Getting Involved ● A Community Trail Handbook for Landowners A Joint Publication of Greenway Conservancy for the Hudson River Valley and Parks & Trails New York Table of Contents Creating a Hudson River Trail System .............................. 2 Case Study I: University Grants Trail Easement: A Popular Campus Amenity ........ 6 Trail Planning ............................ 8 Case Study II: Easing Into A Permanent Easement ................. 12 Landowner Opportunities........... 14 A letter of invitation Dear Potential Trail Partner: We invite you to join us in the exciting efforts now underway to establish a system of Case Study III: recreational trails in the Hudson River Valley for the enjoyment of your family, friends, Developer Views Trails As and neighbors. As a private landowner, your support is critical to the success of hun- Quality of Life Amenity................ 18 dreds of state and community trail initiatives throughout New York. Trails in the Hudson Valley already provide world-class recreational opportunities for our residents and an inspiring experience for tourists. With your help it can be even better. Financial Issues and Imagine a system of trails throughout the Hudson Valley where local routes tie seam- Potential Tax Benefits ................ 20 lessly into regional corridors. It will be a network of trails connecting residents to their downtowns, waterfronts, parks, open spaces, and historic sites while also linking them to the significant resources of neighboring communities. This trail network will provide Case Study IV: routes for our children to walk to school in safety. It will provide inviting places for families to walk, hike, and bike for better health. It will also strengthen local and regional Strong Rural Ethic Behind economies through increased property values, bolstered tourism, and new business Permission for Trail investment drawn to quality communities. to Cross Private Land ............... 24 Reading this handbook will help answer many of your questions about hosting public trails on your land. While the handbook explains the many tangible benefits you may receive through allowing trail access, ultimately it is your sense of community spirit that Addressing Property Owner matters most. and Tenant Issues ..................... 26 State agencies, local trail organizations, land trusts, and regional programs such as the Hudson Valley Greenway, as well as non-profit trail partners such as Parks & Trails New York, can help answer other questions you may have. We hope you become a local Appendix ................................... 30 partner in one of these important quality of life improvements for our great state. Sincerely, Mary Mangione, Acting Executive Director Kevin J. Plunkett, Chairman Greenway Conservancy for the Hudson River Valley Creating a Hudson River Greenway Trail System ● WHAT IS THE HUDSON RIVER VALLEY GREENWAY? he Hudson River Valley possesses world- renowned scenic, natural, historic, Trecreational, agricultural, economic, and cultural resources. To acknowledge this and to help Hudson Valley communities become better places to live and work, the New York State Legis- lature passed landmark legislation in 1991 establishing a Hudson River Valley Greenway. The goals of the Greenway legislation are to pro- tect and enhance the region’s unique heritage, “There is delight in the hardy life of the open. increase awareness and appreciation of its resources, and enhance the sustainability of local economies. The legislation also aims to promote a broader identity for the Hudson River Valley’s com- There are no words that can tell of the hidden munities and resources by encouraging municipal cooperation and tourism development on a region- al level. To help promote and establish a linked spirit of the wilderness, that can reveal its identity among communities and their resources, the Greenway legislation calls for the designation and development of a regional network of trails, the Hudson River Greenway Trail system. mystery, its melancholy and its charm. Specifically, the Greenway legislation is designed to assist and encourage communities to incorpo- rate the following into local decision making: The nation behaves well if it treats the natural ■ natural and cultural resource protection ■ regional planning ■ economic development ■ public access to the river resources as assets which must turn over to ■ heritage and environmental education The Greenway area A STRICTLY VOLUNTARY PROGRAM is defined as the All aspects of the Greenway program are volun- Hudson River coastal areas of the next generation increased and not tary and designed to honor the New York State Bronx and New York Counties, tradition of home rule by putting the needs of local the entire counties of Albany, communities first. Extensive public participation is Columbia, Dutchess, Orange, Rockland, Westchester, an integral part of the program. Ulster, the town and village of impaired in value.” Waterford in Saratoga County ONE PROGRAM IMPLEMENTED BY and Greene County, TWO ORGANIZATIONS excluding any area The Hudson River Valley Greenway Program is within the Catskill Park. administered jointly by the Greenway Communities ~ Theodore Roosevelt Council and the Greenway Conservancy for the Twenty-sixth U.S. President (1901-09) Hudson River Valley. Both organizations provide 1858-1919 technical assistance and small grants for planning 3 and capital projects that reinforce the princi- access to the Hudson River and provide ples listed above. Local communities and views of it wherever possible. In other areas, BENEFITS OF A GREENWAY TRAIL SYSTEM groups can work with either organization or the trail system will highlight and link existing both organizations, depending on their heritage trails, scenic roadways, parks, needs, priorities, and interests. urban cultural parks, historic sites, nature The Greenway Communities Council preserves, public conservation areas, bike- works primarily at the municipal level with ways, rail-trails, and other regional trails. individual communities, groups of commu- The types of trails that make up the nities, and counties to assist in the Greenway Trail System – and their uses – development of planning projects that will depend greatly on the needs and inter- ■ support the Greenway criteria and con- ests of local communities, as well as Provides a variety of close-to-home tribute to the development of a landowner considerations and the particulars recreational opportunities for you, your family, and region-wide agreement, called the of the landscape. Wherever possible, trail your community. Greenway Compact. Greenway Commu- routing will take advantage of existing trails, nities Council projects can such as those in state, coun- ■ include comprehensive plans, ty, and municipal parks, and Enhances the quality of life. main street revitalization infrastructure such as aban- plans, open space plans, doned rail beds, scenic ■ transportation studies, and roads, and waterfront Provides safe places to walk or bike to agricultural protection plans, esplanades. The support of work, school and local stores. as well as zoning ordinances, local landowners will play a ■ community design guidelines, critical role in helping to and other implementation shape local trails. Preserves community character and offers people a new way to discover techniques. The Conservancy becomes the special places where they live. The primary purpose of the involved in community trails at Greenway Conservancy for the invitation of local munici- ■ the Hudson River Valley is palities, community groups, Provides an enjoyable place for people of all ages technical assistance and not-for-profit organizations, to experience the great outdoors and grants support for local pro- and individual citizens. The learn about the natural world. jects and programs that Conservancy's main goal is support the principles of the to help create trails that ■ Greenway program. The Conservancy enhance the quality of life for local residents. Creates an opportunity for attracting works with a broad range of partners: The Conservancy also encourages commu- tourists and new businesses. municipalities, non-profit organizations, nities to link local trails to neighboring ■ citizen groups, and representatives of the communities, then into larger regional net- Strengthens a sense of connection to the Hudson tourism and agricultural industries. The works, enhancing the benefits. River and Hudson River Valley as a region. Greenway Conservancy focuses, in par- ticular, on development of the Hudson PLEDGE OF LANDOWNER RIGHTS ■ River Valley Greenway Trail system, other The establishment of the Hudson River Strengthens community cohesion by efforts to enhance meaningful public Greenway Trail System relies on the coopera- bringing people together to plan, access to the Hudson River, and regional tion and generosity of local landowners. build, and use the trail. tourism and agricultural initiatives. Participation in the Hudson River Greenway Trail program is strictly voluntary. The property ■ THE HUDSON RIVER GREENWAY TRAIL SYSTEM rights and concerns of private landowners are Promotes greater appreciation and protection of The Hudson River Greenway Trail Sys- paramount, as is maintaining traditional uses the Hudson River Valley’s natural, cultural, historic, tem will be a diverse network of existing of the land. The Hudson River Valley Green- recreational, scenic, and agricultural resources. and new trails that connect resources and way legislation authorizing