Environment DEC
From the July 2008 issue
DEC Acquires Catskill Mountain and Shawangunk Ridge Lands
New York's Open Space Conservation Plan identifies Overlook Mt. as an important feature of the Catskill escarpment
A prominent and popular Catskill mountain summit has been permanently protected in an acquisition completed recently by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) with the purchase of 330 acres at Overlook Mountain in Woodstock, Ulster County. The acquisition includes three properties: the 210-acre Woodstock Guild of Artist and Craftsmen parcel, the 92-acre Berg parcel and the 28-acre Illjes parcel.
The Woodstock Guild of Artist and Craftsmen parcel on Meads Mountain Road includes Meads Meadow, an extensive open area on the mountain's southwestern flank that has long been a popular setting for experiencing the Catskills. The Berg and Illjes parcels lie on the steep southeastern side of the mountain, and their protection will ensure preservation of the scenic values of this natural landmark throughout the Hudson Valley. All three parcels are adjacent to existing state forest preserve lands. DEC paid a total of $784,000 for the parcels using the Environmental Protection Fund (EPF).
The acquisitions will be added to DEC's Overlook Mountain Wild Forest in the Catskill Forest Preserve and offer recreational opportunities that include hiking, hunting, trapping, and camping. Overlook Mountain is an important feature of the Catskill escarpment that is specifically identified in New York State's Open Space Conservation Plan.
Shawangunk Ridge Expansion
The new acquisition will form the western branch of the 36-mile Shawangunk Ridge Trail that runs from New Jersey to Ulster Co.
DEC also will be acquiring a 140-acre addition to Shawangunk Ridge. The property is a "Rails-to-Trails" initiative and will be a highlight of the Shawangunk Ridge trail system in Sullivan, Orange and Ulster counties. It once included railbeds of the New York, Ontario and Western Railway and of the Port Jervis, Monticello and Summitville Railroad. It ties into the Delaware and Hudson Canal towpath to the north and west and provides a level, eight-foot-wide path across a stone culvert above wetlands and streams. The railroad right-of-way runs more than a mile into the existing DEC Wurtsboro Ridge State Forest. The parcel will form a western branch of the 36-mile Shawangunk Ridge Trail, which follows the ridge from High Point State Park in New Jersey to the Mohonk Preserve in Ulster County.
DEC will acquire the property using the EPF, with a price to be determined following completion of the appraisal process. Trail Conference volunteers will be responsible for building and maintaining the trails once they have been designed with DEC approval, and, upon completion of the acquisition, the land will be added to the Wurtsboro Ridge State Forest.
