Chapter 7: Designated Significant and Protected Areas of Dutchess County (DRAFT)

Chapter 7: Designated Protected and Significant Areas of Dutchess County, NY

______Emily Vail, Neil Curri, Noela Hooper, and Allison Chatrchyan1 February 2012 (DRAFT )

Significant natural areas are valued for their environmental importance Chapter Contents and beauty, and include unusual geologic features such as scenic Protected Land Critical Environmental mountain ridges, steep ravines, and caves; hydrological features such Areas as rivers, lakes, springs, and wetlands; and areas that support Other Significant Areas threatened or endangered species or unusually diverse plant and Implications for Decision- Making animal communities. Both significant natural areas and scenic Resources resources enhance the environmental health and quality of life in Dutchess County.

An area can be significant for several different reasons, including its habitat, scenic, cultural, economic, or historical values. Many areas are significant because they are unique in some way.

1 This chapter was written by Emily Vail (Cornell Cooperative Extension Environment & Energy Program), Neil Curri (Cornell Cooperative Extension Dutchess County Environment & Energy Program), Noela Hooper (Dutchess County Department of Planning and Development), and Allison Chatrchyan (Cornell Cooperative Extension Dutchess County Environment & Energy Program). The chapter is presented here in DRAFT form. Final version expected March 2012.

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Significant natural areas provide many ecosystem services, including wildlife habitat, water supply protection, recreational space, and opportunities for outdoor research. (For more information on ecosystem services, see Chapter 1: Introduction.) In order to sustain their value, it is import to protect these areas. Municipalities, agencies, and organizations can designate or categorize areas as “significant,” and there are various mechanisms to protect these important places.

Open space can be generally defined as an area of land or water that remains in its natural state or is used for agriculture, without intensive residential, commercial, industrial, or institutional development (NYS DEC, 2010). More specific definitions depend on context; for example, public parks, agricultural land, and private easements may be all considered open space.

Open space can provide a number of values for communities who choose to conserve it. These include values described in the various chapters of this Natural Resources inventory: maintaining air quality and mitigating and adapting to the effects of climate change (Chapter 2: Climate and Air Quality); maintaining water quality and quantity and mitigating flood damage (Chapter 5: Water Resources); providing habitat for rare species and maintaining biodiversity (Chapter 6: Biological Resources and Biodiversity). By providing these ecosystem services (see Chapter 1: Introduction for a discussion of ecosystem services), open space provides communities with substantial economic values, reducing costs for public infrastructure and programs, lessening the need for property tax increases, and supporting regional economic growth (DiNapoli, 2010).

By using this Natural Resource Inventory and other resources referenced in this document, local leaders can become aware of the values that open spaces in their communities provide. Open spaces often provide more than one value. For example, a large forested area containing a series of wetlands may provide benefits like water quality (wetland plants filter pollution and uptake excess nutrients), water quantity (groundwater recharge), air quality (forests filter pollution) and climate change mitigation (carbon sequestration), habitat, recreation (hunting), and economic benefits (forestry).

Dutchess County’s open space resources support diverse vegetation and wildlife communities, agricultural activities, outdoor recreation, and forest uses, and help store and replenish critical surface and groundwater supplies. They give much of Dutchess County its beauty and rural

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character. In urban and suburban communities, open spaces such as stream corridors and parks also help define community and neighborhood boundaries, serve as common meeting places and buffers between land uses, and offer relief from congestion and noise.

Numerous open spaces with valuable scenic, natural, or agricultural qualities have been converted to residential, commercial, or industrial uses (Figure 7.1). The qualities and ecosystem services provided by open spaces can be conserved by encouraging development in traditional settlement areas rather than in existing natural and agricultural areas.

Figure 7.12: Residential development on agricultural soils and encroaching on floodplains. Recent residential development in the area shown here has rendered the underlying farmland soils unusable for agriculture and encroaches on the nearby stream’s floodplain. As storms and floods increase in intensity, nearby homes may be at risk. (See Chapter 4: Soils for more information on farmland soils. See Chapter 5: Water Resources for more information about floodplains.)

