Survey: Rondout Creek community values wildlife, scenery and recreation – and worries about pollution and public access

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What uses of the Rondout Creek are most important to you?

What issues facing the Rondout Creek matter most to you?

Those are the questions that Riverkeeper, Hudson River Sloop Clearwater and the Hudson River Watershed Alliance asked of community scientists, conservation board members, farmers, and others in municipalities along the Rondout Creek to help create the agenda for the third annual Rondout Summit, which will take place this Thursday, March 22, at 5:30 p.m. at the Rondout Municipal Center in Cottekill (details).

Over the past several years, Riverkeeper has convened members of environmental commissions in watershed towns, and others involved in caring for the creek, to share updates and ideas for collaboration. This year, we collected more than 100 opinions to help guide our discussion.

And what did people say?

Let’s start with the challenges. Pollution was considered the most important issue, whether from human sewage (named by 73% of respondents) or from emerging contaminants (61%). (Respondents were asked to list three issues, so the vote totals add up to more than 100%.) Public access ranked third, with 41% of respondents listing it as a priority.

As for valued uses, a whopping 82% of respondents identified wildlife habitat as a priority. Scenery (54%) and paddling (49%) were also widely agreed-upon as values.

Do these priorities match yours? Do you have a vision for how to protect the creek? Would you like to know what’s happening locally to protect the Rondout Creek and improve water quality? Join us on Thursday to hear more and help envision the next steps.

Register here: https://www.riverkeeper.org/news-events/events/rvk-events/rondout-creek-summit/