ALBANY – Two conservation plans identifying important connections in nature that support wildlife and people have been completed by the State Department of Environmental Conservation.
The Green Corridors Plan for the Eastern New York Highlands in Putnam County and the Taghkanic Headwaters Conservation Plan for the Taghkanic Creek’s headwaters in Columbia County consider significant natural features that span municipal boundaries and present priorities for coordinated conservation.
“Preserving natural connections between habitats is critical for wildlife movement, climate adaptation, and resilient ecosystems,” said Commissioner Basil Seggos.
Both projects are supported by $50,000 each in competitive grants administered by DEC’s Hudson River Estuary Program with funding from the State’s Environmental Protection Fund. The 2021-2025 Hudson River Estuary Action Agenda sets a target to have 10 new planning projects completed to support landscape-scale conservation, regional biodiversity priorities, and habitat connections in the Hudson estuary watershed by 2030.
The Green Corridors Plan was led by Hudson Highlands Land Trust, with input from residents in the towns of Philipstown and Putnam Valley, state agencies, and not-for-profit partners. The plan used existing conservation and land use plans, scientific data and field study, and community feedback to identify important areas for wildlife habitat connectivity in the Hudson Highlands east of the Hudson River.
This plan Identifies important links of natural lands like forests, marshes, and meadows between existing conserved lands in the eastern Hudson Highlands.
The Green Corridors Plan was developed as a resource for decision-makers, landowners, residents, visitors, and the New York Highlands Network and its member organizations. The plan presents implementation tools and funding sources to conserve Green Corridors and is being used by the Hudson Highlands Land Trust to inform land protection priorities and can be included in municipal initiatives like open space plans and comprehensive plan updates.