2 Data sources. Late 1990's Orthophoto: Statewide Digital Orthoimagery 1994 - 1999, NYS Cyber Security and Critical Infrastructure Coordination; 2009 Orthophoto: NYS Digital Orthoimagery Program (NYSDOP), 2009, NYS Cyber Security and Critical Infrastructure Coordination; 100-Year Floodplain: Preliminary DFIRM Database (Floodplains) for Dutchess County, , 2008, NYSDEC, Division of Water, Bureau of Flood Protection and Dam Safety]; USDA Farmland Soils: USDA SSURGO database, Soil Survey of Dutchess County, New York, 2001

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PROTECTED LANDS Public Land Public lands within Dutchess County are owned by municipalities, the county, New York State, or the federal government. Public lands include parks, multiple use areas, wildlife management areas, state forests, waterway access points, and historic sites. Parks and other lands open to the public offer environmental protection with recreational opportunities. Table 7.1 lists public lands in Dutchess Couty.

Table 7.1: Parks and Public Lands in Dutchess County3

Federally-owned:

Name Location Appalachian corridor East Fishkill, Beekman, Pawling, Dover Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site at Val- Hyde Park Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site Hyde Park Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site Hyde Park

State-owned:

Name Location Hudson Highlands Beacon, Fishkill Pleasant Valley Margaret Lewis Norrie State Park Hyde Park Ogden Mills & Ruth Livingston Mills State Park Hyde Park Northeast State Historic Park Poughkeepsie, Highland Stony Kill Farm Environmental Education Center Falls Wassaic State Forest/Multiple Use Area Amenia Depot Hill Multiple Use Area Beekman Lafayetteville Multiple Use Area Milan Multiple Use Area Milan Stissing Mountain Multiple Use Area Pine Plains, Stanford Clermont State Historic Park Red Hood, Clermont Tivoli Bays Wildlife Management Area Red Hook West Mountain State Forest Beekman, Dover, Union Vale

3 This is not a comprehensive list of all parks and public lands in Dutchess County

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County-owned:

Name Location Bowdoin Park Wappingers Falls Quiet Cove Riverfront Park Poughkeepsie (T) Wilcox Memorial Park Milan East Fishkill, Poughkeepsie (T), , Dutchess Rail Trail LaGrange North East, Amenia

While this document and Table 7.1 focus on the county scale, many municipalities also own parks that are open space resources and include recreational opportunities. The five largest town, village, or city parks in Dutchess County are Tymor Park in Union Vale, Thomas J. Boyce Park in Dover, Spratt Park in the City of Poughkeepsie, College Hill Park in the City of Poughkeepsie, and Freedom Park in LaGrange. (Map 7.1)

Private Land Parks and Public Access There are many parks, preserves and historic sites in Dutchess County that are privately owned, but open for public for various purposes, including recreation. Some of these properties provide protection for significant natural resources. This is another mechanism for protecting important lands within the county.

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Table 7.2: Privately-owned lands open to the public4

Name Owner Location Burger Hill Scenic Hudson Rhinebeck Madame Brett Park Scenic Hudson Beacon Fishkill Ridge Scenic Hudson Beacon, Fishkill Mount Beacon Scenic Hudson Beacon Beacon Point Park Scenic Hudson Beacon Poets’ Walk Scenic Hudson Red Hook The Nature Conservancy Dover, Pawling Nature Conservancy Town of Pawling Nellie Hill Preserve Nature Conservancy Dover Roger Perry Memorial Preserve Nature Conservancy Dover /Stissing Mountain Nature Conservancy Pine Plains Vassar College Farm & Ecological Preserve Vassar College Town of Poughkeepsie Cary Institute of Ecosystem Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies Millbrook Studies Buttercup Farm Audubon Center and Sanctuary National Audubon Society Pine Plains Ferncliff Forest, Inc. Rhinebeck Scudiere Preserve Oblong Land Conservancy Pawling Slocum- Mostachetti Oblong Land Conservancy Dover

Conservation Easements Other privately-owned lands have been protected by the use of conservation easements. Several land trusts hold easements on property in Dutchess County, including active agricultural land. A conservation easement is a permanent legal agreement entered into by a landowner and a state or local government, or a not-for-profit land trust (NYS DEC, 2010). Easements protect open space by limiting certain users or preventing development on a piece of property (Nature Conservancy, 2010). Easements can be purchased or donated by landowners. Conservation easements remain privately owned, and many types of private land use can continue once the easement is established; this qualifies the landowner for tax benefits and protects the land for future generations (Nature Conservancy, 2003). In Dutchess County, several land trusts protect land as easements and by direct ownership.

