Document link: Greenway Grant Feasibility Study (2007)

HHFT has claimed repeatedly that the Fjord Trail as proposed in their 2020 Draft Master Plan was “envisioned by locals.” This document outlines the original plan that was actually envisioned by locals.

Document link: Philipstown Fair Street Sidewalk Extension Grant

This collection of documents details Philipstown’s application for and approval of $100k of NYS DOT grant money to cover the costs of extending the Fair Street sidewalk to “the beginning of the proposed Fjord Trail.”

Document link: Preliminary Draft Master Plan - Part 1 (May 2015)

Document link: Preliminary Draft Master Plan - Part 2 (May 2015)

This is the Preliminary Draft Master Plan referred to in the Draft Scoping Document and Final Scoping Document. It details preferred options and alternatives for each section of the trail. Note that there is no mention of Dockside, except to state that “the proposed alignment would not pass [through Dockside]” (page 7), nor is there any mention of an elevated structure from Dockside to Little Stony Point.

This is the only Fjord Trail master plan listed on the NYS Parks Master Plans page: https://parks.ny.gov/inside-our-agency/master-plans.aspx. The individual sections available on that page have been compiled into the two documents above for easier reading. Note that the 2020 “Draft Master Plan” is not listed here, nor is it referenced in any of the project’s SEQR documentation, so should not be considered an official master plan..

Document link: Philipstown's Resolution of Support for HHFT Master Plan (May 7, 2015)

The resolution of support is item 10, starting on page 14. The resolution also notes that the town board is working with the village board on the Fair Street sidewalk project.

Document link: Scope of Work for LWRP Grant for Shoreline Section (2015)

This document was obtained by FOIL request and describes the scope of work to be covered by the LWRP grant, if awarded to Philipstown by the Department of State. The scope of work is primarily design and engineering work for the portion of the HHFT from Little Stony Point to the Breakneck Connector, including design of a bridge over the tracks at Breakneck, plus completion of the GEIS.

Document link: HHFT Full Environmental Assessment Form (FEAF) Part 1 (Aug 18, 2015)

Name of Applicant/Sponsor: NYS Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation

Name of Project: Adoption of the Hudson Highlands Fjord Trail Master Plan/Generic Environmental Impact Statement (GEIS)

The project is described as “an approximately 9 mile long non-motorized multi-use trail connecting the City of Beacon Train Station to the Village of Cold Spring Train Station. The proposed trail is generally located between State Route 9D and the Hudson River. The majority of the trail corridor is located adjacent to or within the Hudson Highlands State Park Preserve and the Route 9D Corridor. The trail will utilize some existing sidewalks, pathways and trails in addition to developing new trail sections. The Plan also proposes Route 9D corridor improvements including upgrades to and expansion of parking and trailhead facilities, painted shoulders for biking, improved signage, narrowed traffic lanes, and other traffic calming measures. ”

Document link: Attachment to FEAF Part 1 (Aug 18, 2015)

Section B, Government Approvals, indicates that “Site Plan approval” and a “Resolution of Support endorsing the Master Plan” will be required from the Village of Cold Spring and the Town of Philipstown.

Section D, Project Details, indicates that “Some sections of trail may have environmental review completed as part of the GEIS while others may require detailed Environmental Assessment Forms to be filled out in the future as the Final Master Plan is implemented.”

Document link: SEQR Lead Agency Designation (Aug 18, 2015)

This document identifies NYS Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation as the lead agency for the SEQR process. NYS OPRHP is also the project applicant/sponsor listed in the Environmental Assessment Form (EAF). This letter was sent to all involved agencies.

Document link: SEQR Positive Declaration (Oct 7, 2015)

A positive declaration is expected for a project of this size, indicating that there are significant potential impacts.

Document link: SEQR Draft Scoping Document (July 6, 2016)

The State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR) process requires the project applicant to submit a scoping document detailing the issues and potential environmental impacts they plan to address in their Environment Impact Statement (EIS). Based on comments received during the public comment period, this draft was revised to become the Final Scoping Document.

Document link: Riverkeeper’s comments on the Draft Scoping Document

In response to the Draft Scoping Document, Riverkeeper submitted this letter noting several areas of concern, including “we are concerned because the preferred route will either involve pile-supported structures or shoreline widening. Pile-supported structures would result in habitat disturbances and shading, and shoreline widening would have even more significant environmental impacts. … Neither of these options adequately protects the River. Therefore, we urge OPRHP to reconsider its the [sic] conclusion that ‘the only feasible location to route the trail is along the shoreline.’”

