year in review 2011. the kingston land trust: our mission our mission * protect and preserve open...
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Year in Review 2011
The Kingston Land Trust: Our Mission
Our Mission
* Protect and preserve open space
* Identify, acquire, hold, and manage, real property as well as employ conservation easements to real property in and around Kingston, NY.
* Work with local, state and federal agencies, municipalities and businesses in preserving, protecting and conserving open space, scenic areas, wetlands and historic sites in and around Kingston, NY.
* Work with community groups, schools, other non-profits and individuals to bolster the level of appreciation for open space and natural resources as well as the need for conservation efforts.
* Develop educational and outreach programs with the community that relate to the preservation of open space
* Help form and work with community groups involved in community gardens, preservation of parklands and recycling efforts.
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
President
Steve Noble
Vice President
Kevin McEvoy
Board Director
Gregg Swanzey
KLT African-American History
Committee
Since August of 2010, the Kingston Land Trust African-American History Committee has worked to protect three significant African-American sites in the city of Kingston that include:
• The Mt. Zion African-American Burial Ground (South Wall Street)
• The Pine Street Cemetery (Pine Street)
• AME Zion Church (and the oldest African-American church in Ulster County on Franklin Street)
Committee Members
Rev. Dr. Glorya Askew
Ashley Knox
Linda and Vicente Archer
Weston Davy
Edwin Ford
William and Joe Forte
Terri Gittens
Anne Gordon,
Kevin McEvoy
Rebecca Martin
Lydia Newcombe
Pastor Kenneth R. Walsh.
KLT African-American History
Committee
RE-DEDICATION
The Kingston Land Trust African-American History Committee successfully organized a re-dedication of the Mt. Zion Cemetery on June 5th, 2011 where over 100 people came to celebrate their family history.
What is the Mt. Zion African-American
Cemetery on South Wall Street in Kingston?
The approximately 2.4 acre irregular shaped site
is located on a hill on the southeast side of
South Wall Street in Kingston. The site is the
second African-American Cemetery in Kingston
and represents the key component of history of
the African-American community in Kingston
from the mid 19th Century onwards. The
cemetery contains the names of many of
Kingston’s early African-American families and
includes Dutch and French Huguenot surnames
of Ulster County families for whom their family
members had likely once served as slaves and as
such forms a vital visible legacy for Kingston’s
African-American community. In addition, a
notable number of veterans are buried in the
cemetery including numerous Civil War veterans
who served in the US Colored Troops, 20th
Regiment.
KLT Rail Trail
Committee
MISSION/VISION
KLT Rail Trail Committee Mission:
The Kingston Land Trust Rail Trail committee is dedicated to planning, development, utilization, and proper maintenance of rail trails and other non-motorized linkages in the City of Kingston.
KLT Rail Trail Committee Vision:
People of the City of Kingston will benefit from a network of trails, bike paths, and complete streets that connect rail trails from the Wallkill Valley, Rondout Valley, Catskill Mountains and Kingston Point to a Midtown Hub along the Broadway Corridor creating more opportunities for residents, families and visitors to connect with places in the city that are special to them and to interact with nature.
Committee Members
Chair: Gregg Swanzey
Steve Noble
Kevin McEvoy,
Rebecca Martin
Tim Weidemann
Bill Rudge
Katie Scott-Childress
Beth Roessler
Meg Clark
KLT Rail Trail
Committee
GOALS
KLT Rail Trail Committee Goals:
To pursue strategies that restore connections along historic pathways between existing rail trails that currently terminate at the edge of the city and bring them to the Broadway Corridor at Midtown while working closely with other organizations working on similar issues regarding land use, complete streets, and liveable communities.
To create pathways and bikeways in the City of Kingston that make it a more liveable city while respecting the rights and concerns of property owners.
To provide ample opportunities for the residents of the City of Kingston to shape their community in ways that encourage healthy lifestyles, public safety, community spirit, and civic engagement.
To ensure that the special places of Kingston are inventoried and incorporated into plans that lead to a complete walking and biking network in the city.
To generate and present ideas during and out of this process using a broad range of media and modalities.
KLT Rail Trail
Committee
IMAGINE
DID YOU KNOW?
Kingston was historically a railroad transportation hub. The Kingston Connections project is
looking to explore the possibilities for restoring those
historical connections to the Midtown section of Kingston from Rail Trails that come to the city’s
borders. The vision is for a walkable, bikeable city with non-motorized pathways that connect throughout the city and beyond to communities of the Catskills, Rondout Valley, Esopus Valley,
Wallkill Valley and the waterfront.
Support.
Parks & Trails NY – Feasibility Study ($6,000)
Land Trust Alliance ($12,500)
City of Kingston ($10,000)
Hudson Valley Greenway ($10,000)
National Park Service Technical Assistance
Kingston Land Trust Urban Agriculture Committee
The Kingston Land Trust is launching an Urban
Agriculture Committee in the winter of 2011/2012.
If you would like to
participate, please
contact Rebecca Martin
or call 845/877-LAND
Kingston Land Trust Urban Agriculture Committee
“The Dig Kids: An Urban Farming Program” for youth launched this year in
the city of Kingston. Created by the Kingston Land Trust with a grant from
the Columbia Foundation and a donation by Family of Woodstock, ‘The Dig Kids”
is charged in working with Kingston youth to grow food, learn farming
practices, encourage entrepreneurship, beautification, pride and good health
through hands on farming experiences.