4 This is not a comprehensive list of all privately-owned lands open to the public.

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Table 7.3. Land protected by land trusts5

Acres Owned Acres in Easement Acres Total (parks and preserves) Dutchess Land Conservancy - 31,159 31,159 Scenic Hudson 806 3,307 4,113 The Nature Conservancy 2,195 447 2,642 Winnakee Land Trust 181 2,130 2,311 Oblong Land Conservancy 157 932 1,089 Open Space Institute 32 - 32 Grand Total 41,346

Agricultural Conservation Easements Agricultural conservation easements offer a way to conserve land that is currently being used for agriculture. While these easements generally limit subdivision and development for uses other than commercial agriculture, they usually do not restrict farming practices or construction of farm buildings (Farmland Information Center, 2006). Agricultural conservation easements protect farmland while maintaining private ownership and providing certain tax benefits (Farmland Information Center, 2006).

Agricultural Districts and Agricultural Assessment Programs Determining the location of agricultural resources is an important step in developing municipal strategies for farmland and open space protection. New York State enacted Agricultural Markets Law, Article 25-AA in 1971 to help local governments keep land in agricultural production. The Agricultural District and Agricultural Assessment Programs established under this law have formed the basis for identifying and protecting farmland in Dutchess County since its first Agricultural Districts were certified in 1972.

The Agricultural Districts Program provides “right to farm” protections, including defense from private nuisance lawsuits and restrictive local ordinances. The Agricultural Assessment Program provides property tax relief for landowners by requiring that eligible farmland is assessed on the basis of actual agricultural production value rather than its full market value. Enrollment in an Agricultural District does not automatically qualify the property for the Agricultural Assessment

5 All information was obtained from individual land trusts or verified via personal communication with land trusts’ staff.

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Program; farmland qualifying for the Agricultural Assessment Program does not have to be enrolled in an Agricultural District.

Dutchess County has four Agricultural Districts that encompass the entire County and currently include approximately 175,000 acres of certified agricultural district farmland (Figure 7.2). Each town in Dutchess County includes certified agricultural district parcels. The highest concentration of certified farmland is located in the northern half of the County, Agricultural Districts 20 and 21; development over time has converted a higher proportion of farmland in southern Dutchess County to residential and commercial uses (Map 7.2).

In general, inclusion in the County’s Agricultural Districts is based on the land’s current or potential viability either as farmland or in support of a farm operation. Inclusion is voluntary. However, once certified, properties can only be removed from the program after a comprehensive review of Agricultural Districts conducted by the Agriculture and Farmland Protection Board every eight years.

A second measure of a municipality’s agricultural resources is provided by identifying those parcels that have qualified to receive agricultural value assessments based on actual income derived from production. The Farmland Protection Board’s program summary explains that “Any owner of at least seven acres of land which produces a minimum of $10,000 annually, or any owner of less than seven acres of land which produces a minimum of $50,000 annually on average in the preceding two years, from the sale of crops, livestock, or livestock products, or from commercial horse boarding, is eligible to receive an agricultural assessment.” As of December 2010, 113,810 acres of Dutchess County farmland had qualified to receive real property assessments based on the value of the land for agricultural production rather than on its development value.

Local officials may not be aware of the restrictions on local government authority imposed by Agricultural Districts Law until a site-specific issue arises. The Law provides a mechanism that allows the Commissioner of Agriculture and Markets to independently initiate a review of a proposed or existing local law or ordinance or proceed upon the request of a farmer or municipality in an agricultural district. AML 25-AA and the NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets Guidelines for Review of Local Zoning and Planning Laws provide detailed accounts of the

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protections provided to participating Agricultural District landowners and of each municipality’s responsibilities to implement state regulations.

The County’s Division of Real Property Tax Services can provide the most up to date record of a town’s certified agricultural district acreage and maintains an annual record of properties receiving agricultural value assessment. Additional resources for local information include the Department of Planning and Development GIS office and the Dutchess County Soil and Water Conservation District. Detailed information about provisions of the NYS Agricultural Districts Law is available from the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets Agricultural Districts Program.

CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL AREAS Local agencies may designate specific areas within their boundaries as Critical Environmental Areas (CEAs); state agencies can also designate areas that they own, manage or regulate (NYS DEC, 2010). To be designated as a CEA, an area must have an exceptional or unique character in one of the following ways: • A benefit or threat to human health; • A natural setting (such as fish and wildlife habitat, forest and vegetation, open space and areas of important aesthetic or scenic quality); • Agricultural, social, cultural, historic, archaeological, recreational, or educational values; or • An inherent ecological, geological or hydrological sensitivity to change that may be adversely affected by any change (NYS DEC, 2010).

Once an area is designated a CEA, the potential impact of any Type I or Unlisted Action on its environmental characteristics is a relevant area of environmental concern and must be evaluated in the determination of significance prepared pursuant to Section 617.7 of SEQR.

There are currently 31 CEAs in Dutchess County. These include inactive landfill sites, unique hamlets, aquifer protection areas, historic sites, and areas with sensitive wildlife.

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Table 7.4: Critical Environmental Areas in Dutchess County (from NYS DEC, 2010). Hyperlinked CEA titles link to PDF maps of the corresponding CEA boundary.

Designating Recorded Effective Critical Environmental Area Reason for Designation Agency Date Date

Hyde Park Landfill Site (Inactive inactive landfill, toxic 3-5-84 4-4-84 Portion) pollutants present

Town of North East Landfill inactive landfill, toxic 3-5-84 4-4-84 (Inactive Portion) pollutants present

Schatz Federal Bearing Closed inactive landfill, toxic 6-19-85 7-18-85 Landfill Site pollutants present

inactive landfill, toxic Dutchess Airport Landfill Site 6-19-85 7-18-85 pollutants present

Jones Sanitation Sludge Disposal inactive disposal area, 6-19-85 7-18-85 Site (Inactive Portion) toxic pollutants present

inactive dump, toxic Page Industrial Park 6-19-85 7-18-85 Dutchess County pollutants present

F.I.C.A. Landfill Site (formerly inactive landfill, toxic Dutchess Sanitation Inactive 6-19-85 7-18-85 pollutants present Portion)

inactive landfill, toxic Sarney Site 6-19-85 7-18-85 pollutants present

inactive landfill, toxic Dutchess Co. Airport Balefill 6-19-85 7-18-85 pollutants present

inactive landfill, toxic Mica Products (inactive) landfill 8-6-85 9-5-85 pollutants present

Great Swamp (Towns of Dover, 1-10-92 2-8-92 benefit to human health Pawling, & Village of Pawling)

exceptional or unique Hamlet of Frost Mills 6-26-87 7-27-87 character

exceptional or unique Hamlet of Pleasant Plains 10-27-87 11-27-87 character Town of Clinton exceptional or unique Hamlet of Clinton Corners 10-27-87 11-27-87 character

exceptional or unique Hamlet of Old Bulls Head 10-27-87 11-27-87 character

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Designating Recorded Effective Critical Environmental Area Reason for Designation Agency Date Date

exceptional or unique Hamlet of Clinton Hollow 10-27-87 11-27-87 character

Town of Clinton exceptional or unique Hamlet of Schultzville 10-27-87 11-27-87 (cont’d) character

exceptional or unique Hamlet of Hibernia 10-27-87 11-27-87 character

protect water source & Town of Dover Deuel Hollow Area 5-22-86 6-20-86 natural area

protect public water Town of Fishkill Aquifer Protection Areas 6-8-92 7-8-92 supply

Town of Pawling Little and unpolluted drinking water 8-2-85 9-1-85 Watershed source

unpolluted drinking water Quaker Lake / Deuel Hollow Area 12-10-85 1-8-86 source

significant historical Hurd's Corner 7-29-88 8-27-88 features

Town of Pine exceptional or unique Stissing Mountain 1-3-05 2-2-05 Plains character

Town of Stanford preserve farmland, Buttercup Farm Sanctuary 3-9-87 4-8-87 wetland & mountain habitat

