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MVB site one step closer to boundary expansion
By Jamie Larson
KINDERHOOK — New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand announced Thursday that the Martin Van Buren National Historic Site has reached an important milestone on the road to a long-awaited goal. A large bill that passed in the Senate Thursday contained legislation — sponsored by Gillibrand — that will see the boundaries of the national park in Kinderhook grow by 261 acres to nearly the entire area it covered during the time it belonged to Kinderhook’s native son, eighth President of the United States Martin Van Buren.
The boundary expansion plan has been tied up in the legislative process for years and the site’s management are hesitantly excited about the omnibus bill, in which it is contained, finally being passed. The MVB site legislation was initially sponsored by Gillibrand while she was congresswoman for New York’s 20th District.
“We are now one step closer to preserving the history of Martin Van Buren’s Lindenwald and the rich agricultural character of the Hudson Valley,” said Gillibrand. “The dedication of the local community to preserve their rich history has been vital. This boundary expansion would protect local agricultural lands and help to increase tourism opportunities in the historic Hudson Valley.”
The boundary expansion is part of an omnibus bill (S22) that contains 164 conservation-related bills. S22 passed the Senate on its own in January with bipartisan support, but a two-thirds majority was required for passage of the bill in the house. On Feb. 18, during a meeting on the MVB site comprehensive General Management Plan, park staff learned that the bill had missed passage in the hose by two votes.
S22 was then quickly attached as an amendment to another, even larger bill containing a large amount of other legislation (HR146). HR146 passed the Senate Thursday with a bipartisan vote of 77 to 20. Now the new bill will be sent back to the house for passage, where it may have better luck than last time due to its inclusion in a bill of other expenditures.
MVB National Historic Site Superintendent Dan Dattilio is cautiously optimistic about the passage of the plan, which, while crafted in a 2003 study by the National Parks Service, has been in the works by Friends of Lindenwald and Kinderhook community members since the 1970s when the site was designated a national park.
Dattilio said having the boundary expansion plan in limbo for so long has made the preparation of their new General Management Plan more complicated but Gillibrand’s support — and huge local support — has been greatly appreciated by the park.
“(Gillibrand’s) staff expressed an interest in the park very early on,” Dattilio said, “but also, the community has been behind us and put a lot of energy into this. No matter what happens with the vote, this has become too big for them to let it go. Now it’s the community’s choice to make requests of their congressmen.”
Dattilio says he feels people should not only back the passage of S22 because of their local investment in Lindenwald and the MVB site, but also learn about the scope and benefits to the country’s national parks.
The boundary expansion plan has been tied up in the legislative process for years and the site’s management are hesitantly excited about the omnibus bill, in which it is contained, finally being passed. The MVB site legislation was initially sponsored by Gillibrand while she was congresswoman for New York’s 20th District.
“We are now one step closer to preserving the history of Martin Van Buren’s Lindenwald and the rich agricultural character of the Hudson Valley,” said Gillibrand. “The dedication of the local community to preserve their rich history has been vital. This boundary expansion would protect local agricultural lands and help to increase tourism opportunities in the historic Hudson Valley.”
The boundary expansion is part of an omnibus bill (S22) that contains 164 conservation-related bills. S22 passed the Senate on its own in January with bipartisan support, but a two-thirds majority was required for passage of the bill in the house. On Feb. 18, during a meeting on the MVB site comprehensive General Management Plan, park staff learned that the bill had missed passage in the hose by two votes.
S22 was then quickly attached as an amendment to another, even larger bill containing a large amount of other legislation (HR146). HR146 passed the Senate Thursday with a bipartisan vote of 77 to 20. Now the new bill will be sent back to the house for passage, where it may have better luck than last time due to its inclusion in a bill of other expenditures.
MVB National Historic Site Superintendent Dan Dattilio is cautiously optimistic about the passage of the plan, which, while crafted in a 2003 study by the National Parks Service, has been in the works by Friends of Lindenwald and Kinderhook community members since the 1970s when the site was designated a national park.
Dattilio said having the boundary expansion plan in limbo for so long has made the preparation of their new General Management Plan more complicated but Gillibrand’s support — and huge local support — has been greatly appreciated by the park.
“(Gillibrand’s) staff expressed an interest in the park very early on,” Dattilio said, “but also, the community has been behind us and put a lot of energy into this. No matter what happens with the vote, this has become too big for them to let it go. Now it’s the community’s choice to make requests of their congressmen.”
Dattilio says he feels people should not only back the passage of S22 because of their local investment in Lindenwald and the MVB site, but also learn about the scope and benefits to the country’s national parks.
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