Senator Kathy Marchione (R,C,I,Reform-Halfmoon), Chair of the Senate Local Government Committee, recently announced that Governor Cuomo has signed into State Law her legislation (Senate Bill S.1125) designating the Kinderhook Creek as part of the Inland Waterway System.
The legislation was sponsored in the Assembly by Assemblyman Steve McLaughlin (R-Melrose). The Senate and Assembly measures overwhelmingly passed during the 2017 Legislative Session.
Kinderhook Creek originates in Hancock, Massachusetts and flows for 49 miles before meeting Claverack Creek, with which it forms Stockport Creek, an inlet of the Hudson River. Along the way, Kinderhook Creek flows through the Taconic Mountains, Rensselaer County, and Columbia County, including seven towns: Stephentown; New Lebanon; Nassau; Chatham; Kinderhook; Stuyvesant, and Stockport, as well as three villages: East Nassau; Valatie; and Kinderhook. The total length of the Creek within the State of New York, from the Massachusetts state line to Stockport Creek, is 46 miles. Kinderhook Creek has been a location of historic development dating back to before European colonization, established as an important location for commerce and agriculture. The home of the eighth President of the United States, Martin Van Buren, is located adjacent to the Creek within the Town of Kinderhook. The Creek’s importance to localities extends to not only potential economic benefits, but also increased environmental and historic preservation.
The new State Law designating Kinderhook Creek as an Inland Waterway would allow the municipalities listed above, and the Van Buren historic site, to apply for grants through the Local Waterfront Revitalization Program. These valuable grants will help in area plans to implement local waterfront revitalization programs to foster the beneficial use of the waterfront, as well as preserving and protecting the health and quality of Kinderhook Creek for area residents and all New Yorkers.
“This new law designating Kinderhook Creek as an Inland Waterway will support local economic development, spur historic preservation, and strengthen environmental protection. I thank the Governor for signing this important legislation into law to benefit local communities all along Kinderhook Creek,” said Senator Marchione.