rainfall and sea level present us with challenges that will require innovation on a grand scale. To assist in allowing such innovation to flourish, DEC will develop sustainability strategies to aid local governments in the Hudson-Champlain corridor with energy saving measures, urban greening, and infrastructure planning efforts that speed the transition to a secure future. We will assist communities in predicting the impact area for sea level rise, flooding and water resource management and developing appropriate responses. We will also encourage green practices that both promote local job growth and reduce the human impact on the environment.