Taconic Ridge
The state acquired 3,877 acres in fee and an additional 4,724 acres in conservation easements along the Taconic Ridge in Rensselaer County, further progressing work on the Taconic Crest Trail while also conserving working forest lands and valuable agricultural land. Further south along the Ridge in Columbia County, the State acquired Harvey Mountain, the highest point of land in the county and a popular area for hiking, hunting, nature observation and blueberry picking. The Trust for Public Lands (TPL) has assisted the State on this ongoing project area. In November of 2000, OPRHP acquired 327 acres of the Martineau Property as an addition to Taconic State Park. The property runs from the floor of the Harlem Valley up to the second highest elevation in Dutchess County, South Brace Mountain. Running along the Connecticut border at the top of the Taconic Ridge, it fills a substantial gap in the Taconic State Park.