Ryder Pond and Cagny Marsh 3-9-87 4-8-87 protection of waterfowl

protect migratory & Bontecou Lake 3-9-87 4-8-87 nesting birds

Millbrook Meadow and 3-9-87 4-8-87 protect wetland Associated Wetlands

protect rare plants and Snake Hill 3-9-87 4-8-87 animal communities

Village of protection of natural Wappinger Lake 5-29-98 6-29-98 Wappinger Falls resource

Hogback Hill sensitivity to change & Town of Hyde Indian Kill 5-8-09 6-7-09 habitat and species Park protection Vanderburgh Cove

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OTHER SIGNFICANT AREAS

National Natural Landmarks Designated in 1973, Thompson Pond in Pine Plains (Map 7.3) is the only National Natural Landmark in Dutchess County. Thompson Pond’s sharply defined and well-developed ecosystems show great ecological diversity within a small area (National Natural Landmarks Program, 2009). The primary goals of the National Natural Landmark program are to recognize landmark resources and support their conservation. There is no formal protection, but NNL program staff will assist owners to obtain grant funding to protect resources and educate the public about the country’s natural history.

Figure 7.2: Thompson Pond, a National Natural LandMark, Pine Plains

Significant biodiversity areas Significant biodiversity areas (map) carry no regulatory designation. Instead, it is hoped that recognition of these distinct landscapes will serve as a basis for their voluntary conservation. Significant biodiversity areas are part of the Estuary Program’s Wildlife and Habitat Conservation Framework, describes the key plants, animals, habitats, and landscape features of the Hudson River Estuary region and strategies for their conservation (NYSDEC, 2010).

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Scenic Areas of Statewide Significance Scenic landscapes in New York State that meet the criteria for determining aesthetic significance by the Department of State Division of Coastal Resources are designated as Scenic Areas of Statewide Significance (SASS). Two are found in Dutchess County: The Estates District SASS and the Hudson Highlands SASS. (There are another two SASS districts immediately across the Hudson River in Ulster County, and within the viewshed of Dutchess County: the Ulster-North SASS and the Esopus-Lloyd SASS.)

The Estates District SASS includes the Hudson River and land along its eastern shore in Columbia County and Dutchess County. This includes parts of the Towns of Red Hook, Rhinebeck, and Hyde Park and the Villages of Tivoli and Rhinebeck. (Map 7.3) The Estates District SASS extends 27 miles from north to south, with the Hudson River as its western boundary and Route 9 and Route 9G as its eastern boundary. This area is aesthetically significant due to its numerous historic estates, landscape character, and scenic views of the Hudson River and (New York State Department of State, 1993). There is a rich cultural history within the natural landscape, which is unique, publicly accessibly, and publicly recognized (New York State Department of State, 1993).

The Estates District SASS is divided into 29 subunits, 28 of which are in Dutchess County. From north to south, these subunits are: Clermont/Tivoli Estate Farmland, Tivoli, Montgomery Place/Blithewood, Tivoli Bays, Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, Barrytown, Astor Point, Astor Cove, River Road, Mount Rutsen, Rhinebeck Center, Rhinecliff Road, Rhinecliff, Rhinecliff Woods, Mill Road Meadows, Vanderburgh Cove, Dinsmore Golf Course, Mills State Park, Staatsburg, Norrie Heights, Norrie State Park, Vanderbilt Mansion, Hyde Park Center, Franklin D. Roosevelt Home Estate Entrance, and Franklin D. Roosevelt Home National Historic Site. Specific information on each of these subunits and properties can be found at the NYS Coastal Resources website.

The Hudson Highlands Scenic Area of Statewide Significance (SASS) encompasses a twenty mile stretch of the Hudson River and its shorelands and varies in width from approximately 1 to 6 miles. (New York State Department of State, 1993). It includes a significant portion of the Town of Fishkill, as well as part of the City Beacon, and extends south of Dutchess County into Putnam and

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Westchester Counties, and across the Hudson River into Ulster, Orange, and Rockland Counties. (Map 7.3) The Hudson Highlands SASS is a highly scenic and valued region of the Hudson River Valley, rich in natural beauty, cultural and historical features. (New York State Department of State, 1993)

The Hudson Highlands SASS is divided into 28 subunits, 2 of which are in Dutchess County (Hudson Highlands State Park and Dutchess Junction Subunits). Specific information on each of these subunits and properties can be found at the NYS Coastal Resources Website.

