#2007-19: November 16, 2007 The Catskill Center Receives $30,000 grant from the New York State Council on the Arts The New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) is dedicated to preserving and expanding the rich and diverse cultural resources that are and will become the heritage of New York's citizens. To that end, they have awarded a $30,000 grant to The Catskill Center for Conservation and Development, Arkville, for Architecture Planning and Design throughout the Catskills. The Catskill Center’s Community Development Program has been instrumental in organizing communities at the grass-roots level by providing technical assistance, hosting workshops and assisting with architectural planning for Main Street Revitalization efforts across the 6 ½ county Catskill region for almost 40 years. Building upon those successes the center has hired a new Regional Planner, Peter Manning, and is now poised to provide planning assistance across county lines for projects like transportation corridors, cell tower law and placement strategies, comprehensive planning, inter-county tourism initiatives, scenic byways, historic preservation and training local planning boards (now mandated by state law). "The support from NYSCA is vital for the continuation and evolution of our planning work." said Tom Alworth, Catskill Center Executive Director. "The Catskill Center is the only organization conducting Main Street Revitalization projects across the Catskills. This work is critical to long-term viability of our historic villages and hamlets and the region as a whole. As development pressures continue to increase, we must support local planning and be proactive to help communities prepare for new development and gain a greater understanding of its regional implications." The Center is currently working on projects in Ulster, Greene, and Schoharie counties and on intermunicipal efforts across town and county lines throughout the Catskills. It is partnering with Ulster County in the development of their economic development strategy, "Ulster Tomorrow" and their Open Space Plan. and working with the Town of Hunter on its Scenic Byway plan. Main street programs in Ulster and Greene Counties have incorporated The Catskill Center’s work into their program design. The Catskill Center works with county planning agencies and other partners such as Western Catskills Revitalization, Greene County Soil and Water Conservation District, M-ARK Project, Sullivan Renaissance and others to identify complimentary locality-specific strategies. "The Catskill Center is extremely grateful for the support we have received from NYSCA over the years for our planning program," Alworth said, "and we are delighted with the news of this grant award as we move forward into 2008 with our new regional planner and community initiatives." As always the center staff is available to help community-based projects by providing technical assistance and Main Street revitalization assistance to towns while building local capacity to expand their own planning toolbox and work collaboratively across municipal lines. The Catskill Center for Conservation and Development is a non-profit, membership organization.