Protecting open space continues to be an important priority for many residents of the Mid-Hudson Valley. 32% of residents give it a top score of 10. Overall, the issue yields an average score of 7.4 relatively unchanged from the average score of 7.3 it received in 2002.
At the county level, residents from all seven counties rank protecting open space as one of their top ten priorities. Five years ago, this issue was particularly significant in Putnam County where residents regarded protecting open space as their fourth most important priority. Among all the Mid-Hudson Valley counties, Putnam County residents still rank protecting open space the highest although it now ranks only seventh on their list of priorities.
