NATURAL RESOURCES ISSUES

There are many general natural resources issues affecting the Catskill region, and The Catskill Center keeps abreast of these issues and participants in decision making where appropriate. Issues of interest include: management of public lands; fish and wildlife management; biological diversity and uniqueness of the region; private and public forest management; agriculture; resource extraction; stream and watershed management (including the vast NY City Water Supply System); and threats to natural systems, such as invasive species, pests and pathogens, acid precipitation, global warming, fragmentation, and certain types of development.

Our Education Program has made huge investments to educate both school children and adults around the region about the natural resources of the Catskills, especially as they relate to the NY City Watershed. Natural resources issues also intersect with our regional Planning and Community Development Program, with our planning staff being active in community planning issues that relate to flooding, local land use, etc.; restoration of fire towers and other recreational structures on public land; public forums on wind energy, cellular communications towers, and other issues that affect the landscape. Public education and awareness of Catskill region land conservation and natural resources issues is increased through our newsletter, member updates, and our ongoing lecture and outdoor event series. We encourage our members and the public to learn about and explore the wide diversity of cultural and recreational opportunities in the region joining us on a hike or coming to hear a speaker at The Catskill Center. Visit our Event Calendar to learn more about upcoming activities.

Two of the most dominant features related to the natural resources of the Catskill region are the Catskill Park and Forest Preserve, and the New York City Watershed. Each of these, which constitute a significant area of involvement by The Catskill Center, and explained below.

Catskill Park and Forest Preserve

Since The Catskill Center's inception, the organization has been closely involved with issues related to the Catskill Park and Forest Preserve. In the early years, The Catskill Center participated in the development of the original Catskill Park State Land Master Plan, which guides the NYSDEC's management of Forest Preserve lands in the Catskills. Ever since then, we have also reviewed and provided comments on Unit Management Plans developed for each of the different tracts of Forest Preserve lands (Wilderness, Wild Forest, and Intensive Use Areas). The Catskill Center sponsored the writing and publishing of educational materials on the acquisition and management of State lands, primarily written by Norm Van Valkenburgh in the 1980's, and then more recently sponsored and helped fund the publication of a new book titled "The Catskill Park: Inside the Blue Line" (more on this below).

All State lands are open to the public for outdoor recreation, however different classifications have different types of management and regulations. State land located within the 705,500-acre Catskill Park is classified as Forest Preserve and is constitutionally protected as "forever wild", although even here there are "Intensive Use Areas" comprised of State-run campgrounds and a downhill ski facility. Other types of State land outside the Catskill Park can be managed for specific purposes such as timber harvesting or wildlife habitat improvement. All State land acquisitions are guided by the New York State Open Space Plan, and Catskill Center staff serve on the Region 3 and Region 4 Open Space Advisory Committees, making priority project and policy recommendations for the Catskill region.

During the late 1980's and early 1990's, The Catskill Center played an integral role in the planning, site selection, and property acquisition for a Catskills Interpretive Center. It was recognized by The Catskill Center, NYSDEC, local business leaders, political representatives, and numerous community members that there was a great need in the region for a "focal point to promote education and understanding of the region's uniqueness"; a place to inform and educate the public about the Catskill Park and Forest Preserve, regional history and culture, natural history, outdoor recreational opportunities, and tourism destinations. The Catskill Center led an effort to evaluate potential locations for the interpretive center and ultimately acquired a 62-acre parcel on Route 28 in Mount Tremper, along with the Trust for Public Land. Architectural blueprints were drawn for a building and surrounding grounds, and design plans were created for interpretive exhibits. The DEC drafted a written proposal for the interpretive center, an Environmental Impact Statement, and a Comprehensive Educational Use Plan. The State also spent over $1 million on road, bridge, site grading, and other improvements to the property. The Catskill Center continued its efforts to acquire additional lands adjacent to the interpretive center site, protecting another 93 acres. The momentum for creating a Catskill Interpretive Center came to a halt in the mid-1990's with a change in gubernatorial administration and State priorities for the Catskills. The NYC Watershed Memorandum of Agreement took center stage, and State-funding was pulled on the interpretive center. Since then, the site has been leased from The Catskill Center and Trust for Public Land by NYSDEC, and managed as a public Day Use Area. The Catskill Center continues to support the creation of a Catskills Interpretive Center, and in 2002 some Catskill Center board members created a separate group, Friends of the Catskill Interpretive Center, to more actively promote this goal.

