Maurice D. Hinchey
Town of Shandaken, Ulster County, New York
Marker Inscription
Congressman Maurice D. Hinchey 1938 - 2017
The Story
Maurice D. Hinchey devoted nearly four decades to public service, first in the New York State Assembly and then representing the Hudson Valley and Catskills in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1993 to 2013. A tireless advocate for the environment, he is widely remembered for championing the cleanup of the Hudson River and for defending the wild lands of the Catskills — the very region where this monument stands. His long career bridged local conservation battles and national policy.
Why it matters
Hinchey's decades of work reflect how regional stewardship of public lands and waterways became part of the broader American story of environmental protection in the late twentieth century.
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