Thirty-two years ago, Friends of the Shawangunks, quietly and without fanfare, embarked on a land buying program.  In March of 1987, with the fight to save Minnewaska successfully concluded, FOS expanded its capacity to protect the Shawangunk Ridge by forming a land buying affiliate which it named The Shawangunk Conservancy, Inc. 

TSC is expanding its parcel acquisition wish list and raising funds for future acquisitions. What makes a particular parcel a good target for acquisition? In determining what to preserve, TSC asks is the parcel an in-holding, is it contiguous to already preserved land, can it be a part of a larger assemblage, will it prevent ecological fragmentation, does it buffer already preserved land, is it part of a stream corridor, does it have cultural or historical significance, is it on a ridge, is it in an iconic view shed, does it have high resiliency (see Shawangunk Watch December 2017). The objective of the small parcel acquisition program is to make small acquisitions that significantly advance the TSC mission, that is, to protect environmentally sensitive lands in the Shawangunk Mountains.  

The Shawangunks are a finite land mass with incredibly beautiful vistas and stunning natural features that appeal to mankind’s proclivity to build on the highest point. When properties become available, TSC must be in a position to act quickly or we all risk fractured views, human encroachment, fragmented wildlife habitat and degradation of the area’s resiliency to climate change.

If you wish to donate to the land acquisition program please include a notation that the donation is for land.