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Friends of the Shawangunks, along with our land trust, The Shawangunk Conservancy, is dedicated to protecting the Shawangunk Mountains of New York from adverse environmental impacts. Please Join Us
News
Open Space Institute acquires historic Joppenbergh Mountain
OSI’s acquisition, with assistance from The Shawangunk Conservancy, permanently protects Rosendale landmark
NEW YORK, NY — October 6, 2011 — With assistance from several community organizations, the Open Space Institute (OSI) today announced that it has acquired the 119-acre, 495-foot high Joppenbergh Mountain in the Ulster County hamlet of Rosendale.
The mountain, which sits along the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail near the north end of the Rosendale Trestle, was acquired by OSI’s land acquisition affiliate, the Open Space Conservancy, from Joppenbergh Mountain Corporation for $185,000. Named after Jacob Rutsen, who founded the first settlement in Rosendale, it has numerous cliffs, ravines and crevices, and expansive views of much of the Hudson River Valley.
The Shawangunk Conservancy, the land trust affiliate of the Friends of Shawangunks, is to raise $85,000 of the $185,000 acquisition price, and has just launched a fundraising campaign to that end.
“We are excited to be part of this project,” said Neil Zimmerman, president of Friends of Shawangunks. “Saving this mountain as forever-protected open space and a recreational resource for the Rosendale area is a significant challenge for us. It’s a great deal of money and we need lots folks to help with the effort.”
OSI intends to convey Joppenbergh Mountain to the Wallkill Valley Land Trust, which will manage the property for public use, by the end of the year. The two organizations are already partnering in the extension of the nearby Wallkill Valley Rail Trail and the restoration of the Rosendale trestle.
“We are delighted to be a part of the protection of Joppenbergh Mountain. This parcel is an important for a number of reasons, especially the role it plays in connecting the extension of the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail to the heart of Rosendale,” said Christine DeBoer, WVLT’s executive director.
The acquisition and protection of Joppenbergh Mountain adds to the more than four-mile long stretch of land that OSI and its partners are protecting at the very northern end of the Shawangunk Ridge and, north of the Rondout Creek, in the Binnewater Hills. The Binnewater Hills, like the Shawangunk Ridge, are listed as a priority project in the New York State Open Space Plan.
“Joppenbergh Mountain is a highly visible part of historic Rosendale that will now be preserved permanently,” said Kim Elliman, OSI’s CEO and president. “We’re fortunate to have strong partners in the Wallkill Valley Land Trust and the Friends of Shawangunks who are helping make this landmark accessible for the public’s enjoyment. We thank all those who helped us acquire this property, which anchors the Rosendale trestle.”
Mined throughout the 19th century for the dolostone that was used in the manufacture of natural cement, in recent years Joppenbergh’s lush forested habitat has attracted hikers, cross-country skiers and other outdoor enthusiasts. At the base of the mountain is a parking lot and small town park that is leased and used by the town of Rosendale. The lease for that arrangement runs through 2014.
“There is a lot to consider in developing a management plan for the future of Joppenbergh Mountain, and we look forward to working with the community and the friends groups,” DeBoer said. “With the restoration of the trestle in Rosendale moving forward, the protection of Joppenbergh Mountain is an exciting next step.”
To donate to the Joppenbergh fundraising campaign, contact Friends of Shawangunks at info@shawangunks.org or donate via their website: www.shawangunks.org. Click on the “join/renew” tab and indicate Joppenbergh in the designation box.
To learn more about the extension of the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail, visit the Track the Trestle website at www.TracktheTrestle.org.
(Item posted October 6, 2011)
Minnewaska – Shawangunk Campground Project
The following item appears in the agenda for the next meeting of the Palisades Interstate Park Commission (PIPC).
“This project will develop a section of the Minnewaska Park Preserve along Route 299. There will be approximately 60 campsites, including a manager’s quarters/office, a pavilion/bathhouse and comfort station developed for this site. Plans are being designed and developed for regulatory review and construction. It is anticipated we will be submitting plans to the regulatory agencies. We anticipate submitting plans to DOH for sewer and/or construction approval later this month. DEC and DOT submittals will probably be in July. Once regulatory approval is received as well as full project funding, the bidding process will commence. The construction cost estimate is $1,500,000 of which Parks currently has $700,000 allocated to this project.”
(Item posted June 10, 2011)
389 Acres Added to Huckleberry Ridge State Forest
On Friday, June 3, 2011, representatives of the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference and the Dept. of Environmental Conservation (DEC) met at the trailhead for the Minisink Trail on Route 6 in Greenville to mark expansion of recreational trail opportunities in the region and the transfer to the state of 389 acres on the Shawangunk Ridge. The land is to be added to Huckleberry Ridge State Forest in Orange County.The Forest is located at the southern end of the Shawangunk Ridge.
The Trail Conference purchased the land in 2006 as part of its project to expand recreational trail opportunities in the region. The land, in the towns of Greenville and Deerpark, was purchased by the state with money from its Environmental Protection Fund. Just a decade ago, no state forest land existed on the Shawangunk Ridge in Orange County. With this transfer, Huckleberry Ridge State Forest now comprises nearly 1500 acres.
The Shawangunk Ridge’s 50 mile span is a major east coast flyway for migratory birds, and its forests are habitat for bobcats, black bears, timber rattlesnakes and more than 200 species of nesting birds, said state DEC Commissioner Joe Martens.
“By protecting the steep forests that comprise that wildlife and recreational corridor, the Department of Environmental Conservation is demonstrating once again that it is possible to simultaneously promote local economic development, provide healthy recreation and protect the environment,” said Edward Goodell, Trail Conference executive director.
For a map of the Forest and surrounding area, with trails, go to Huckleberry.
(Item posted June 10, 2011)
Draft Fire Management Plan Released
The Shawangunk Ridge Biodiversity Partnership (SRBP) released a draft fire management plan for the Northern Shawangunk Ridge in December. Following the 3,000-acre Overlooks fire in 2008 at Minnewaska State Park Preserve, major land managers along the ridge agreed to develop a fire management plan for the northern Shawangunks, in order to reduce the threat of wildfire and to improve forest health. Members of the Shawangunk Ridge Biodiversity Partnership (SRBP) contributed to the development of the Northern Shawangunk Ridge Fire Management Plan.
Accordong to a press release announcing the plan, “the primary goals of the fire management plan are to improve firefighter and public safety and to maintain the health of the forest and wildlife habitats by restoring fire where it is needed. Wildfires will still be suppressed when they occur on the ridge, but advance planning will make it possible to respond more effectively and to reduce the scope and intensity of fires that occur.”
The announcement goes on the say that “the plan calls for the use of prescribed, or controlled fire as a tool to create fuel buffers. Prescribed fires are set safely and intentionally under well- defined conditions to achieve improve forest health, and are not set unless all of the required conditions (including moisture levels and wind) are met.”
To access the complete draft plan go to the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation web site.
Friends of the Shawangunks is a member of the Shawangunk Ridge Biodiversity Partnership.
(Item posted January 7, 2011)
Williams Lake Project
Friends of the Shawangunks is supporting efforts to prevent inappropriate development of the Williams Lake Resort in Rosendale. To make a tax-deductible donation for that purpose, send us a check made out to Friends of the Shawangunks, with “Williams Lake Project” in the memo space. Or you can donate online putting “Williams Lake” in the “Designate my donation” box.
