Catskills conservation area grows with land purchase

A huge section of the Catskills in Upstate New York is now permanently off-limits to developers, a nonprofit has declared.

The Open Space Institute announced that it has purchased more than 3,000 acres (1,200 hectares) in the Catskills Mountains in a bid to safeguard the land in perpetuity.

The Catskills is a unique recreation area comprised of a patchwork of public and private lands.

About two and a half hours away from New York City by car, the region is a fly fisherman’s paradise. Public Parks has enjoyed the area many times, using the community of Roscoe as a base.

OSI says this land acquisition now gives travelers even more reasons to explore this beautiful patch of Upstate New York. The group says it’s aiming to transfer the land to the State of New York for state authorities to conserve and protect it.

“Featuring abundant natural resources, the newly protected land includes native hardwood forests, undisturbed wetlands, nearly 20 miles of streambanks, and a ridgeline of peaks—the highest more than 2,700 feet in elevation—that provide uninterrupted and sweeping views of the surrounding mountains,” OSI said in its announcement.

Previously a large privately-owned forest, among the largest such properties in the Catskills, the Blue Hill property that OSI acquired had been targeted for potential development. Some companies were hoping to build a resort and commercial properties there, the organization said.

The nonprofit did not disclose how much it paid for the property.

OSI plans to donate the land to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation for incorporation into the Willowemoc Wild Forest.“Once transferred, it will be the largest addition to the Catskill Forest Preserve in nearly 25 years,” OSI said.