For Release: Wednesday, May 26, 2004

DEC Announces Catskill Park Centennial Celebration Activities

Festivities to be Held in Recognition of 100th Anniversary

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Erin M. Crotty today announced activities designed to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the law creating the Catskill State Park, an area encompassing 705,500 acres of public and private land in Delaware, Greene, Sullivan and Ulster counties.

"The Catskill Park is a truly remarkable natural resource that has and will continue to provide important environmental and recreational benefits for generations to come," Commissioner Crotty said. "Dozens of organizations, municipalities, and government agencies are working together with the people of the Catskill region to make this anniversary an event equal to the vibrant communities and magnificent natural resources it celebrates. I hope all New Yorkers take this opportunity to explore and appreciate the Catskill Park during its Centennial year."

On March 19, 2004, Governor George Pataki proclaimed 2004 as the year of the Catskill Park Centennial, "in recognition of its significance to this State and Nation, and with respect to its glorious past, as we hail a new century of celebration of the Park, its people, communities and setting of such unsurpassed beauty." On April 5, 1904, the Catskill Park was created by an act of the State Legislature to extend protection and recognition to this mountainous region of New York State. In 1904, the original Catskill Park included 92,708 acres of State Forest Preserve lands within a 576,120-acre region that included portions of Delaware, Greene, Sullivan and Ulster counties. Since that time, the Catskill Park has grown to include 287,514 acres of State Forest Preserve lands within an approximately 705,500-acre region of public and private land, with 98 peaks over 3,000 feet in elevation.

As part of the celebration, DEC and the New York State Department of Transportation (DOT) will erect new signs for the major entry points into the Catskill Park. Signs will be posted at the following locations:

Route 212, west bound lane, Saugerties/Woodstock Town line, Ulster County;
Route 28, Kingston traffic circle (near thruway exit 19), Ulster County;
Route 55, west bound lane, Town of Wawarsing, Ulster County, just east of the Rondout Reservoir;
Route 17, westbound lane, in the Town of Rockland, Sullivan County, near the Livingston Manor exit.
Route 30, eastbound lane, in the Town of Colchester, just east of Downsville, Delaware County.
Route 28, eastbound lane, in the Town of Middletown, hamlet of Dunraven, Delaware County;
Route 23 in East Windham, visible heading westbound, Greene County; and
Route 23A near Palenville, visible heading westbound, Greene County.

DOT Commissioner Joseph H. Boardman said, "For 100 years, millions of visitors from New York and around the world have come to enjoy the beauty and majesty of Catskill Park. Thanks to the support of Governor Pataki and our partners at DEC, these new signs will encourage travelers to come celebrate with us and experience for themselves everything Catskill Park has to offer."

In keeping with Governor Pataki's proclamation, the Catskill Park Centennial Celebration will feature events and activities throughout the year, including a special 10-day centennial event October 2-11. This event will showcase the Catskill Park through a series of guided hiking, walking, paddling and biking events focused on the natural, scenic, historical and cultural resources found within the Park.

A list of events celebrating the Catskill Park's 100th year include:

Catskill Tales and Tunes: Beginning in May, Ira and Laurie McIntosh will be moving around the Catskill Park performing a mix of local traditional stories and songs, legends, anecdotes, and Catskill Mountain lore related to the railroads, immigrant populations, the building of the New York City reservoirs, forest products, bluestone industries, and tourism. This event is made possible through a New York State Council on the Arts grant from the Roxbury Arts Group as well as a grant from the Olive B. O'Connor Foundation. For more information call 845-586-2611.
National Trails Day: Historic fire towers on Balsam Lake Mountain, Hunter Mountain, Mount Tremper, Overlook Mountain, and Red Hill will be open to the public on June 5, 2004. All involve a moderate hike.
Belleayre Mountain Music Festival: The "Concert for the Catskill Park Centennial" will take place on Saturday, July 3, 2004, at 8 p.m. at the Belleayre Mountain Ski Center on Route 28 in Highmount. This 100th anniversary celebration will feature the debut of the Belleayre Festival Orchestra. This signature orchestra, a long-time dream of conductor laureate Maestro John Covelli, will include the premier of the specially commissioned new work, "The Catskill Overture," by Maestro Covelli. Joining the orchestra for this performance will be the nationally known Catskill Mountain musicians Jay Ungar and Molly Mason.
Catskill Park Centennial Chautauqua: Re-enactors, storytellers, lecturers, musicians, singers, minstrels, actors, and poets will reflect upon the wonders of the Catskills. This will take place beginning on July 11, 2004, at the fifth annual Mountain Culture Festival to be held at the Catskill Mountain Foundation on Route 23A in Hunter. For more information, visit the Catskill Mountain Foundation web site at: http://www.catskillmtn.org/
The Fire Observation Towers of New York State: This traveling program by author Paul Laskey will be held at the Catskill Center in Arkville, Delaware County, on July 25, 2004; at the Olive Library in West Shokan, Ulster County, on September 4, 2004; and at the Rockland Town Hall in Livingston Manor, Sullivan County, on October 4, 2004.
30th Anniversary of the Mountain Top Historical Society: A special exhibit of B.B.G. Stone paintings of Kaaterskill Clove, original Rip Van Winkle illustrations by Darley, plus a book premier for Kaaterskill Clove by Raymond Beecher is being planned on Saturday August 28, 2004 at the Mountain Top Historical Society Campus, Route 23A, Haines Falls, to celebrate the Society's 30th anniversary.
The Catskill Park Centennial "Lark in the Park": Enjoy the Park by joining narrated walks in the forest preserve, a nature preserve, an environmental education camp, or at a historic site. Take a try at fly fishing, mountain-biking along an old wood road, paddling on a pond or lake, or taking a wilderness hike in the Catskill's high peaks. The "Lark" will offer free, guided events for all ages and every ability level, including some that are accessible to people with disabilities from October 2 through October 11, 2004. For a free program guide, call 1-877-426-0323, or e-mail CatskillLark@aol.com .
Catskill Centennial Colors and Crafts Festival: A month-long celebration of the arts, crafts and culture of the Catskill Mountain Region. During the month of October, visitors will be able to discover the beauty of the Catskill Mountains, get a glimpse behind the scenes at artists' studios, enjoy craft demonstrations, visit a variety of local festivals, browse craft gallery exhibits and take to the road for scenic driving tours focusing on the arts and culture of the Catskills. Many artists will be hosting open studio events where the public is invited to come for a studio tour, watch a demonstration and talk to the individual craftspeople about their work. Visitors will be able to meet with furniture makers, glass blowers, weavers, potters, painters, and wood carvers and get a chance to watch them at work. A series of specialty craft festivals will be held throughout the Catskill Mountain Region, with something for every taste - from the Harvest Festival in Walton to a Cauliflower Festival in Margaretville. More than 40 museums, galleries and exhibition spaces will be hosting craft exhibits during the month of October and artist demonstrations are planned at a number of venues.

To make it easy for travelers to find the Catskill Centennial Colors and Crafts events, a map is being produced which will include suggested driving tours and itineraries that take visitors to scenic vistas, along rural Main Streets and along back roads where they can discover the hidden gems of the Catskill Mountains. To request a Catskill Centennial Colors and Crafts tour map, phone 888-856-2287 (CATS).

For more information on the Catskill Park go to the DEC website.

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