Originally submitted on August 30th, 2020 as the final report for the Sustainable Natural Resources Management Certificate at Oregon State University.
Abstract
As human population-density and development have increased over the past century in the Hudson Valley, human-sourced contamination such as Polychlorinated Biphenyls, sewage, and agricultural runoff have been introduced into the Hudson River. This is negatively affecting ecological, economic, and social factors within the Hudson Valley community. The loss of the commercial fishing industry, destruction of ecological wetlands and preserves, and contaminates found in agricultural land have fundamentally changed the way people relate to the land. This study will explore the effects of contamination, their disruption to the Hudson River, and the subsequent rippling effects on the Hudson Valley as a whole. Ethics, public safety, and collective action will be discussed in relation to pollution’s effect on the community. Lastly, this study will examine sustainable management methods of restoring the Hudson River to a more ecologically sound state.
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