Figure 7.3: View of the Catskill Mountains from the Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site, part of the Estates District SASS.

Hudson River National Historic Landmark District (NHLD) The Hudson River NHLD covers a 32-square mile area roughly identical to area included in the Estates District SASS (see Hudson River Heritage Map). Designated by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior in 1990, The Hudson River NHLD is recognized for its unique position in the settlement history of the nation, and noted for the preservation of its estates and mansions. (National Parks Service, 2010) The NHLD designation acknowledges that historic resources in the district are “of the highest national significance.” (Hudson River Heritage, 2010)

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Scenic Byways The NYS Scenic Byways Program identifies roads that have regional or statewide significance. The New York State Legislature established the Scenic Byways program in 1992, and it is administered by NYS Department of Transportation. Scenic Roads that had been previously designated by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation and Parkways that exhibit statewide scenic, recreational, cultural, natural, historic or archaeological significance were automatically included in the program.

Table 7.5: New York State Designated Scenic Roads and Parkways in Dutchess County (NYSDOT, 2011)

Road Name Counties Length County Route 103* Dutchess 13.22 miles Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge* Ulster, Dutchess 1.4 miles Mid-Hudson Bridge Ulster, Dutchess 0.6 miles New York State Rte. 9* Dutchess 2.3 miles Newburgh-Beacon Bridge Orange, Dutchess 0.5 miles Norrie State Park Roads* Dutchess 1.63 miles Old Post Road/Golf Course Road* Dutchess 2.55 miles Santage Road* Dutchess 0.58 miles Stony Brook Street* Dutchess 0.72 miles Westchester, Putnam, 104.27 miles Dutchess, Columbia

* Located within the Estates District Scenic Area of Statewide Significance.

In 2004 the Hudson River Valley Greenway completed a Hudson River Valley Scenic Byways Outreach Project designed to identify roads in the region that could quality as State or National Scenic Byways. The final report includes a list and a map of roads in each county that merit additional consideration. Suggestions in Dutchess County include a Riverfront Scenic Byway near the Hudson River and a Farm to Market Scenic Byway of local roads that were and are used to bring farm products to markets in Poughkeepsie.

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Other Scenic Resources Dutchess County has a varied landscape whose scenic mountains and valleys can be viewed from many locations. The opportunity to enjoy these views greatly enhances the daily experiences of those who live and work in or visit the county.

The Hudson River is one major landscape feature that visually unites Dutchess County with the rest of the . The valley is the county’s chief visual reference point, and includes several noted areas, including the Estates District SASS. The Catskill Mountains to the west provide a beautiful backdrop to the river valley.

Mountains of the Hudson Highlands and the Taconic Range visually define the county’s borders to the south and east. (For more information on the Hudson Highlands and Taconic Range, see NRI Chapter 3: Geology and Topography.) With these major features in the background, alternating patterns of uplands, lowlands, lakes, open land, farms, forests, and settlements provide beauty and visual diversity throughout the county.

IMPLICATIONS FOR DECISION-MAKING Several mechanisms for preserving open space are available to local and county governments, concerned citizens, and interest groups. These include: • Conservation easements, which, through deed restrictions, remove or limit the development potential of portions of property that have the greatest scenic or agricultural values or environmental sensitivity; • Transfer of development rights, whereby an owner of land in a designated open space district can transfer the right to develop that land to a parcel in another district where permitted by local law; • Agriculture preservation methods, such as agricultural zoning, agricultural districting, and farmland assessments; • Land trusts, involving organizations that acquire and hold land for permanent preservation or release it with easements to ensure that it will be developed within site-specific management guidelines;

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• Floodplain, wetland, and aquifer protection regulations that prohibit the inappropriate use of critical natural areas; • Cluster development techniques, which concentrate building on specific portions of a property so that the remaining land is left undisturbed or used as recreation space; • Imaginative site designs that recognize how developments will benefit from the protection of natural amenities.