In 1997 The Catskill Center initiated a partnership project with the NYSDEC and local citizen groups to stabilize, restore, and open to the public the five fire towers in the Catskill Park. The Catskill Fire Tower Restoration Project sought donations of money and materials, and local volunteer groups formed around each fire tower to address the details specific to each, and help raise awareness and support for the towers. The Catskill Center helped sell patches and T-shirts, and assisted with other fundraisers, planning, and coordination. The project was a huge success, and all five towers have been fully restored, keeping the historic character intact, and are now open to the public. The towers are fantastic places for visitors to climb above the treetops for 360-degree views of the Catskill mountains. Volunteers and seasonal tower interpreters man the towers on summer weekends provide interpretive information about the towers the surrounding Forest Preserve. Visit www.catskilltowers.com for more information on each tower and the restoration project.

In recent years, The Catskill Center has provided significant input on important Catskill Park planning and management documents, including the Catskill Forest Preserve Public Access Plan, the New York State Open Space Plan, and a long-awaited update and revision to the Catskill Park State Land Master Plan. The library/archive room at The Catskill Center is the only location in the central Catskills where the public can access a full collection of DEC documents related to public lands (those referenced above, and others). In 2000, The Catskill Center worked under contract with NYSDEC to organize a series of bus tours to key locations within the Catskill Park, specifically for tourism promotion professionals, to increase their awareness of regional recreational resources on State land. We have also helped to foster the connection between NYSDEC and the public by hosting various speakers from DEC to educate people on various topics, and by leading hikes and other outings for our members and the public, to acquaint people with public lands in the region and educate them about the resources.

The 100-year anniversary of the Catskill Park in 2004 was an occasion of great pride and activity for The Catskill Center. Beginning two years prior to the centennial, Catskill Center Board member Helen Chase spearheaded a centennial planning committee, comprised of many organizations, agency representatives, artists, and individuals. The Committee planned a lot of outreach and many activities for the Centennial, and The Catskill Center played a central role. Catskill Center staff development of the Catskill Park web site (ongoing at www.catskillpark.org), contributed articles to regional publications, created a Catskill Park exhibit in the gallery at The Catskill Center (ongoing), and revised and reprinted our popular Catskill region map that highlights the Catskill Park and Forest Preserve. The Catskill Center also worked closely with NYSDEC, consultant Artemisia, and others to develop the first ever Lark in the Park, which was a series of guided hikes and other activities around the Catskill Park during a ten day period in October (modeled after the Hudson River Ramble). The Lark in the Park has now become an annual event, and The Catskill Center continues to be a primary sponsor and host many of the events. And last, one of the most enduring elements of the Catskill Park centennial was the publication of a new book in November 2004 by Black Dome Press, titled "The Catskill Park: Inside the Blue Line - the Forest Preserve and Mountain Communities of America's First Wilderness", which was co-authored by Catskill Center staff member Chris Olney and Catskill Center advisor Norman Van Valkenburgh. A grant of $10,000 was provided by The Catskill Center and the Friends of the Catskill Interpretive Center to allow the book to be printed in color, and it features color photographs from around the Catskill Park, making it more attractive to readers.

New York City and its Watershed

The second largest protector of undeveloped land in the region is the City of New York, acting through its agency the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (NYCDEP). The single motive for land protection by NYCDEP is water quality protection for the nation's largest unfiltered drinking water supply.

The New York City Watershed, is one of New York State's most important natural resources, providing approximately 1.3 billion gallons of clean drinking water to roughly nine million people (nearly half of the State's residents) every day. This is the largest unfiltered water supply in the United States, and there is a huge stake in keeping the streams and watersheds that supply the six reservoirs in the Catskills as clean as possible. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) mandates the water quality standards that must be met, and to date those standards have been met without having to filter the water supply. Filtration for that volume of water would be prohibitively expensive (billions of dollars), so New York City has invested millions of dollars in programs designed to protect the watershed and maintain high water quality.

