Trails, Connections, Community
The Winnakee-Dutchess Trails Roundtable brings together stakeholders to foster trail development on a local and regional scale through networking, information sharing, and enhancing access to financial resources and technical assistance.
Quarterly meetings via Zoom promote trail development and connections across the county. The meetings serve as a regular forum for cross-municipal coordination, access to services and expertise, and supporting complementary projects. In response to a groundswell of interest expressed at the 2015 Dutchess County Trails Conference, the Roundtable was organized by Winnakee Land Trust and partners. Today, its Steering Committee includes members from Dutchess County Government; the National Park Service; NYS Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation; the Towns of Hyde Park and Red Hook; the NY/NJ Trail Conference; the Hudson River Valley Greenway; the Open Space Institute, the Wallkill Valley Land Trust, the Harlem Valley Rail Trail and Winnakee.
Whether you want to propose a short walking trail to your local school or park, or are already well at work establishing regional trails, there is a place for you at the table. For more information email contact@winnakee.org.
SAVE-THE-DATE: FALL FORUM
Tuesday, October 17, 2023
View past Roundtable recordings below,
featuring recent projects and best practices from regional trail partners
WINNAKEE-DUTCHESS TRAILS ROUNDTABLE: July 18, 2023
AGENDA
INTRODUCTIONS & FEATURED PRESENTATION
Walkway Over the Hudson:
State of the Walkway & What’s on the Horizon
– Lori Robertson, Executive Director, Friends of the Walkway
Q&A and discussion
REGIONAL TRAIL UPDATES:
- Dutchess County Urban Trail / Northside Line – Emily Dozier (DC Transportation Council)
- Hoyt Carriageway Bridge & Tour Grant projects – Kitty McCullough (Calvert Vaux Preservation Alliance)
- West of Hudson: Wallkill Valley & O&W Rail Trails – Annie Bergelin, Open Space Insitute
- West of Hudson: Kingston $21.7M for waterfront improvements
- Hudson River Greenway updates – Beth Campochiaro (HRVG) · NYS Parks – Trails Updates – Chris Morris (NYS-OPRHP)
CLOSING REMARKS
WINNAKEE-DUTCHESS TRAILS ROUNDTABLE: April 18, 2023
AGENDA
Introduction & Meeting Guidelines
Panel presentations topic: EASEMENTS & OTHER TOOLS FOR TRAIL ACCESS: STRATEGIES & EXAMPLES OF PROVIDING PUBLIC ACCESS TO LAND, with:
- Brad Burns – Staff Attorney, Open Space Institute
- Seth McKee – Executive Director, Scenic Hudson Land Trust
- Pat Manning – Economic Development Director, Town of East Fishkill
Q&A and Discussion, Brief Updates, Closing Notes & Adjourn
WINNAKEE-DUTCHESS TRAILS ROUNDTABLE: January 17, 2023
AGENDA
Introduction & Meeting Guidelines
Featured presentation: Trails & Invasive Species Sarah Travalio, Invasive Species Project Coordinator, New York State Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation
Regional trail reports:
- Dutchess County Urban Trail (Pok) – Emily Dozier (DC Transportation Council)
- Beacon City Trails – Thomas Wright (Beacon Greenway Trail Committee)
- Harlem Valley Rail Trail – Dick Hermans (HVRTA)
- Red Hook / Saw Kill Trails – Lisa Whalen (RH Trails)
- West of Hudson Trail Projects – Peter Karis (Open Space Institute)
- Wallkill Valley Rail Trail – Cara Gentry / Christie DeBoer (WVLT)
- Woodland Night at Vlei Marsh – Uri Perrin (Winnakee)
- Kingston (O&W) Rail Trail and Shandaken (U&D) Rail Trail – Kevin Smith (UCTAC)
- HRV Greenway – Beth Campochiaro (HRVG)
- Other Community Updates
WINNAKEE-DUTCHESS TRAILS ROUNDTABLE: October 18, 2022
AGENDA
Introduction & Meeting Guidelines
Hudson River Greenway Water Trail & Empire State Water Trail
- Scott Keller, Executive Director, Hudson River Valley Greenway
- Q&A and discussion
Regional Trail Updates:
- North Side Line Trail (Pok)–Emily Dozier (DC Transportation Council)
- Red Hook Rec Parks East-West Connection –Dave Kliphon(Winnakee)
