Benjamin Center conference on landscape conservation to commemorate National Park Service Centennial

landscape-conservation-benjamin

The Benjamin Center at SUNY New Paltz will join Hudson River Valley Greenway and the Regional Plan Association to present the inaugural Landscape Conservation in the Hudson River Valley Conference, on Monday, Nov. 7 at the FDR Presidential Library and Museum in Hyde Park, N.Y.

This day-long event, co-sponsored by the National Park Service on the occasion of its 100th year of existence, highlights the National Park Service’s commitment to connecting more people to our nation’s natural landscapes, vibrant culture and rich history.

The conference agenda follows a narrative thread linking past conservation efforts led by the Hudson River School painters of scenic landscapes, to modern strategies being developed to protect the Hudson Valley for the next 100 years.

A morning plenary session and luncheon keynote will touch on the history of conservation efforts in the Hudson River Valley and beyond. The afternoon plenary will examine contemporary strategies for landscape conservation in the valley and foreshadow future possibilities and techniques for conservation.

The afternoon will also include a stakeholder engagement discussion of shared values related to regional land preservation, structured as a response to preliminary findings of a study being conducted by the Regional Plan Association and The Benjamin Center.

For additional information about the conference and to register, please follow this link.

About the Conference Organizers:
The Benjamin Center at SUNY New Paltz conducts studies on topics of regional interest to bring visibility and focus to public policy matters, help communities work together to better serve citizenry and advance the public interest in our region.

Regional Plan Association (RPA) is America’s most distinguished urban research and advocacy organization. RPA works to improve the prosperity, infrastructure, sustainability and quality of life of the New York-New Jersey-Connecticut metropolitan region.

Hudson River Valley Greenway is a unique, New York State-sponsored program established by the Greenway Act of 1991. The program is designed to encourage projects and initiatives related to the intersecting goals of natural and cultural resource protection, regional planning, economic development, public access and heritage and environmental education. It provides technical assistance and catalytic grant funding for planning, water and land trails, and other projects that reinforce these goals. In keeping with the New York tradition of home rule, the Greenway program has no regulatory authority and participation by municipalities in Greenway programs and projects is entirely voluntary. The Greenway also manages the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area in partnership with the National Park Service.