On Sunday, Oct. 2 from 4 to 6 p.m., the Wallkill Valley Land Trust will hold its annual Conservation Award Ceremony to honor Gardiner Town Councilperson Nadine Lemmon for her work in smart growth and environmental preservation in the Hudson Valley. The award ceremony will take place at Rock and Rye Tavern in New Paltz. Guests will enjoy an array of hors d’oeuvres prepared by the tavern’s chef Jeremy Kolakowski, as well as wine and other refreshments.
Since her arrival in the Hudson Valley in 1994, Lemmon has been involved in land-use advocacy, first on the board of the Wallkill Valley Land Trust (1999-2003), then with the Gardiner Association for Responsible Development (GARD), where she lobbied for progressive land-use regulations and produced a newsletter to raise public awareness of local issues. She was subsequently instrumental in the establishment of the Gardiner Gazette
In 2004, Lemmon was elected to the Gardiner Town Board where she has worked to pass and implement “smart growth” zoning legislation, including the revision of the town’s Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Laws. During her two terms she has chaired the Hamlet Revitalization Committee and secured more than $1.5M in state and federal grants. She has helped to establish a farmland and open space protection program, including passage of an Open Space Plan and a $1.5M public referendum, the purchase of the Gardiner section of the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail and the transfer of 2,600 acres of private land to the state.
In 2009, Nadine was appointed representative for Gardiner to the Ulster County Planning Board to promote and oversee conservation, preservation and development throughout Ulster County. She joined Tri-State Transportation Campaign in March 2010 as the organization’s first Albany-based staffer. She is working to advance sustainable transportation policies at the state level to ensure safer streets, improved bus service and adequate transit funding.
Tickets for the Conservation Awards Ceremony are $25 per person and can be purchased from the Wallkill Valley Land Trust by contacting the office at 255-2761 or visiting www.WallkillValleyLT.org.
Join the family! 
