Scenic Hudson Land Trust

Scenic Hudson Land Trust

Scenic Hudson was established in 1963. Ned Sullivan leads the organization as president while Alexander Reese chairs the land trust board. The entity operates as an affiliate focused on direct land acquisition and easement holding rather than financial asset management. The trust deploys capital into fee-simple purchases and conservation easements. Asset classes include agricultural land, riverfront parks and historic estates. Confirmed holdings comprise Long Dock Park in Beacon, Old Mud Creek Farm in Livingston and Steepletop in Austerlitz. Activity centers on the Hudson Valley region of New York with additional projects in Columbia and Orange counties. Co-investors include Columbia Land Conservancy and Orange County Land Trust on multiple farmland transactions. The organization maintains 86 professionals. Two donor-restricted endowments support operations: the Lila Acheson and DeWitt Wallace Hudson Valley Land Preservation Endowment and the Kathryn W. Davis Fund for Park Planning and Community Land Use. April 2025: Ned Sullivan spoke at the Bard National Climate Seminar on land trusts and climate adaptation. Scenic Hudson maintains membership in the Land Trust Alliance. The structure separates the land trust from the broader Scenic Hudson nonprofit through distinct corporate entities and board oversight. All acquisitions route through The Scenic Hudson Land Trust, Inc. or related SPVs, creating a dedicated vehicle for perpetual land ownership and easement enforcement.