- Harlem Valley Rail Trail –Dick Hermans (HVRTA)
- Hyde Park Trails –Rob Pollard (HP Rec)
- Wallkill Valley Rail Trail / EST Binnewater–Cara Gentry(WV Land Trust)
- Wallkill Valley Rail Trail Improvements–Annie Bergelin (OSI)
- Lower Esopus Water Trail –Mary McNamara (Lower Esopus Watershed Partnership)
- Hudson River Greenway updates –Beth Campochiaro (HRVG)
Other Community Updates
WINNAKEE-DUTCHESS TRAILS ROUNDTABLE: July 19, 2022
Agenda
Introduction & Meeting Guidelines
“Community Connections: Growing Greenways in Orange, Sullivan & Ulster Counties” – Peter Karis, VP for Parks and Stewardship, Open Space Institute
Regional Trail Updates:
• Dutchess County Urban Trail – Emily Dozier (DC Transportation Council)
• Red Hook Sawkill Trails – Warren Rosenthal (Winnakee)
• AT Vista update – Ron Rosen (NY-NJTC & ATC) • Hoyt House bridge restoration project – Kitty McCullough (Calvert Vaux Preservation Alliance)
• U&D Highmount Trail – Kevin Smith (Ulster County Trails Advis Cmte) • Hudson River Greenway updates – Beth Campochiaro (HRVG)
• NYS Parks – Trails Updates – Chris Morris (NYS-OPRHP)
•Other BRIEF updates – from your community
WINNAKEE - DUTCHESS TRAILS ROUNDTABLE: APRIL 19, 2022
Agenda
- Welcome and Introductions
- Trails and Tourism: Dutchess County & Statewide Perspectives with Melaine Rottkamp, President & CEO, Dutchess Tourism
- Local Reports:
- Winnakee 1st Annual Trail Counts
- Poughkeepsie Urban Trail
- Dutchess County Parks & Trails Website, 2020-2022
- Harlem Valley Rail Trail
WINNAKEE-DUTCHESS TRAILS ROUNDTABLE: Sept 21, 2021
Agenda
Featured programs: The Hudson Highlands Fjord Trail with Amy Kacala, Executive Director of Hudson Highlands Fjord Trail, Inc. & Beacon Hudson River Trail with Thomas Wright, Chair Beacon Greenway Committee
Committee Regional Trail updates:
- Designated Greenway Trails, and Greenway Community Grant Opportunities – Beth Campochiaro, HRVG
- Wallkill Valley Rail Trail – Cara Gentry, Wallkill Valley Land Trust
- Winnakee Sawkill Trail System – Warren Rosenthal, Winnakee Land Trust
- Dutchess County Urban Trail – Emily Dozier, Dutchess County Transp. Council
- Harlem Valley Rail Trail – Dick Hermans, HVRTA
- Hyde Park Trail – Rob Pollard, Hyde Park Recreation
WINNAKEE-DUTCHESS TRAILS ROUNDTABLE: May 25, 2021
“Until 2020, we never fully understood just how critical parks and trails are to the health and wellbeing of our County’s residents. The enormous popularity of our trails during the global pandemic has provided clear proof. Our shared-use community trails are a unique blend of public health and transportation infrastructure: close-to-home places where we can run, roll, stroll, sit in nature, sightsee or even commute. Our trails weave through our communities and unify them. They support businesses, connect us to each other, and they connect us to the natural beauty that surrounds us.”
Agenda:
- Welcome & Meeting Guidelines
- Ulster County 2020 State of the Trails Report – Kevin Smith, Chair Ulster County Trails Alliance; Chair Woodstock Land Conservancy w/ Karl Beard, Trail Planner & Retired NPS, Rivers
- Q&A and Discussion
- Dutchess County Parks & Trails Website App – Dutchess County Healthy Communities Trails Maps – Devin Rigolino, Sr. GIS Project Coordinator, Dutchess County Planning
- Q&A and Discussion
- Regional Trail Updates
- The Urban Trail – Matt Dutcavich, P.E., Assistant Civil Engineer II, Dutchess County Dept. of Public Works – Engineering Division
WINNAKEE-DUTCHESS TRAILS ROUNDTABLE: February 25, 2021
Agenda:
- Welcome and Introductions – Moderator Kathleen Davis, Winnakee
- Empire State Trail Overview in Dutchess & Ulster Counties – Andy Beers, EST Director
- Ulster County 2020 State of the Trails Report – Karl Beard
- Harlem Valley Rail Trail Update – Emily Dozier (DC Transportation Council) and Dick Hermans
- CSX Corridor Urban Trail – Emily Dozier and Zoraida Lopez-Diago (Scenic Hudson)
- New Winnakee Trails – Warren Rosenthal (Winnakee)
