FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 12, 2013

BEACON, NY —New York State has awarded $497,303 to Hudson River Sloop Clearwater to support a three-year plan for restoration and repairs to the sloop Clearwater. The grant was awarded by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation during round three of funding from the Regional Economic Development Council initiative. The funding will support a United States Coast Guard (USCG)-mandated restoration of the replica vessel, which is recognized as a National Historic Landmark and a significant historic and maritime heritage asset for the State of New York. The restoration of the sloop will ensure continued environmental education for thousands of children and adults, as well as help spur tourism in the Hudson Valley. The restoration work will take place from 2014-2016 and create approximately 17 jobs.

The current USCG plan calls for the replacement of the centerboard trunk, the bed logs, and main hold with major work aft and encompassing the replacement of the transom. The funding will pay for skilled labor and materials needed for this specific work. The material includes wood, covering boards, top timbers, deck planks, upper hull planks and bull works, rub rail, waterline hull planks, centerboard trunk, and frame, plank and transom stock.

The sloop is currently undergoing the third and final phase of the restoration, with phase two completed during the 2012-2013 winter maintenance season. The work has taken place at the Kingston Home Port and Education Center, which opened in fall of 2102 as a permanent winter home port for the sloop, something she had never had in her 40 years on the Hudson.

The Home Port, built in collaboration with the Hudson River Maritime Museum, is located on the historic Kingston Rondout on the museum property with its construction also funded by a New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation grant. The Home Port has proven to be a Hudson Valley destination for thousands who have attended community events, workshops, barn dances, and lecture series at the facility, which also serves to promote the Kingston waterfront and supports economic revitalization for the region.

“Clearwater would like to thank Governor Cuomo, the Regional Economic Development Council, and the NYS Office of Parks for this generous grant award,” said Heidi Kitlas, Clearwater’s development director. “This grant will have an enormous impact over the next three years for the fundraising efforts to complete the final phase of a total restoration of the sloop Clearwater. The Hudson Valley community has been incredibly supportive, and Captain Nick Rogers has worked tirelessly to manage this project with numerous crew members and shipwrights to ensure America’s Environmental Flagship continues to educate thousands of Hudson Valley youth each year. Thank you all for understanding the importance and significance of Clearwater.”

Captain Nick Rogers commented, “I cannot thank enough all the people who are involved in making this sloop and this organization sail. We have a thoughtful and caring community and our organization is deep with history, but more importantly, it is deep with community.”

The completion of the project will be the last major restoration in this decade. After the restoration work wraps up in 2016, most of the sloop will be entirely replaced. 2014 marks the 45th year of the sloop Clearwater sailing on the Hudson River; in the 18th and 19th centuries, a sloop was expected to be in service for a maximum of 20 years. Since 1969, over half a million people have sailed onboard the sloop Clearwater. As a result of this restoration, Clearwater will continue to sail on providing environmental education for the youth of the region and as a beacon of environmental justice.

Clearwater fundraises for the restoration of the sloop through private donations, an annual appeal, in-kind services, and has an endowment. Large restoration years, like this one, require additional grants and targeted fundraising efforts.

Clearwater extends its gratitude to the State of New York and the Economic Development Council for the award of this funding, and for being counted among the many great projects receiving funding that will benefit all New Yorkers and the people of the Hudson Valley.

For more information about the Sloop Clearwater Restoration Project, please contact, contact Heidi Kitlas, Clearwater Development Director, at Heidi@Clearwater.org, or (845) 265-8080, x7118.

About Hudson River Sloop Clearwater
Inspiring, educating  and activating millions of people for over 45 years, Hudson River Sloop Clearwater has been at the forefront of the environmental movement as champion of the Hudson River, working to pass landmark legislation like the Clean Water Act, providing innovative educational programs, environmental advocacy, and musical celebrations, including the renowned annual Clearwater Festival. The organization was founded by music legend and environmental activist Pete Seeger in 1966. The iconic sloop Clearwater was launched in 1969 and is a majestic replica of the sloops that sailed the Hudson in the 18th and 19th centuries. To date, more than half a million people have experienced their first real look at an estuary’s ecosystem aboard the vessel.  The organization’s strong connection to youth, environmental education, and its agenda to create the next generation of environmental leaders are all part of building and strengthening a Green Cities Initiative for a green economy and a more inclusive and diverse environmental movement. Utilizing the greatest natural resource in the region, the Hudson River, Clearwater has become the grassroots model for producing positive changes to protect our planet. For more information, visit www.clearwater.org. Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, Inc. is a 501(c) 3 tax-exempt nonprofit, member-supported corporation whose mission is to preserve and protect the Hudson River, its tributaries and related bodies of water.

#   #   #