The “Green Scarf Brigade” made the rounds of the Legislative Office Building on February 25. JHC was there in Albany for the 20th anniversary of Park and Public Lands Advocacy Day organized by our partners at Parks & Trails New York (PTNY) and the Open Space Institute (OSI). Suzanne Clary teamed up with colleagues from other Hudson River Valley historic sites and parks to urge lawmakers to reinvest in vital, nationally recognized landmarks like ours and conserve public lands and pristine green spaces.
Acting NYS Parks Commissioner Kathy Moser and other keynote speakers including former NYS Parks Commissioner and current OSI President and CEO Erik Kulleseid, Senator Jose Serrano, NYS DEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton, Ron Zorilla from Outdoor Promise and PTNY Executive Director Paul Steely White shared their vision for telling our whole history, from commemorating America 250 through the 200th anniversary of Emancipation in 2027 and beyond. Our dedicated group of park cheerleaders included representatives of Olana, the City of Newburgh, Hudson Highlands Land Trust, Walkway Over the Hudson, JHC and the Ralph T. Waterman Bird Club. Thank you to Assemblyman J. Gary Pretlow, Assemblyman Anil Beephan Jr., Assemblyman Jeff Gallahan, Assemblywoman Rebecca Kassay and their teams for meeting with us.
And while in Albany, we stopped in to see one of our favorite park advocates, New York State Assemblyman Steve Otis, and his team, which now includes 2023 Margaret Nolan O’Neill Fellow Fenway Donegan.