Over the last few years, the Hudson Valley and Catskills have become increasingly popular short-term rental (STR) markets, and part of the national debate about their merits and shortcomings. While many residents that operate STRs experience financial success and help bring visitors to their area, many others think that STR sites like Airbnb and VRBO are transforming the community for the worse. However, the real impact STRs are having on our region is much less black-and-white, says John C. Cappello, Esq., a partner at the Walden-based law firm Jacobowitz & Gubits.
The Winnakee Land Trust opened Vlei Marsh to the public on June 1, a 165-acre nature preserve that is Rhinebeck’s second largest wetland area. Multi-looped, newly upgraded trails at Vlei Marsh take visitors through both wetland and forest, home to scores of mammals, amphibians, and birds. A 30-year-old accredited land trust and nonprofit, the WLT focuses on protecting and stewarding forests, farmland, natural habitats, and water resources from development, for both ecological health and community enjoyment. They have expanded into acquiring and maintaining land in the Hudson Valley in the past few years.
According to John C. Cappello, Esq., a partner at the Walden-based law firm Jacobowitz & Gubits who has worked with both developers and planning boards and zoning boards of appeals in the Hudson Valley, while the region has seen significant commercial development recently, the issues of housing have been mostly ignored. To help solve this problem, Cappello says that community members must acknowledge the issue, advocate for change, and educate themselves on resources and policy changes happening in their own backyards.
Dutchess County-based Winnakee Land Trust introduces its Forever Forest program, a nature-based strategy to address our climate crisis by protecting and restoring 10,000 acres of forest in the next 10 years.
It’s high time Chronogram made a newsletter about marijuana. Stay in the know with the latest on dispensary openings, industry news, cultivation tips, and more as we cover the emerging cannabis scene in New York and the Northeast. Welcome to High Society.
It’s high time Chronogram made a newsletter about marijuana. Stay in the know with the latest on dispensary openings, industry news, cultivation tips, and more as we cover the emerging cannabis scene in New York and the Northeast. Welcome to High Society.