In addition, several suggestions and recommendations made in Chapter 9: Implications for Decision Making are important with regard to Significant and Protected Areas:

• Municipalities may want to undertake local biodiversity assessment/habitat mapping to better understand the significant areas in their communities; • Many municipalities have adopted local ordinances to protect sensitive habitats – others may want to consider using these tools; • Municipalities can incorporate protection into comprehensive plans, open space plans, and farmland protection plans; • Protection of agricultural resources supports the local economy and provides food to the area and the larger metropolitan region. • Local protection efforts could include purchase of development rights in cooperation with local land trusts, and other public partners (e.g. New York State and Dutchess County). • Communities may want to identify additional Critical Environmental Areas (CEAs) in their municipality, and submit them to the NYS DEC for official designation. According to the DEC, following this designation, “the potential impact of any Type I or Unlisted Action on the environmental characteristics of the CEA is a relevant area of environmental concern and must be evaluated in the determination of significance prepared pursuant to Section 617.7 of SEQR” (DEC, 2010).

All of these techniques should be reviewed carefully for their potential contributions to conserving the best open space in Dutchess County.

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RESOURCES FOR ADDITIONAL INFOMATION

• Benefits of Open Space. A collection of articles by various authors about the benefits of open space, edited by Leonard W. Hamilton, Ph.D., Rutgers University: http://www.greatswamp.org/publications/benefits.htm • US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) model ordinance for protecting open space: http://www.epa.gov/owow/NPS/ordinance/mol3.htm • Agricultural Districts: Farmer Benefits & Protections, by New York State Department of Agriculture & Markets: http://www.agmkt.state.ny.us/AP/agservices/agdistricts.html • Designated Critical Environmental Areas (CEAs) page on the NYS DEC website. Includes link to a list of Dutchess County CEAs and maps: http://www.dec.ny.gov/permits/6184.html • U.S. National Parks Service, New York website. The Homepage includes an interactive map that can be zoomed in to local parks and sites on the National Register of Historic Places: http://www.nps.gov/state/ny/index.htm

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REFERENCES

Cornell Cooperative Extension Dutchess County. “Agricultural Districts.” Agriculture & Horticulture Program. http://ccedutchess.org/aghort/agriculture/211-agricultural-districts (accessed December 2010).

DiNapoli, Thomas P. “Economic Benefits of Open Space Preservation.” New York State Office of the State Comptroller, March 2010. http://www.osc.state.ny.us/reports/environmental/openspacepreserv10.pdf

Hudson River Heritage. “Steward of the National Hudson River National Historic Landmark District: Landmark District”. http://www.hudsonriverheritage.org/landmark-district/ (accessed July, 2011).

The Nature Conservancy. “Conservation Easements: Conserving Land, Water and a Way of Life.” http://www.nature.org/aboutus/howwework/conservationmethods/privatelands/conservati oneasements/ (accessed December 2010).

New York State Department of Agriculture & Markets. “Agricultural Districts: Farmer Benefits & Protections.” http://www.agmkt.state.ny.us/AP/agservices/agdistricts.html (accessed December 2010).

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC). “Open Space.” http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/317.html (accessed December 2010).

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC). “Conservation Easements.” http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/41156.html (accessed December 2010).

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC). “Critical Environmental Areas.” http://www.dec.ny.gov/permits/6184.html (accessed December 2010).

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC). “Critical Environmental Areas in Dutchess County.” http://www.dec.ny.gov/permits/25113.html (accessed December 2010).

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), Hudson River Estuary Program. “Wildlife and Habitat Conservation Framework.” http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/5096.html (accessed December 2010)

New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT). “New York State's Designated Scenic Roads.” https://www.dot.ny.gov/display/programs/scenic-byways/ScenicRoads-no-detailed- info?nd=nysdot (accessed July 2011)

New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT). “New York's Parkways.” https://www.dot.ny.gov/display/programs/scenic-byways/parkways-no-detailed- info?nd=nysdot (accessed July 2011)

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New York State Department of State Division of Coastal Resources. “Estates District Scenic Area of Statewide Significance.” http://www.nyswaterfronts.com/SASS/SASS1/Estates_District.htm (accessed December 2010).

New York State Department of State Division of Coastal Resources. “Hudson Highlands Scenic Area of Statewide Significance.” http://nyswaterfronts.com/SASS/SASS1/Hudson_Highlands.htm (accessed December 2010).

U.S. National Parks Service, National Historic Landmarks Program. “Hudson River Historic District”. http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=2100&ResourceType= (accessed July, 2011)

20 The Natural Resource Inventory of Dutchess County, NY