Hudson River
Promoting Tourism by Creating Preserve America Communities
Extending 315 miles from its source in the Adirondacks at Lake Tear of the Clouds to New York Harbor, the Hudson River flows through the Hudson River Valley, designated in 1996 as one of 37 National Heritage Areas in the United States. The Hudson River is home to hundreds of communities, including New York City, for a total population over 10 million people. The part of the river known as the Hudson River Estuary, stretching inland 153 miles from the Atlantic Ocean, is home to more than 200 species of fish. Two of the river’s historic communities, Garrison and Cold Spring, lie on the eastern banks of the Estuary in Putnam County, some 60 miles north of New York City.
Vincent Tamagna, Hudson River Navigator, Putnam County Legislator, and president of AHRA, says, “The Hudson River is paradigmatic of the American Heritage mission. At the forefront of American history and a recent leader in the effort to clean up rivers, it offers a host of complementary opportunities in the areas of environmental restoration, economic development, and cultural/historic preservation.”
With tourism as one of the top industries along the Hudson, the Putnam County Legislature led a local partnership to promote heritage tourism that succeeded in having Putnam County designated as the first of eight Preserve America communities in the nation in 2004. (Announced by First Lady Laura Bush in 2003, Preserve America is a White House initiative developed with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation and a number of Federal agency partners, including the President’s Council on Environmental Quality, to encourage and support community efforts for the preservation and enjoyment of the nation’s cultural and natural heritage.)
That was just the beginning, however. “The local partnership viewed the Preserve America Community designation as a foundation for further strengthening heritage tourism in our region,” says Tamagna. “As well as rich historic assets, the scenic Hudson Highlands offer supportive government, an eager business community, and train stations in Cold Spring and Garrison that can be reached from New York City in a little more than an hour.”
Accordingly, in 2006, the local partnership (a grassroots network comprising more than 20 partners and stewards, with about 1,000 people including volunteers and staff from not-for-profits, government agencies, businesses and historic sites) mounted its Preserve America Putnam County Passport Initiative. Using the dual designations of American Heritage River and Preserve America Community as leverage to raise funds, the Passport Initiative won additional recognition and funding grants for the area.
Totaling $1,435,000, the grants funded eight renowned historic sites. Located within seven miles of one another on local roads, they include Boscobel Restoration, considered one of America’s finest examples of neo-classical architecture, and Manitoga, the unique 1950s home of famed designer Russel Wright, which was designated a National Landmark in 2006.
Most important, a $250,000 grant from the New York Metropolitan Transportation Council (with 80% paid by federal grant) funded the area’s first public transportation to all the sites: two old-fashioned (but air-conditioned) trolleys that locals and travelers arriving by train in Cold Spring or Garrison can ride for a dime. (A further DOT grant of $850,000 will refurbish Cold Spring’s sidewalks.)
“With two train stations an hour from New York, the area is a prime excursion destination for more than nine million people,” says Tamagna. “Linking these historic sites by trolley has resulted in effective joint advertising, has increased collective visitorship at museums and estates, and has resulted in significantly higher sales for local businesses. The initiative turned into a true heritage tourism success story after only its first year.”
Tamagna subsequently coordinated activities with stakeholders in the river city of Beacon to win the Preserve America designation in 2007 and currently is working to help win one for the city of Yonkers. Looking ahead to the upcoming 2009 Quadricentennial celebration of the exploration of the Hudson River, Tamagna says, “My goal as Navigator is to assist every community up and down the river obtain the Preserve America designation. It’s a great help in finding ways to preserve historical assets and promote tourism, while also offering opportunities to share information, assets and stewards with other Preserve America communities.”
The American Heritage Rivers Initiative complements the programs of many New York state agencies. The Initiative also builds upon other federal-state partnerships such as the New York/New Jersey Harbor Estuary Program, the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area, and the Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve. Through these programs, partnership with Hudson River Valley communities, citizen groups, and corporate funding for AHRA and/or specific Hudson River initiatives, the vision of a river connected by well-planned communities, restored and accessible natural resources, and revitalized waterfronts, will be realized.