The "Working Landscape" of the Hudson Valley

Cannavo defines a working landscape as "agricultural lands characterized by a long-standing balance between human and natural forces." (Cannavo, 220) This semester's focus has been on the historical struggle between these forces- particularly when it comes to the man's desire to alter his environment to better suit his needs.

Looking back on the Hudson River's colorful past, we have discussed both the physical and chemical alteration of the river. Whether it be construction projects such as that which was proposed for Storm King Mountain, dams, and concrete plants, or the introduction of pollutants from municipal, agricultural or industrial sources, there is no doubt that the Hudson has long been dominated by human forces. Cannavo warns us, however, that "founding without preservation is abusive in that it leads to the pure instrumentation of places, i.e., their treatment as objects to be disposed of at will, just like animals in a factory farm." (Cannavo, 221) Recent class discussion regarding conservation efforts gives hope that the region is working towards a more effective working landscape, where the river is healthy enough to counter-balance continued human forces.

How do we keep this balance? Cannavo believes that "the proper mixture of development, or founding, and preservation must thus be determined democratically, through a deliberate process." (Cannavo, 222). In our last class, we discussed the risks and benefits of a regional government. As a science major, I couldn't sit down and argue about regionalism and whether it was appropriate for the Hudson Valley; however, I believe that a regional committee based within a pre-existing legislative body would be a realistic goal to keep focus on both local and regional issues that pertain to the management of the Hudson River. A system like this would involve representatives from around the region, so that local issues could be better adressed with regional political power. Cannavo describes this approach as "multilayered, flexible in dealing with changes in social-ecological systems, and reliant not just on top-down scientific expertise, but also on culturally and geographically embedded local knowledge." (Cannavo, 223)