Decades of animosity and confrontation between the City and the upstate communities of the watershed began with the taking of land by eminent domain for the creation of the reservoirs, and was fueled by subsequent regulations on land use in the watershed. In 1997, a landmark agreement was signed between New York City, New York State, EPA, the upstate towns comprising the watershed, and various environmental groups. The NYC Watershed Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) set forth land use regulations for the watershed, as well as a suite of watershed protection programs funded by the City, such as new and upgraded sewage treatment plants, stormwater control structures, new sand and salt storage facilities, a septic rehabilitation program, and the land acquisition program.

The environmental signatories of the MOA constitute the Clean Drinking Water Coalition (CDWC), and is comprised of the New York Public Interest Research Group Fund (NYPIRG), Riverkeeper, Open Space Institute (OSI), Trust for Public Land (TPL), and The Catskill Center. The Catskill Center submits comments to the USEPA regarding the City's performance on watershed protection and management measures, according to programs set forth in the MOA, and how that relates to the review and renewal of Filtration Avoidance Determinations. As the only environmental signatory organization located within the West-of-Hudson Watershed, The Catskill Center has taken responsibility for monitoring implementation of the MOA locally. Catskill Center staff attend and participate in meetings of the Catskill Watershed Corporation (CWC), the entity created to implement many of the programs established by the MOA, including management of the $60 million Catskill Fund for the Future (CFF), which is used to provide loans and grants for economic development projects in the West-of-Hudson Watershed. Catskill Center staff serves on the CWC Economic Development and Public Education Committees, the Public Education Advisory Group (PEAG), and attend Sporting Advisory Committee meetings.

Many aspects of the New York City Watershed are of interest to The Catskill Center from a Natural Resources standpoint. City regulations and land acquisition activities have an impact on development in the watershed. To begin with, clean water for the City also means clean water for Catskill residents. Although most Catskill residents obtain water from wells, and do not tap directly into the NYC water supply system, Catskill communities do depend on clean streams for trout fishing and other important segments of the local economy. Waters and undeveloped lands owned by the City not only help protect water quality, but also provide wildlife habitat and are a significant recreational resource (and have the potential to be a much larger recreational resource). Releases of water from several of the City reservoirs have huge impacts (both positive and negative) on the tailwater trout streams below the dams. Initiatives by the City to restore degraded stream banks and corridors have improved miles of Catskill streams, and has the potential to improve much more. The City is in a unique position to become an excellent role model for sound forest and land management in the Catskills.

The Catskill Center's Education Program implements several programs pertaining to watershed education in general, and the New York City Watershed in particular. The "Sense of Place" teaching curriculum promotes appreciation and responsible stewardship of the unique natural and cultural resources of the Catskill Mountains, and one of the five education modules focuses on water resources. NYC Watershed-specific education is achieved through the Catskill Stream and Watershed Education Program and the Leaf Pack Network. These interdisciplinary, hands-on programs include training for teachers and lessons for students about collecting water quality data from local streams and interpreting the results; the Green Connections program, which links classrooms in the upstate watershed (where the water comes from) with classrooms in NYC (where the water is consumed); the Watershed Forestry Bus Tour program, giving schools groups, non-profits, and political leaders the opportunity to visit and learn about the upstate watershed; the Watershed Forestry Institute for Teachers, bringing upstate and NYC teachers together for a week to provide knowledge and resources necessary for them to understand and educate students about the link between healthy forests and good water quality; and hosting training workshops in the Leaf Pack method of collecting data from local streams by school and volunteer groups, which helps to determine the richness and diversity of local aquatic macro-invertebrate populations.

© Copyright - The Catskill Center for Conservation and Development, Inc.  ·  A private, not-for-profit, membership-supported organization founded in
1969 to help build healthy ecosystems and vibrant communities within the 6,000 square-mile Catskill Mountain region of New York State.

PO Box 504 · Route 28
Arkville, NY 12406
(845) 586-2611

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