Ned Sullivan's Remarks at Walkway over the Hudson Groundbreaking, May 27, 2008

I am honored to be here today to celebrate the vision, audacity, and perseverance of the founders and leaders of Walkway Over the Hudson -- and those who have stepped forward to support that vision.

Just to our South is the 250-acre bluff overlooking the Hudson that Scenic Hudson and New York State have dedicated to Franny Reese…our beloved and visionary leader who helped launch the modern environmental movement by defending Storm King Mountain.

Somewhere Franny is smiling today… because the legacy of grass roots activism is alive and well, thanks to Bill Seppe, Fred Schaffer, Mitch Markay and Barbara Henszey and others, who have worked so hard to advance this exciting project.

See this page for accompanying story about the groundbreaking ceremony

Like many audacious ideas, this one would not be possible without the courage and backing of important leaders in the community. Congressman Hinchey came forward with the first federal dollars. Rob Dyson saw the potential of this project and generously invested his personal energy and the resources of the Dyson Foundation, including, importantly Diana Gurieva, Amy Husten and others, to advance it. Judith Enck, Carol Ash, Governor Paterson, and Senator Saland -- congratulations and thank you for committing state dollars to this project in a fiscally difficult year when you committed almost $100 million to restoring the New York State Park System. And Senator Schumer, you took the walk across the bridge and came back a believer with federal funds as well. Bravo to all of you for the collaborative effort that has brought this project to today's groundbreaking moment!

The Quadricentennial is an important moment for us to honor the past. But, as my wife Tara points out in her role as Executive Director of the Quadricentennial Commission, it is more important to lay the groundwork for the next 100 years of sustainable development. Next year, with the reopening of this span, our Heritage and our future will be richer. Transforming the bridge into the Walkway will be a huge achievement. But it is not enough... The Walkway must be seen as an opportunity to leverage the incredible natural assets of region and to boost the economic revitalization of the City of Poughkeepsie as well as surrounding areas of Dutchess and Ulster counties.

We must work together to link together the great resources that we have along the Hudson. Just within our sight, there is a week's worth of cultural and recreational destinations -- FDR's home and library, the Culinary Institute, the Marist and Community Boathouses, the Mid-Hudson Children's Museum, the Metro-North train station, Kaal Rock, the Hudson Valley Rail Trail, Franny Reese Preserve State Park and the Town of Lloyd Riverfront Park, the first in the Town to link people to the river.

Let's work together to join these assets together. Let's make Poughkeepsie a world-class destination that realizes the full potential of this rich and historic section of our National Heritage Area and attracts new businesses that will boost the economy of the region into a new orbit.

Last year at Val-Kill, I announced Scenic Hudson's major legacy project honoring the 400th -- a collaborative "Smart Growth" initiative to protect 65,000 acres of land along the Hudson that meets the highest state standards, while we encourage downtown development in the Valley's city centers. We call it "Saving the Land that Matters Most."

As we protect that land, we are also going to be helping other organizations create parks that connect people with the region's greatest resource -- the Hudson River. Today, I am pleased to announce that Scenic Hudson is committing $1 million to support Walkway over the Hudson and to help launch this revitalization of Poughkeepsie and the Mid-Hudson Region.

Just as the work to transform the bridge is just beginning, so too is the challenge to raise all the funds needed to complete the job. It is our hope that our contribution will be a catalyst for others to step forward and join the Dyson Foundation, the Paterson Administration and federal government to provide the remaining funds needed to make this breathtaking initiative one of the great lasting legacies of the Hudson 400th.