Rumpf, Matthiessen and Sullivan

POUGHKEEPIE – Hudson River and the region have come a long way environmentally speaking over the last 40 some odd years and leaders of the three pre-eminent area environmental groups Wednesday outlined their collective vision for the environment for the future.

The joint effort was timed with the Quadricentennial celebrations marking the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson’s voyage up the river.

Jeff Rumpf, executive director of Hudson River Sloop Clearwater; Alex Matthiessen, president of Riverkeeper; and Ned Sullivan, president of Scenic Hudson, stood on the Poughkeepsie waterfront to proclaim that now is the time to spur increased awareness of the Hudson River’s importance as a natural resource and a foundation for creating a sustainable economic future for the valley.

The three looked goals for the future, said Sullivan.

“Waterfront parks that connect people to the river, protected land that safeguards our rich plant and animal life in the region, protected farmland that brings nourishment to the people of the valley all the way down to New York City farmers’ markets and restaurants, protected land that will be an anchor to windward against climate change, and the world class scenery that has earned the region its designation as an American Heritage River and a National Heritage area.”

The environmentalists said they will work toward a cleaner Hudson River, one for swimming and fishing and void of PCBs.