Riverkeeper has since indicated that the reservations they expressed in this letter “were addressed in the initial plans for the trail.” They went on to add, “In 2016 we were calling out potential in-water consequences of some design approaches under consideration. Riverkeeper is not opposing the trail and we are now awaiting the next comment period to respond to any in-water and/or habitat impacts as appropriate.”

Document link: Riverkeeper Call to Action regarding the Fjord Trail

In this 2016 blog post, in response to the Draft Scoping Document, Riverkeeper urges supporters to “voice concerns about the proposed Fjord Trail and its potential impacts on Hudson River habitat,” noting that “The Fjord Trail will have significant, negative impacts on the Hudson River, local streams, and wetlands.” Riverkeeper has since indicated that the reservations they expressed “were addressed in the initial plans for the trail.”

Document link: Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) comments on Draft Scoping Document

In response to the Draft Scoping Document, DEC Region 3 submitted this letter noting several areas of concern. The DEC’s Division of Environmental Permits (DEP) will review the EIS to determine if it contains the information they need to make findings related to permitting (for example, protection of waters, wetlands, threatened species, remediation, or water quality). They noted that “Most route segments will require significant environmental review.” Specifically, “The greatest area of concern for DEC staff with regard to Protection of Waters is the Little Stony Point to Breakneck Ridge shoreline. The proposed trail development in this area will require disturbance to the Hudson River shoreline.” Note that these comments were made before there was any mention of a Dockside-Little Stony Point connector or development of Little Stony Point.

Document link: Bids for Fair Street Sidewalk Project (Sept 28, 2016)

The three bids submitted all exceeded $200,000, whereas the original grant was for $100,000, so it’s assumed the sidewalk project died at this point.

Document link: Highlands Current: “Fjord Trail Route May Change” (Nov 19, 2016)

This is the first public mention of a possible Dockside-Little Stony Point connector.

Document link: Philipstown Board Approves Contract for LWRP Grant (Dec 1, 2016)

On page 7, the board authorizes Richard Shea to sign the contract for the $400,000 LWRP grant. The grant was awarded by the Department of State and used along with matching funds from Hudson highlands Land Trust to fund the contract with AKRF for design and engineering services.

Document link: Philipstown Board Minutes Approving Philipstown as HHFT Contract Administrator (Feb 16, 2017)

On page 7-8, the board authorizes the town to act as contract administrator for the HHFT environmental review and engineering analysis.

Document link: Philipstown Board Minutes Approving AKRF Contract (Feb 16, 2017)

Pages 7-8 of this document show the town board authorizing Richard Shea to sign the contract with NYS Dept. of State for services related to the Hudson Highlands Fjord Trail Shoreline Trail. The town received $400k from the NYS LWRP program plus $400k in private matching funds from Hudson Highlands Land Trust to pay the consultant (AKRF) for the work.

Document link: Philipstown-AKRF contract (March 22, 2017)

This contract between the Town of Philipstown (Client) and AKRF, Inc. (Consultant), in Attachment A, outlines the scope of work. Note that HHFT, Inc is not a party to this contract, nor is NYS OPRHP — it is the Town of Philipstown’s project.

Section I of the attachment is unclear, but indicates that “an adjustment of the Preferred Alignment has occurred,” yet none of the SEQR documentation was updated to reflect this. It also indicates AKRF will produce maps of the eight trail segments.

Section II indicates that AKRF will prepare the Final Scoping Document, and is responsible for the research and analysis needed to fulfill the requirements of the scoping document and prepare the Draft Generic Environmental Impact Statement (GEIS).

Section III confirms that AKRF will produce the Final GEIS document.

Document link: SEQR Final Scoping Document (March 21, 2017)

This final version of the scoping document addresses certain concerns raised during public comment period. Note that the “Proposed Action” identified here routes the trail along Fair Street, with the Dockside connector listed as an “Alternative.”

HHFT has stated they expect to submit the draft EIS later in 2023. Note that NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation is the Lead Agency, meaning they will ultimately approve or deny the application, even though they are also the project applicant and sponsor.