Kingston Land Trust Urban Agriculture Committee
As a partner of the Healthy
Kingston for Kids Program,
the Kingston Land Trust as
co-chair of the School and
Community Garden
Committee helped to pass
a community garden
resolution unanimously
through the common
council in Kingston.
Kingston Land Trust Land
Use, Management &
Planning
The Kingston Land Trust is
unusual among land trusts
since being an urban-
based program based
organization, conservation
and historic preservation
easements are only one of
several preservation tools
at our disposal.
The Kingston Land Trust successfully bid on eight new
properties, most of which are on the Lower Esopus Creek.
Kingston Land Trust Land
Use, Management &
Planning
One of the Kingston Land Trust’s parcels on Yoemans Street in Ponckhockie. While doing an
assessment, we found a Newark Lime & Cement Co. tunnel quarry
entrance on the site.
With a growing
portfolio, the
Kingston Land Trust
has placed historic
site preservation,
practices and
techniques in place.
Kingston Land Trust Historic Preservation Committee
The KLT Historic Preservation Committee is to act in a supporting role to KLT projects and other KLT committees, including but not limited to the KLT Rail Trail, Land Use and
African American History Committees, insofar as such projects and committees involve or
concern historic sites and/or cultural resources or open spaces and scenic areas
believed to be of historical significance. The activities of this committee in such supporting role may include, but shall not be limited to, preparation of or assisting in the preparation
of National and State Historic Register nominations and/or National, State or Local Landmark nominations, advocating for the
preservation of historic sites and/or cultural resources or open spaces, scenic areas
believed to be of historical significance and working in partnership with local, state and federal agencies, municipalities, businesses, community groups, schools, other non-profits
and individuals regarding same and the development of educational and outreach
programs regarding same.
Interested in becoming
a committee member?
Contact us at
845/877-LAND
Bluestone Committee:
A partnership between the
KLT, COK and FOHK
MissionThe Kingston Bluestone Committee aims to preserve and foster public appreciation for the historic bluestone sidewalks and other historic bluestone fabric of Kingston, New York through study, education, legislation, the creation of preservation guidelines, and all other necessary means.
VisionA distinct and defining characteristic of the historic city of Kingston, New York is its network of public and private sidewalks, walls, curbstones and other features composed of a remarkable form of sandstone, known as “bluestone,” originally brought to the city in the mid- and late-19th century from nearby quarries. Valuable to the city and region both in itself for its aesthetic and utilitarian qualities and as the reminder of a major mining and finishing industry, historic bluestone, originally transported through and shipped from Kingston, survives in many neighborhoods across America.
As the city most associated with this historic building material and where historic bluestone survives in daily use over a significant area, and as a city with a longstanding and present-day investment in its historic appearance, the collective wisdom of Kingston’s residents and its government will be to institute policies and procedures that will preserve this heritage, both for the city’s own enjoyment and for those who visit.
EVENTS:Yoga in the
Park!
The Kingston Land Trust
offered the Kingston
community “Yoga in the
Park!” in partnership with
Shakti Yoga Studios, MAC
Fitness, Mudita Yoga
Studio and the City of
Kingston’s Park and
Recreation Department all
summer long.
EVENTS: KLT Concert
Series
The Pat Metheny Duo
performed to raise
money for the
Kingston Land Trust’s
Garden program and
helped us to get our
start. We look forward
to hosting more great
musicians in 2012.
EVENTS:Kingston
Wellspring Festival
The Kingston Land Trust hosted the first annual “Kingston WellSpring Festival” in
Cornell Park in the Rondout in Kingston. The event featured free adult and youth yoga by
Shakti Yoga Studio and over a dozen different health practitioners on site that included Acupuncture, Feldenkrais, Kinesiology,
Naturopaths and other specialties.
Kingston Land Trust Advocacy and Education
The Kingston Land Trust believes that education and advocacy lead to
greater public awareness, quality of life and a stronger and healthier
community overall.
Leave it on the Lawn, Kingston!
Programming on the Esopus Creek
Lyme Awareness
The Kingston Land Trust
Welcomes its new Board Directors
Cherie Hanson-RodriguezVP Operations, Nistel, Inc.
Tim WeidemannPrincipal/Founder, Rondout Consulting
Beth RosellerRiparian Buffer Coordinator, Hudson River Estuary
Program
Brad WillA.I.A., LEED AP Principal
Scarlet DubaOwner, Duba Design
Matt GillisPhotographer
As of November of
2011, the Kingston
Land Trust added six
new board members
to our growing urban
trust.
The Future
“Assess your Organization” through the Land Trust Alliance
Kingston Connections and Mid-Town hub
Kingston Parks Movies under the Stars
Expansion of programs and events: The Dig Kids and Yoga in the Park
The KLT Board Members
are working hard to create
useful and compelling
programming and capacity
to secure the Kingston
Land Trust’s future and in
becoming a good
community partner.
What can you do to help in
2012?
Kingston Land Trust
Get Involved!
For more information on how you can
become involved:
Rebecca MartinExecutive Director
Kingston Land Trust
The Dig Kids with ED
Rebecca Martin
Harvesting the City Hall
Victory Garden in 2011.