NEW CONNECTOR TRAIL OPENED TO GREENPORT CONSERVATION AREA
Carole Osterink
ccSCOOP Editor
10-22-09 – 2:00 p.m. – Mention Greenport, and people often think of Fairview Avenue—a thoroughfare of strip malls, big box stores, and chain restaurants. Driving along that often congested stretch of Route 9, one would think it unlikely that anyone would come to this part of Greenport seeking open spaces, unspoiled natural beauty, and incredible views of the Hudson River and the Catskills beyond, but think again. |
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Thanks to the Columbia Land Conservancy and Open Space Institute, Greenport is home to the Greenport Conservation Area—714 acres of wooded ravines, meadows, dense cedar groves, and river overlooks, with 3.5 miles of hiking trails. Access to the Greenport Conservation Area is off Jocelyn Boulevard, a road that runs more or less parallel to Fairview Avenue, connecting up with Fairview at its south and north ends. At Daisy Hill Road, a small sign directs you to the main entrance to the Greenport Conservation Area, where a mile-long universally accessible trail leads into the conservation area, allowing people of all abilities—even people in wheelchairs—to experience the outdoors.
As of yesterday, there is another way to access this remarkable property—from the Greenport Town Park at 413 Jocelyn Boulevard. Officials from the Town of Greenport and the Columbia Land Conservancy gathered yesterday to cut the ribbon and officially open a connector trail that leads from the Greenport Town Park to the Greenport Conservation Area. The new trail gives visitors to the park, whose amenities include a playground, playing fields, and a pavilion, the additional opportunity of exploring and enjoying the natural beauty of the Greenport Conservation Area.
The 36-acre Greenport Town Park was created with the help of the Columbia Land Conservancy (CLC) and Open Space Institute (OSI). In fact, the land on which the park is located was sold to the Town of Greenport by OSI for one dollar in 2003. In creating the new connector trail, CLC worked with the Town of Greenport to install new benches, plantings, signage, and pedestrian portals to guide trail users to the adjoining conservation area. Funding for the improvements came from a grant received by CLC from the Hudson River Improvement Fund of the Hudson River Foundation.
The Greenport Conservation Area is owned by OSI and managed by CLC. Trail maps of the Greenport Conservation Area and other information can be found at www.clctrust.org. CLC is currently pursuing plans to create trails that will connect Greenport Conservation Area with Hudson's North Bay, allowing people to walk from the very urban environment of Hudson to the conservation area, enjoying remarkable views of the Hudson along the way.
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