Hudson River's Environmental, Economic Health at Risk According to New Report

HUDSON VALLEY -- In the face of rapidly changing development trends along the Hudson River and the need to promote the Hudson River Valley's long-term vitality, economic sustainability and environmental health, the nonprofit group Scenic Hudson has issued a report to New York State about the effectiveness of its Coastal Management Program (CMP). The report notes successes but also recommends immediate action to protect the Hudson River's coastline, which despite widespread federal recognition for its national importance is getting insufficient oversight and support from the state and federal governments.

On eve of Quadricentennial celebration, river and its coastline are threatened

The Scenic Hudson report, entitled "Audit and Action Agenda for New York State Coastal Management Program," is a wake-up call as the state prepares for a 2009 celebration of the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson's voyage. The report highlights major issues with how the state's and Hudson River's coast is being managed and recommends strategies to address the problems.

Leading coastal management problems:

1. Municipalities and state agencies frequently are making decisions that will impact the health of the river's coast and communities for generations without vital data or technical support from the state.
2. The state's Coastal Management Program is authorized as the lead decision-maker in only 4 percent of Hudson Valley permit decisions.
3. The Local Waterfront Revitalization Program, proven to help create healthy and economically vibrant communities, is severely hampered by a lack of staff.
4. Federal funding for the CMP has been dramatically reduced despite the Hudson Valley's numerous federal designations and escalating growth pressures.

Commenting on the report, Scenic Hudson President Ned Sullivan said, "For 400 years, the Hudson River Valley has been a major source of innovation for New York State and the nation. We applaud New York State Secretary of State Cortes-Vazquez and the Coastal Management Program for strong leadership in the Hudson Valley. On the eve of the quadricentennial celebration of Henry Hudson's voyage of discovery, we have a responsibility to take an accurate measure of coastal conditions and chart a course for the future. The Hudson Valley -- and all the state's coastal areas -- are poised to become hallmarks of environmental protection and economic prosperity. The Coastal Management Program must be strengthened to accomplish this vital mission. Scenic Hudson looks forward to partnering with federal, state and local leaders to make this vision a reality."

Andy Bicking, Scenic Hudson's director of public policy, who oversaw creation of the report, echoed Scenic Hudson's pledge to collaborate on strengthening coastal protections for the Hudson River. "Scenic Hudson is enthusiastic about working with the governor, secretary and Legislature to secure the needed resources and capabilities for the Coastal Management Program so it's responsive to the dramatically changing economic and environmental conditions of New York's coastal regions and support local government. Without adequate resources and authority, the Costal Management Program cannot do its job effectively."

Scope of state's coastal program and info on the study's methodology

New York State has more than 3,900 miles of coastline subject to federal regulations. This makes it the second largest coastal state in the nation, and the Hudson River Estuary coastline -- a 153-mile ecosystem -- is a key part of the state's coastal area. The state's coastal regions have received multiple federal and state designations signifying their environmental, cultural and economic importance to the state and nation. Approximately 8 percent of all Americans live within an hour's drive of the Hudson River, helping explain why the 10-county region enjoys a $4.5-billion annual tourism industry

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The state's CMP, part of the Department of State, has a 25-year tradition as a leader in managing the natural and economic assets of New York's coastal areas and exporting knowledge and resources to local municipalities and the nation. Yet a new era of threats and opportunities -- including widespread attention due to be focused on the Hudson River Valley with the 2009 quadricentennial celebration -- demand new efficiencies and resources. According to Scenic Hudson, the Hudson Valley is at a tipping point between balancing its environmental health and economic health as an additional 1.4 million people are expected to move here during the next decade. This additional population will intensify pressures on the region's beauty, water quality, wildlife habitat and recreational sites.

Scenic Hudson is providing copies of the report's introduction and executive summary at www.scenichudson.org/coastalprogramreport. The study, which took an outside consultant 8 months to complete, examines the scope and effectiveness of the state's CMP in light of changing economic and environmental conditions. The biggest shifts include a move from primarily industrial development to extensive residential projects along the riverfront as well as a sharp rise in economic activity tied to tourism and the second-home market. Data was collected to describe trends in the region and analyze the CMP's effectiveness. Interviews were conducted with a broad range of stakeholders representing local, county, state and federal government as well as private business, nonprofits and community groups.

Details of leading CMP problems and suggested solutions

1. Create central repository of info on coastal resources and foster state-local agency collaboration
   Federal data indicates that coastal conditions in the Northeast are among the nation's worst due to population density and economic activity. Yet there is no repository of information about the Hudson River Valley, so many decisions about development projects are being made without adequate facts. Also, the CMP intervenes in only 4 percent of Hudson River Valley permit decisions, and enforcement of the balance of the program is fragmented across multiple state agencies and revenue-strapped coastal municipalities. This leads to an uncoordinated patchwork of procedures for actions that will affect the region's environment and economy.
   
   Scenic Hudson recommends that the New York State Department of State create an online repository. Further, the department should issue an annual State of the Coast report to provide factual data to local and state officials working to create clean, safe and attractive public places; improve water quality; protect scenic and natural landscapes; and promote a vibrant economy. An audit that evaluates the programs and its activities against clearly defined benchmarks should be contained in the report. To ensure adequate application of coastal management policies, Gov. David Paterson should convene a meeting of agency leaders to make certain that all state employees charged with making decisions in coastal regions understand how to apply New York's coastal policies and have the tools and resources to do so.
2. Bolster CMP staff and funding for CMP
   
   The program needs additional staff to deliver technical expertise to riverfront municipalities. The focus should be on expanding the Local Waterfront Revitalization Program (LWRP), widely regarded as effective in protecting coastal resources while spurring "smart growth" that reflects community needs. Partly due to a reduction in CMP staff, less than half the region's waterfront communities have an LWRP and less than 30 percent have had their LWRP approved by the state. Funding for the CMP is a big issue too, federal support for it having declined from 95 percent of its budget between 1982 and 1992 to 23 percent between 1997 and 2007. This is unacceptable because population in Hudson Valley coastal communities in the last 25 years has grown 50 percent faster than the state as a whole, while sprawling development has increased threats to the coast's health.

Scenic Hudson recommends 12 additional CMP employees statewide, with five focused on the Hudson River Valley. Grants also should be provided to assist communities and achieve 100-percent participation and adoption of LWRPs. The state's Environmental Protection Fund should be increased to facilitate these improvements. New York's Congressional Delegation should pursue full federal funding for programs that support the CMP.

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 10,000 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. www.scenichudson.org

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