The Planning Department is pleased to announce the start of the Hudson River Valley Compact Greenway program in Rockland County. The Hudson River Valley Greenway is an innovative state-sponsored program created to develop a voluntary regional strategy for preserving the scenic, natural, historic, cultural and recreational resources of the Hudson River Valley while encouraging compatible economic development. The Greenway program is a "bottom-up" approach to community planning. All cities, towns and villages located in the 13 counties that comprise the Hudson River Valley are eligible to participate. These include both "riverside" communities that border the Hudson River and "countryside" communities with no physical connection to the Hudson River but within the geographic boundary of the Greenway area. Interested communities simply pass a resolution supporting the Greenway criteria, which include the following:

• Natural and Cultural Resource Protection
  Protect, preserve and enhance natural resources including natural communities, open spaces and scenic areas as well as cultural resources including historic places and scenic roads.
• Regional Planning
  Communities can work together to develop mutually beneficial regional strategies for natural and cultural resource protection, economic development (including necessary public facilities and infrastructure), public access and heritage and environmental education.
• Economic Development
  Encourage economic development that is compatible with the preservation and enhancement of natural and cultural resources including agriculture, tourism and the revitalization of established community centers and waterfronts.
• Public Access
  Promote increased public access to the Hudson River through the creation of riverside parks and the development of the Hudson River Valley Greenway Trail System.
• Heritage and Environmental Education
  Promote awareness among residents and visitors about the Valley’s natural, cultural, scenic and historic resources.

In exchange for their voluntary participation in the Greenway program, communities can receive technical assistance and funding for community planning projects that address natural and cultural resource protection, regional planning, economic development, public access and heritage and environmental education. Typical grants under the "Greenway Communities Grant Program" range from $5,000 - $10,000, with greater financial assistance available for projects involving two or more municipalities. Several Rockland County communities have already joined the Greenway including the Villages of Haverstraw, Nyack and South Nyack and the Towns of Stony Point, Orangetown and Clarkstown.

On January 17, 2001, Rockland County took the next step in the Greenway program by proposing to develop a Greenway Compact. A Greenway Compact is a regional planning document that identifies development of regional impact and areas of regional concern and necessary public facilities and infrastructure consistent with the Greenway criteria. Communities directly participate in the development of county Greenway plans. As a result, Greenway Compacts reflect the concerns of local communities while providing a regional context for local planning efforts.