Legislature Passes Open Space Plan

One local news item that got very little attention during the holiday season was the passing of the new Open Space Plan for Ulster County. Congratulation should be extended to the legislature for acting on this very important piece of legislation.
Ulster County and Saugerties in particular has been undergoing steady growth over the last few years. In general, the pattern of growth during the last 50 years has been focused away from existing population centers. If this pattern of growth were allowed to continue unchecked, many of our important open space resources would be threatened. This “sprawl” pattern threatens farmland, historic sites, recreation areas, biodiversity, water quality and the natural beauty that makes this area such an attractive place to live, work and visit.

All levels of government have policies and plans that affect open space in the county. The Ulster County plan aims to integrate their goals and addresses state, local and other county plans in its recommendations. The plan will accomplish open space protection through the use of incentives and regulatory approaches as well as acquisition. The concepts include clustering and focused growth around downtown areas as well as maintaining the economic viability of open space uses such as agriculture and forestry.

Open space planning will benefit all of us, and we should be pleased that the legislature had the foresight to develop a plan, hold public information sessions and public hearings, and finally approve the plan. It is a shame that not one Republican voted for the plan. This really should have been a bipartisan effort.