New York, NY - February 14, 2003 - This afternoon, the Open Space Institute announced the acquisition of a key portion of the viewshed associated with the Martin Van Buren National Historic Site. The property is located on Route 9H in the town of Kinderhook, Columbia County.
The Open Space Institute's land acquisition affiliate, the Open Space Conservancy, acquired the 33-acre property this afternoon. OSI Assistant Counsel Dan Luciano said the property represents an important part of the Van Buren site's viewshed.
“OSI's acquisition of this parcel will not only help maintain its past and current use as farmland, but will also ensure that incompatible development will not occur directly across the road from the National Historic Site,” said Luciano.
OSI President Joe Martens said the organization has a keen interest in farmland protection throughout the Hudson Valley. “Columbia County has some of the most productive farms in the state; however, they are also imperiled because land values have skyrocketed. For many farmers today, the most attractive option is to sell the farm because the economy is constantly working against them, presenting one hurdle after the other. OSI is working hard to preserve the rural character of the Kinderhook Creek area of Columbia County and its strong farming tradition,” said Martens.
According to Martens, the Martin Van Buren viewshed property purchased today is located in close proximity to the Kinderhook Creek Corridor, where OSI has worked extensively to conserve farmland through acquisition and the implementation of conservation easements. “Our goal is to insure that the Kinderhook Creek Corridor is available to future generations interested in exploring the natural world of Columbia County and experiencing a vivid and very personal piece of presidential history,” said Martens.
The Open Space Institute is a nonprofit organization that protects significant recreational, environmental, agricultural, and historic landscapes in New York State. Since its inception more than 25 years ago, OSI's work has expanded or created more than 30 parks and preserves and permanently protected over 70,000 acres from the Palisades to the Adirondacks.
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