I love this place.

I certainly never anticipated working here so the opportunity to lead the Catskill Center for Conservation and Development was a dream come true. I knew there was much at stake. The challenges of the job would be significant, but more importantly, the place that I came to renew my spirit was now where I would earn my living. It would be my job.

My five years as executive director have passed quickly and we have accomplished a lot. But there is still much work yet to be done. It is an exciting time to be working in the Catskills, in this place where human and natural communities mingle peacefully and collide abruptly. It is as complex as it is beautiful. The Catskills include nearly 300,000 acres of constitutionally protected forests that surround unique and mostly rural communities. Long-time, multi-generational families live here and want to raise their children here, and to have them settle too in the Catskills. But jobs can be scarce and the economic survival for some remains a struggle.

The Catskills are also defined by New York City. For generations New Yorkers have been the customers of the tourist-based economy of the Catskills. Skiers, hikers, fisherman and hunters not only play here, but also move here to become second homeowners. For them, the Catskills are their escape, their getaway from the stress of urban life and work. Generally, they want little to change; they come for the quiet solitude and beauty. But the connection goes deeper. Eight million New Yorkers get their clean unfiltered drinking water from the protected forests of the Catskills. Umbilical-like, pipelines connect these two most different of places, 500,000 Catskill residents with millions of New Yorkers, intimately dependent on each other, bound together in a dynamic relationship.

It is within this complexity of place that the Catskill Center for Conservation and Development works. For over 35 years we have represented all who live, work, and play here. We are committed to educate, advocate, and provide the leadership required to protect this beautiful place and promote economic growth and prosperity within our communities because of our scenic beauty, not in spite of it. I see the Catskill Mountain region as a microcosm of our world... wrestling with the challenge of how to protect vital natural resources and ecological treasures while promoting economic prosperity. We can do that by shopping locally supporting our small local business owners, building walkable communities and focusing our growth in the hamlets and downtowns while protecting our beautiful vistas and abundant wildlife.

Thank you for visiting our website... I hope you will become a member of The Catskill Center... and feel free to contact me anytime...

See you in the mountains!

Tom Alworth
Executive Director