Hudson River Comprehensive Restoration Plan

A plan to restore and create resilience for the Hudson River ecosystem

Over the centuries that people have lived along the Hudson River, industry and development have had major impacts on the river ecosystem. Additionally, the human and natural communities along the river are susceptible to higher water levels, which could be exacerbated by the effects of climate change. In response, The Nature Conservancy and other key stakeholders in the Hudson River region are working together to prepare for sea-level rise and advance the region’s recovery from past ecosystem damage.

RESOLVE facilitated the work of technical teams convened by The Nature Conservancy to develop ecosystem and community resilience targets, which became the foundation for the Hudson River Comprehensive Restoration Plan (HRCRP).

RESOLVE then facilitated a larger group of organizations, Partners Restoring the Hudson, as they worked to complete the HRCRP and agree on how to coordinate implementation.

By the end of RESOLVE’s work, twelve expert teams had identified priority activities and research needed to achieve ecosystem restoration and community resilience targets over the next thirty years; more than thirty nonprofit organizations, public agencies, and academic and research institutions partnered to develop a comprehensive restoration plan for the Hudson River (released in August 2018) and identified an approach to collaborative execution and management of the HRCRP.

The HRCRP is an example of the kind of robust restoration and resilience roadmap that a proactive, inclusive, and science-based approach can produce. By involving communities, experts, and stakeholder organizations and agencies throughout the process, this effort lays a strong foundation for coordinated regional action and lasting results over the coming decades.