This document includes the first reference in the SEQR documentation to Scenic Hudson having any special role in the project (“Project Manager”), although title is not a formal role identified anywhere in the SEQR regulations.

Document link: HHFT Shoreline Design Meeting Minutes (Mar 30, 2017)

This document was obtained by FOIL request and outlines concerns raised by the MTA/Metro-North and Department of Environmental Conservation about the shoreline portion of the trail.

Document link: HHFT Certificate of Incorporation (Jan 9, 2020)

Establishment of Hudson Highlands Fjord Trail, Inc. as a 501(c)(3) corporation, directors Ned Sullivan, Steve Rosenberg, and Chris Davis.

Document link: HHFT Draft Master Plan (Feb 21, 2020)

This document (160MB) outlines HHFT’s vision for the Fjord Trail. Note that it post-dates the final scoping document and is not part of the SEQR documentation, so is more fantasy than reality. However, it makes clear that (i) they plan to abandon the Fair Street “Proposed Action” and instead go with the Dockside alternative (elevated boardwalk from Dockside to Little Stony Point), (ii) they plan to build an elevated structure above the water from Little Stony Point to Breakneck Ridge, and (iii) they plan to develop Little Stony Point extensively. The SEQR process requires they demonstrate their chosen action has lesser overall impact than any alternative or the initial proposed action.

According to the cover page, this document was prepared by Scape, Gray Organschi Architecture, Pentagram, Langan, Fast + Epp, and Jon K Miller.

Document link: HHFT Draft Master Plan Excerpt (2020)

This excerpt from the 2020 Draft Master Plan explains how the original 2015 Draft Master Plan went through the SEQR draft scoping phase in 2016, but it fails to mention that the final scoping phase was completed in 2017. Instead, they suggest the process was paused to allow for further planning. The last page of the excerpt then goes on to describe how a dramatically different vision for the project emerged: “the creation of a linear park of exemplary design.”

This new master plan has never been submitted to any state agency for review. If it had been, it would be subject to the same environmental assessment and project scoping requirements of the SEQR process. It’s irrelevance is confirmed by the plan’s absence from the NYS Parks Master Plans page (NYS Parks is the lead agency and project co-sponsor).

Document link: Shoreline Design Presentation #3 (Dec 2020)

This document was obtained by FOIL request and provides details of the proposed shoreline section from Little Stony Point to Breakneck.

Document link: HHFT Draft Alternative Alignments Analysis (Feb 2021)

This document was obtained by FOIL request and compares the various options for each section of the trail.

See HHFT Alternative Alignments Analysis (Feb 2022) for the final version of this document.

Document link: Shoreline Trail Design Presentation #5 (Feb 19, 2021)

This document was obtained by FOIL request and provides details of the entire proposed shoreline section from Dockside to Breakneck, including the Lower Breakneck Overlook.

Document link: Shoreline Trail Design Specification Narratives (Feb 25, 2021)

This document was obtain by FOIL request. See page 3 for renderings of the Breakneck Lower Overlook.

Document link: Shoreline Trail 30% Design Drawings (Feb 25, 2021)

Document link: Shoreline Trail Technical Condsiderations (Feb 25, 2021)

Document link: Shoreline Trail DEC Pre-Application Meeting Slides (July 20, 2021)

Document link: HHFT NYS Parks Cooperative Agreement (April 1, 2021)

This comprehensive agreement gives HHFT, Inc. full responsibility for all aspects of the Fjord Trail project. It notes that section 3.09(6) of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation Law authorizes OPRHP to encourage cooperative recreational projects undertaken by private philanthropic interests for the benefit of the public.

One section of particular concern is Section 5, Sponsorships, which states that “Sponsorship funding of the Fjord Trail Project or any part thereof or improvement therein, or of events held therein, together with concession or other agreements with vendors of food, parking, programming, or other complementary revenue-generating activities, are acceptable to OPRHP as a general matter, and OPRHP acknowledges that such sponsorships and concessions might be important sources of funding for both development and operations of the Fjord Trail Project. HHFT may retain sponsorship and concession revenues. Sponsorships and concessions are subject to the prior written approval of OPRHP as to form, content, and manner of presentation, not to be unreasonably withheld. Sponsorship by companies, interests, or organizations that are directly identified with the sale or use of vape, nicotine, or tobacco products is strictly prohibited. Sponsorship opportunities include, without limitation, program inserts, product sampling, and advertising displays at the Fjord Trail Project and at events and projects therein.”

