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20-588: Beacon Point is situated in the Peter J. Sharp Park within the larger Long Dock Park, in Beacon, New York. the 23-acre Long Dock Park was an abandoned railroad marine landing before its adaptation into a public park by Scenic Hudson . Located on the north side and western tip of the park's peninsula, Beacon Point consists of a series of decks, pathways, and stairs constructed of both steel and wood. Dia describes these elements as, "a series of gradual cascading steps which recall

40-410: A quarter acre plot, with half being used for educational purposes, and all food grown will be distributed through Duchess Outreach, another local non-profit organization. The second half will act as a community garden where community members can rent out space. The hope is that the farm will give the community safer spaces to be outside, as well as a food supply. The Pershing Avenue Neighborhood Farm

60-422: A variety of fish are noted as using the space as well. Dia Art Foundation and Scenic Hudson began discussions with George Trakas in 1999 about opportunities to create water-access in relation to the construction of the nearby Dia Beacon art museum. Over the next several years Trakas worked with the environmental organization Scenic Hudson and the public art organization Minetta Brook to integrate his work with

80-587: Is a non-profit environmental organization in New York that was founded in 1963 to oppose a hydro-electric power project in New York. Scenic Hudson was founded as the Scenic Hudson Preservation Conference on November 8, 1963, when Hudson Valley residents organized to save Storm King Mountain from being transformed into a pumped-storage hydroelectric plant. The organization successfully mounted

100-574: Is a part of a response to the status of the city of Poughkeepsie as a food desert . A 2014 study found that one in four households in Poughkeepsie was food insecure . This statistic was the same for access to a car, which has been proven to impact food security. Today there are only three accessible food stores within the city limits, two of which are on the outskirts and may be difficult to access without reliable transportation. In 2018, Duchess Outreach Fresh Market distributed 8,000 pounds of food grown in

120-710: Is currently working with other environmental organizations to facilitate the removal of polychlorinated biphenyl materials from the Hudson River. Land Trust Alliance Land Trust Alliance is a nature conservation organization , based in Washington, D.C. The Alliance represents many land trusts across the United States . Originally formed as the Land Trust Exchange in Boston on February 22, 1982, Allan Spader

140-682: The Hudson Valley region, and the Pershing Avenue Farm will provide an additional stream of local food to that critical source. Additionally, in encouraging local residents to learn to grow their own food, the hope is that there will be a further increase in accessibility to healthy food. While Scenic Hudson has been a critical actor in this project, a number of other organizations in the area have been instrumental. These include Cornell Cooperative Extension, Nubian Directions, Duchess Outreach, Poughkeepsie Farm Project, Poughkeepsie Alliance, and

160-505: The Scenic Hudson Preservation Conference v. Federal Power Commission court case, which saved the mountain and, for the first time, gave U.S. citizens legal standing to challenge development proposals on environmental grounds. Known as "The Scenic Hudson Decision," the case became a cornerstone of environmental law in the United States , and is widely credited with launching the modern environmental movement. After

180-549: The City of Poughkeepsie. Additionally, press releases from Scenic Hudson indicate that they will continue to work with community members for insights on planning. All of these moving parts are instrumental in ensuring a grassroots , sustainable approach to revitalizing the dilapidated downtown area. Scenic Hudson has helped establish and advance numerous environmental initiatives, including the Hudson River Estuary Program,

200-592: The Hudson River between New York City and Albany, the organization acquires land and conservation easements to create parks and preserves, protect lands of high scenic and ecological importance, and conserve farmland. Much of its land protection work is completed in partnership with private landowners, local land trusts, and local, state, and federal public agencies. Land and conservation easements are typically acquired and held by Scenic Hudson's affiliate organization, The Scenic Hudson Land Trust, Inc. The organizations have protected over 31,000 acres in nine counties. In 2011,

220-929: The New York State Coastal Management Program, the Hudson River Valley Greenway, the Clean Water Act , the Hudson Valley Community Preservation Act and the National Heritage Area Designation , and the Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve , a National Estuarine Research Reserve , and created and managed in partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration . Scenic Hudson

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240-685: The Storm King Mountain case, Scenic Hudson gained more visibility. It began working with other local communities to protect important natural resources and adopting sound environmental policies. The Chair of the Board of Directors of the organization is Kristin Gamble, who succeeded James C. Goodfellow. The organization has three major focus area: Protecting land, creating and enhancing parks and preserves, and advocating for environmentally responsible policies and development outcomes. Working primarily along

260-492: The city of Poughkeepsie . The acquisition is a part of a bigger project slowly underway by Scenic Hudson to revitalize the city’s Northside neighborhood. The spaces will likely be used for office spaces, “parkland,” and public gathering spaces. Another element of the project slightly farther along is the Pershing Avenue Neighborhood Farm, of which the construction started in fall 2020. The farm will consist of

280-464: The forms of undulating waves." These curving and undulating forms step down into the Hudson River , interacting with the rivers currents and tidal changes. The most prominent feature of Beacon Point is a diagonal steel channel dividing the curving boardwalk. This lightly sloping channel flairs at each end forming curving steps which allow the river water through. The Architect's Newspaper notes that

300-608: The organization published Revitalizing Hudson Riverfronts , a handbook which provides guidance for balancing conservation and development goals on urban waterfronts. More recently, it launched a series of task forces to help riverfront communities adapt to climate change-induced sea level rise . The organization also works with the Hudson Valley Smart Growth Alliance. Revitalizing Downtown Poughkeepsie In 2020, Scenic Hudson along with other local partners acquired two old manufacturing buildings and properties in

320-482: The organization received the Land Trust Alliance 's National Land Trust Excellence Award. Scenic Hudson has created and enhanced more than 60 parks, preserves, and historic sites. Scenic Hudson works with municipalities and other environmental organizations to connect the public with the Hudson River, improve water quality, encourage responsible development practices, and revitalize urban waterfronts. In 2010,

340-453: The overall design and environmental remediation of the chosen location, a peninsula jutting out into the Hudson. Trakas described the condition of the peninsula when he first saw it in a New York Times article with : “When I got here it was totally overgrown. There were just mounds of weeds, poison ivy, locusts. There were little trails that led out to this point, but the point at high tide

360-412: The surrounding boardwalk is, "studded with a whimsically large number of concrete footings." Beyond this channel The artwork also includes a terraced angling deck, a boardwalk , a restored bulkhead , and a restored southern shoreline of the peninsula. Trakas states he designed the work “to play with the existing environment.” While the structure is designed for humans to enjoy, muskrats , crabs , and

380-608: Was full of water. At low tide it was the exposed stumps of pilings and a lot of industrial refuse.” In 2001 the peninsula underwent a large-scale clean-up of debris and brush and tree pruning. Shortly after this clean up the Trakas designed boardwalk and steel deck were installed. The full artwork was inaugurated as a permanent public artwork six years later, in October 2007, by the Dia Art Foundation. Scenic Hudson Scenic Hudson

400-486: Was named its inaugural director. In 1990, the name of the organization was changed to the Land Trust Alliance and was moved to Washington, D.C. The Land Trust Alliance has sponsored "Rally," a yearly conference of conservation professionals, since 1985. In 2012, the Land Trust Alliance set up an insurance company to assist regional land trusts with the legal defense of conservation easements . In 2021,

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