Managing Your Land
Many of the Hudson Valley’s great open spaces — lands of extraordinary scenic and ecological value — are maintained through the dedicated stewardship of private land holders. Here are some helpful resources to help you manage these irreplaceable natural and scenic resources.
If you have questions about the management of lands where Scenic Hudson holds a conservation easement, please contact Michael Knutson (mknutson@scenichudson.org), Bo Kim (bkim@scenichudson.org), or Ashley Walterich (awalterich@scenichudson.org).
Please note: While we try to provide the most up-to-date information and resources, it is imperative that land holders do their own research and consult with legal and tax professionals when making decisions about conserving land. We also encourage land holders subject to conservation easements to reach out to the easement holder if they plan to undertake any land management projects.
General Stewardship
These resources may be useful to a wide variety of land holders:
- From Vision to Reality: Creating a Land Steward Property Management Plan (how-to guide)
- Posting Your Land (property boundaries)
- iNaturalist (app that uses photos to identify plant and animal species)
- New York State (NYS) Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) (state agency in charge of a variety of public programs regarding the environment)
Forestry
New York is known for its beautiful forests and a majority of them are privately owned. Here are some resources to help manage your woodlands:
- Master Forest Owner Volunteer Consultation – Cornell (local forest owners can visit your property and offer advice)
- NYS Cooperating Forester Program (list of private foresters deemed qualified by NYS DEC)
- Find your local Soil and Water Conservation District (some counties host native tree and shrub plantings in the spring)
- How to Identify and Manage Unsafe Trees Before Damage Occurs (PDF)
- Upland Forest Habitat Fact Sheet (PDF)
- Caring for Urban Trees
Agriculture
The Hudson Valley is a major producer of New York’s agricultural goods. These resources offer technical support to local farmers:
- Find your local U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Center
- Find your local Soil and Water Conservation District
- Find your local Cornell Cooperative Extension Office
- Conservation Stewardship Program (collaborate with USDA to implement conservation practices on your land)
- Integrated Pest Management Program (Cornell’s program to research and treat pest species, particularly those involving agriculture)
- Resources for New Farmers in New York (PDF)
- Introduction to Soil Health Practices – American Farmland Trust (PDF)
- 2023 Hudson Valley Farming Series (Cornell Cooperative Extension webinars on recommended agricultural practices)
- USDA Conservation at Work Video Series (short videos showing sustainable agricultural practices on example properties)
- Farming for Bees: Guidelines for Providing Native Bee Habitat
Pollinators / Meadows
Pollinators provide essential ecosystem services, but their populations have been on the decline. Find advice for planting to attract pollinators and create more local meadow habitats:
Wildlife
Here are tips for increasing wildlife populations:
Deer Management
Deer are an important part of New York ecosystems, but they have become highly overabundant, overgrazing forest understories and spreading ticks and Lyme disease. See the resources below for additional context and advice for making land more resistant to deer grazing:
- Deer Overabundance and Impacts – NYS DEC
- Community Deer Management
- Deer and Ecosystem Health (PDF)
- (PDF)
- Deer Resistant Plants Native to New York (PDF)
- Plants Not Recommended (plants that are resistant to deer but invasive or harmful to local ecology) (PDF)
Invasive Species
With the rise of globalization and world trade, plant and animal species from across the world have become incorporated into New York’s ecosystems. Those that wildly outcompete native species or cause significant ecological damage are referred to as nuisance or invasive species. These resources provide further context and tips for removing invasive species from your property:
- Nuisance and Invasive Species (further context)
- NY iMapInvasives (app that allows you to upload invasive species sightings)
- Lower Hudson Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management (also known as PRISM, this organization looks to prevent the further spread of invasives in NYS)
- Capital Region Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management (another chapter of PRISM )
- Best Management Practices For Priority Invasives Species in the Lower Hudson Valley (PDF)
- Controlling Invasive Species in Woodlots (PDF)
- Terrestrial Invasive Species in NY
- Species Information (notes on a variety of invasive species within New York State)
Around the Home
Learn how to make your home more ecologically friendly:
Water
Here are water-related resources to inform land management:
- NOAA Sea Level Rise Viewer/Mapper
- Guidelines and Best Practices for Stream Crossings
- Soak Up the Rain: Rain Gardens (using plants to soak up rainwater)
- Drought Facts
Funding Opportunities
You may be eligible for state and local grant programs to help fund land improvements. Many of these programs have helpful guidance about the ingredients for a successful project and how to complete your application:
- New York State and Federal Funding Opportunities Overview
- Trees for Tribs (free trees provided to plant along Hudson River tributaries)
- Regenerate Grant for Private Landowners of Forests (restoring or establishing new forests)
- Monarch Butterfly and Pollinators Conservation Fund — National Fish and Wildlife Foundation | (establishing habitat for pollinators)
- NYS Conservation Easement Tax Credit