Section 3.2(b): “HHFT acknowledges that OPRHP may only execute a Supplemental Agreement approving a Phase or issue a Capital Project Approval after the completion and submission of required documents and applicable reviews under SEQRA and the State Historic Preservation Act, and that OPRHP may condition such Supplemental Agreement or Capital Project Approval on project-specific restrictions responsive to such reviews.”

Section 3.6(b): “OPRHP is and will be the lead agency with respect to ongoing and future reviews of segments of the Fjord Trail Project under SEQRA and will participate in any National Environmental Policy Act ("NEPA") review, if necessary.”

Document link: HHFT NYS Parks Cooperative Agreement Amendment (June 28,2021)

This amendment includes a new version of Appendix C, “Requirements for Capital Projects,” replacing the version in the April 1 agreement.

Document link: HHFT NYS Parks Cooperative Agreement Supplemental Phase 1 Part A (Dec 21, 2021)

The initial agreement requires there be a Supplemental Agreement for each phase of the project. This supplemental agreement covers Phase 1 - Breakneck Connector and Bridge. It includes a requirement that HHFT deposit $5 million with OPRHP to cover the costs of a “Construction Manager” (HENNINGSON DURHAM & RICHARDSON ARCHITECTURE AND ENGINEERING PC) to provide design and construction management services for this portion of the project. In 2023 the contract was given to Consigli Construction.

Document link: Governor announces $1.85 million for Dockside Flood Resiliency (Dec 9, 2021)

Document link: Email from Scenic Hudson to Governor Hochul's office (Dec 20, 2021)

In the email, Andy Bicking, formerly the Director of Government Relations & Public Policy at Scenic Hudson, claims that "The trail will improve safety around and complement Breakneck Ridge, the most popular day hike in America, and the Metro North whistle stop there. It will reduce automobile traffic and greenhouse gases, improve the air and provide an inspirational connection to the Hudson River and the surrounding beauty. NYC DEP is a financial partner in the project, contributing $14 million toward construction of a bridge by OPRHP over the railroad tracks at Breakneck to access and renovate a major NYC drinking water facility."

Document link: Scenic Hudson requests $35 million from State for HHFT (Feb 1, 2022)

See page 2, “Capital Parks Funding” for details of Scenic Hudson’s $35 million request.

Document link: HHFT Final Alternative Alignments Analysis (Feb, 2022)

This document was obtained by FOIL request and compares the various options for each section of the trail. The analysis will be included as part of the Draft EIS when it is published.

Document link: Scenic Hudson Audited Financial Statements for 2021 and 2022 (Feb, 2023)

Document link: Shoreline Trail Top of Bank Exhibit (Dec 2023)

Document link: Creighton Manning Parking and Shuttle Study (Executive Summary)

Document link: ORCA Parking and Shuttle Operations (Jan 4, 2024)

Document link: Shoreline Trail Concept Design (Mar 11, 2024)

Document link: MTA ClimateResiliency Roadmap (April 2024)

See page 74 (PDF page 40) for MTAs assessment of the vulnerabilities along the Hudson Line and the mitigation measures they plan to implement exactly where the proposed Fjord Trail boardwalk would be constructed.

Document link: HHFT Parking and Shuttle RFP (July 9, 2024)

Document link: HHFT NYS Parks Cooperative Agreement Supplemental Phase 1 Part B (July 23, 2024)

This agreement covers bidding and construction of the Breakneck Bridge.

Document link: HHFT NYS Parks Cooperative Agreement Supplemental Phase 1 Part C (July 23, 2024)

This agreement covers construction of the Breakneck Connector.

Letter from Senator Rob Rolison to Gov. Hochul (Sept 5, 2024)

Letter from Putnam County Exec. Kevin Byrne to Gov. Hochul (Sept 10, 2024)

Document link: DOT Breakneck Tunnel Project Schematics (Sept. 2024)

Document links:

HHFT DGEIS (Dec 4, 2024)

HHFT DGEIS Appendices (Dec 4, 2024)

An online version is available at https://hhft.org/about-the-fjord-trail/seqra-process/.