Little has fueled people’s desire to seek refuge in nature more than the recent pandemic. Bike and kayak sales are through the roof. Parks are being flooded with people desperate for shade from the sweltering heat. It’s a pleasure to be enjoying a walk or a run or a dip in a lake with friends and loved ones with a minimal risk of transmitting Covid 19.
Local land trusts, conservation organizations, and even local governments have been looking at ways to fund open-space preservation, protect sensitive ecological areas, and continue to put together a mosaic of protected lands that provide outdoor recreation opportunities while protecting the natural resources we need to keep our air and water clean.
Scenic Hudson, a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to preserve land and farms and create public parks that serve to connect people with the inspirational power of the Hudson River and the natural resources of the Hudson Valley, recently closed on a 303-acre parcel in the Town of Lloyd that borders on the Black Creek, Illinois Mountain and the Hudson Valley rail-trail (HVRT). The property tucked behind Route 299 has 40 acres of wetlands, more than a mile of river frontage along the Black Creek, and beautiful forested slopes that stretch from the Black Creek to Illinois Mountain on old logging roads. Its access point literally touches the section of the HVRT that is part of the 750-mile Empire State Trail that will soon stretch from Battery Park in Manhattan to Buffalo.
The parcel has everything a land preservation organization could be looking for: sensitive ecological resources like wetlands and streams, existing rugged trails through a shaded forest, and connections to existing trail networks and neighboring parks.
“It’s an idea spot, with its proximity to the rail trail, and helps us continue to work on expanding the core of conserved lands along Black Creek, so that we can keep working on our eight-mile John Burroughs/Black Creek Trail that will allow people to hike, bike and paddle along Black Creek from Esopus to Illinois Mountain,” said Seth McKee, land conservation director for Scenic Hudson. “It’s one of my favorite parcels of land that Scenic Hudson was fortunate enough to acquire.”
Creating a better habitat
Walking through the parcel, McKee pointed out the meandering Black Creek, which has a ready-made wooden bridge crossing it, and talked about how critical the creek and the wetlands surrounding it are to all of us. “It helps protect the water quality of Black Creek, an important nursery and spawning ground for American eels and herring, as well as migratory birds and amphibians that aren’t used to suburban areas. They need greater habitats to survive. And if we didn’t have this wetland here, which serves as a giant sponge to help clean pollutants and soak up stormwater runoff, that mobile park [Aloha Acres] would see some incredibly damaging flooding.”
As McKee was talking about eel migration all the way from the Sargasso Sea to freshwater tributaries in the Northeast like the Black Creek, a great blue heron took flight over the stream towards the marshland further east. “Did you notice that we haven’t heard any traffic back here?” he asked. “It’s amazing how close we are to Route 299, but how quickly buffered you become in the woodlands to the noise.”
The patchwork of farms and preserves and parks that Scenic Hudson, through its donors, loyal supporters and various grant opportunities, has been able to conserve about 7300 acres in Ulster County alone. According to McKee, the organization currently manages ten separate conserved lands in the county, a large portion of which are concentrated in Esopus and Lloyd in an effort to buffer the plethora of wetlands and woodlands that border the Black Creek, which eventually feeds into the Hudson. These include the Black Creek Preserve, Shaupeneak Ridge, Esopus Meadows Preserve, High Banks Preserve, Illinois Mountain and now this additional 300-acre parcel.
Seizing the opportunity
“Chris White from the county [planning department] called us when they were out here working on the county’s portion of the Empire State Trail on Route 299 and told us there was a For Sale sign right next to them on that wetland property,” said McKee. The property had all the hallmarks of one that was perfect for both conservation and recreation, as well as one that was vulnerable to development. “We reached out to the landowners [the Lorghino family], and they were very receptive and a real pleasure to work with,” he said, noting that the closing came just last week. “I think they were gratified to see the land conserved.”
The Town of Lloyd is eager to partner with Scenic Hudson and add even more ecotourism to the town, which has benefited from the HVRT and the Empire State Trail, as well as residents’ direct access to the Walkway over the Hudson. “This is a terrific acquisition, both for Scenic Hudson and the Town of Lloyd,” said town supervisor Fred Pizzuto, who touted the direct access it has to the HVRT. “The town looks forward to working with Scenic Hudson to make this property accessible to the public.”
“This is exciting news and only adds to the quality of the Town of Lloyd’s recreational parks and trails for the public to enjoy,” said Peter Bellizzi, the president of the HVRT Association.
The acquisition received accolades from Ulster County executive Pat Ryan as well. “I want to thank Scenic Hudson for helping to protect the natural beauty along the Hudson Valley Rail Trail and Empire State Trail, It’s what makes walking or biking along it so special,” he said. “The organization’s acquisition also supports the creation of the John Burroughs Black Creek Trail, which will provide exciting recreation opportunities for residents and a new destination for visitors that will support our local economies.”
A range of experiences
Outdoor recreation has long been a deeply held value by residents of Ulster County, certainly no more so than during the months everyone was told to stop going to work or school and to shelter in place unless providing an essential service. “I think that the pandemic peeled away a lot of distractions and highlighted this great tapestry of conserved land we have here,” McKee said. “People aren’t going to the movies. They’re not going to the mall, watching or attending live sporting events. But what they can do is get on the trails. I also believe that’s why so much of our community-supported agriculture is doing well, and our nurseries, because people really care about where their food supply is coming from; and this is showing that we have to rely on our local economy in so many ways.”
The various resources provide a range of experiences. “People want to seek refuge, and as we hit more days that are over 90 degrees, they’re also going to want more shade,” McKee pointed out. “This will be the perfect spur-trail excursion from people using the rail-trail. They could see a trailhead and a sign and decide to lock their bikes up and take a nice walk past the Black Creek and into the shade of the forest.”
Enhancing the outdoor enjoyment of residents and visitors is key to the region’s economic well-being,” argues Scenic Hudson Land Trust executive director Steve Rosenberg. “Scenic Hudson is grateful to the former landowner, who was committed to working with us to preserve this beautiful and ecologically important property, and looks forward to working with the town to optimize the land’s benefits to the local community.”
Scenic Hudson will now work with the town and the HVRT Association to put together a passive recreational plan for the parcel that will protect its resources while opening up its woodland oasis to residents and visitors.
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