River Access - Defend the Valley

What's the issue?

People have long treasured places along the Hudson River where they can fish, launch boats, birdwatch, hunt, make a living, create, take a walk, or just sit and be inspired by the river’s majesty. Unfortunately, railroad tracks lining both sides of the river have limited access to the shoreline, and rail companies like Amtrak and CSX have recently made it more difficult to access the river at places where generations have enjoyed fishing and recreating.

What's our vision?

We want to increase people’s enjoyment of the Hudson River by making it easier to access this incredible natural resource throughout the region. Everyone — residents and visitors alike — should be able to engage with this majestic waterway at the heart of our ecosystem.

What's the status?

Thanks to the combined efforts of concerned citizens, community leaders, and organizations like ours, in 2020, Amtrak withdrew a plan to erect gates and fencing that would have reduced river access — but they may try again.

To ensure that we understand the potential threats to access in the future, we gathered input from you, the public, to help us create a comprehensive map of formal and informal access points along both sides of the river — from Rockland and Westchester counties in the south to Waterford and Troy in the north. We then used that data to produce an updated Hudson River Access Plan.

The report provides communities, organizations, and elected officials with important information they can use to influence policy makers — from the governor and state agencies to city and town leaders all along the Hudson — to increase public access to the river.

The following key terms are important to understanding the issues around this campaign.

Amtrak Empire Corridor South Proposed Gates and Impasse Fencing
Modern techniques, such as high-tech gates and at-grade crossing proposed by Scenic Hudson to provide safe pedestrian access across and along rail lines.

Steel Truss Bridge Initiative
A project to inspect, stabilize, and repair historic bridges across the railroad tracks in Hyde Park, Staatsburg, and Red Hook that will increase connections to the river and parks along it.

Hudson River Access Plan
Intended to help communities identify access needs and secure funding for riverfront parks, boat launches, fishing piers, and safe access across railroad lines between Westchester/Rockland counties and Waterford/Troy.

Public Trust Doctrine
The Public Trust Doctrine, handed down from the Roman Empire through English Common Law, American Colonial Courts to today, requires that natural and cultural resources, including shoreline access for recreational activities, are preserved for public use, and that the government owns and must protect and maintain these resources for the public’s use.

STAY INFORMED

Become a Valley Defender to get updates and take action on connecting communities to the Hudson River.

What can you do now?

READ the 2023 Hudson River Access Plan

May 2, 2024 Join us for the Hudson River Access Forum

READ the 2020 Hudson River Access Plan

READ the Historic Steel Truss Bridges Cultural Resource Survey and the Bridge Summaries report to learn more about how these structures helped people traverse the tracks to get to the river in the 20th century.

WATCH this presentation about Phase 2 of the Hudson River Access Plan by Scenic Hudson Director of Land Use Advocacy Jeff Anzevino

ADD YOUR VOICE! We bring the voices of the Hudson Valley directly to the decision makers and policy makers shaping our future.

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