Governor Signs Bill by Senator Hinchey and Assemblyman Tague Granting State Scenic Byway Designation to Durham Valley Scenic Byway

GREENE COUNTY, NY – Senator Michelle Hinchey and Assemblyman Chris Tague today announced that their bill (S3449-Hinchey/A3848-Tague) to designate the Durham Valley Scenic Byway in Greene County as part of the New York State Scenic Byways System has been signed into law by Governor Kathy Hochul. 

Scenic byways have been shown to provide important benefits to the communities through which they pass, including generating significant economic activity through tourism, more careful environmental stewardship of the byway corridor, improved traveler and community services, and the potential to access federal grants to develop the byway. The roadways outlined in Hinchey and Tague’s legislation, which stretch 21 miles across the Towns of Durham and Windham, were designated as roads "of extraordinary scenic quality" by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation in 1991 but have not been inducted into the Byways System until now.

“Our bill granting this Scenic Byway designation to the Durham Valley is a victory for Greene County,” Senator Michelle Hinchey said. “We have elevated twenty-one miles of picturesque viewshed across Durham and Windham as a local landmark, which will provide an economic boost to Greene County businesses, enhance preservation efforts, and help promote our rural communities as can’t-miss destinations for tourism, culture, and commerce. I am very happy to see this bill signed into law and was proud to work with Assemblyman Chris Tague and the Durham Valley Scenic Byway Committee to secure this designation that will help protect our scenic resources and grow Greene County’s rural economy.”

“I have always said that Greene County is one of the most beautiful places in our state, if not the nation, so I am happy to join Sen. Hinchey in announcing that the governor has signed my bill officially recognizing a series of roads passing through both Durham and Windham as the ‘Durham Valley Scenic Byway’ within the New York state scenic byways system,” said Assemblyman Chris Tague. “As people come to take in the sights, I also hope they’ll take some time to see all that our nearby communities and their farms and small businesses have to offer and to discover what unique and charming places they are. I want to thank Sen. Hinchey, members of the local Durham Valley Scenic Byway Committee, the Department of Transportation, and members of town and county governments for helping me get this bill across the finish line and their dedication to showing New Yorkers why Greene County is such a great place to visit.”

Durham Valley Scenic Byway Coordinating Committee Member Richard H. Goldstein said, "On behalf of the Durham Valley Scenic Byway Coordinating Committee, I would like to thank Senator Hinchey and Assemblyman Tague for sponsoring this legislation. This legislation will provide important benefits to the roads’ travelers and the Durham community, including economic benefits from tourism, potential access to federal grants to improve the byway, and qualification to apply for National Scenic Byway designation. We also thank the staff of the New York State Department of Transportation Scenic Byway program and the New York State Scenic Byway Advisory Board for their guidance and support. Finally, we want to recognize Barry H. Garfinkel, a member of the Scenic Byway Coordinating Committee until his death last August, for his devotion and long-standing commitment to preserving the essential qualities of the Byway and the Durham Valley."

The Durham Byway corridor slopes from the northernmost escarpment of the Catskill Mountains, north to Albany, and east to the Hudson River Valley; it includes a famed 'Five State View' that extends over the Hudson River Valley to the Berkshires, Vermont, Connecticut, and New Hampshire and north to the Adirondacks. A network of mostly contiguous historic corridors, all of the roads within the Durham Valley Scenic Byway include broad scenic views, cultural resources including historic houses, farms, stone bridges and walls, and natural resources such as the backdrop of the Catskill Mountains.

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