Birding bulletin newsboard: June 2015

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Fwd: Historic Victory atop the Palisades!

http://www.protectthepalisades.org/

-----Original Message-----
From: Scenic Hudson <takeaction@scenichudson.org>
To: Peter <prosbird@aol.com>
Sent: Tue, Jun 23, 2015 1:40 pm
Subject: Historic Victory atop the Palisades!

Scenic Hudson works to protect and restore the Hudson River and its majestic landscape as a vital resource for residents and visitors.

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Historic Victory atop the Palisades

Your support made it possible

Dear Peter,

I'm delighted to report that this afternoon Scenic Hudson and four of our conservation partners joined with LG Electronics to announce we've reached a historic, win-win settlement—protecting world-class vistas of the Palisades and allowing the company to construct a new North American headquarters that will retain local jobs.

Scenic Hudson was the leading plaintiff-intervenor in a lawsuit challenging changes to local zoning that permitted corporate towers along the ridgetop, and we collaborated with the New Jersey State Federation of Women's Clubs (which served as co-plaintiff), the Natural Resources Defense Council, New Jersey Conservation Foundation and New York-New Jersey Trail Conference in negotiations resulting in the settlement. Laurance Rockefeller, whose family donated the land that became the basis for Palisades Interstate Park, also was a leading participant in the discussions.

Under the settlement, LG will dramatically reduce the height of its headquarters in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., from 143 feet to 69 feet—minimizing its impact on the Palisades viewshed—and the company will implement landscape, lighting and other design features to further reduce visual impacts. At the same time, the settlement will enable LG to double its local employment to more than 1,000 by 2019, while creating thousands of immediate construction jobs. You can read more about the settlement here.

In addition to our leading role in the litigation, Scenic Hudson was a founding member of the Protect the Palisades coalition, uniting more than 30 environmental, cultural and civic groups to fight the plan, and we helped secure key support from The New York Times and other influential media.

The settlement ends a three-year campaign to safeguard the majesty of the Palisades. As originally designed, LG's headquarters would have stood nearly 70 feet above the treeline, making it the first building prominently visible along a 20-mile stretch of this National Natural Landmark. It would have spoiled long-cherished views that provide enjoyment for people recreating on the Hudson River; traveling on Amtrak or Metro-North's Hudson Line; crossing the George Washington Bridge; and visiting tourist destinations such as Wave Hill and the Cloisters. These vistas support the tourism economy and increase nearby property values on both sides of the river.

This could very well be the most important environmental settlement in the Hudson Valley over the last decade. On behalf of Scenic Hudson's board and staff, I offer my personal thanks to all of you whose generosity and advocacy made it possible for us to reach this milestone in preserving an irreplaceable national treasure. At the same time, I ask for your continued support so we can remain vigilant—and united with our partners—in pressing for measures that will ensure the permanent protection of the entire Palisades ridgeline.

Thanks for all that you do,