New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
The
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and Trust for
Public Land (TPL) today announced the permanent protection of 505 acres in
Dutchess County. The State’s land acquisition will create the new Grape
Hollow State Forest, providing enhanced wildlife habitat protection and a
larger buffer for the adjoining Appalachian Trail corridor.
“Grape
Hollow State Forest will provide enhanced public access to 505 acres of intact
forest in fast-growing Dutchess County, preserving critical habitat and
wildlife migration corridors. In addition, this acquisition bolsters Governor
Hochul’s efforts to conserve 30 percent of New York’s lands and waters by
2030,” DEC
Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar said. “DEC thanks the
Trust for Public Land for their partnership in helping fulfill DEC’s commitment
to protecting the Hudson Valley’s natural resources.”
“Trust
for Public Land is committed to protecting and enhancing the Appalachian Trail
experience. With over 26,000 acres identified for protection, including
incredible properties like Depot Hill and Camp Ludington, we aim to ensure the
trail's integrity, conserve surrounding landscapes, protect critical climate
habitat, and support local economies while connecting more people to the
outdoors,” Francis
O’Shea, Project Manager from TPL New York, said. “Without
the support and expertise of our partners at DEC and the Appalachian Trail
Conservancy, this incredible conservation success for New Yorkers and all that
enjoy the outdoors, including the nationally significant Appalachian Trail,
would not be possible.”
TPL
acquired two properties in the towns of Beekman and Pawling in 2023: a 405-acre
property previously at risk for development and known as Depot Hill; and a
100-acre parcel in the Girl Scouts’ Heart of the Hudson Chapter’s Camp
Ludington property. TPL recently conveyed the land to DEC to manage as State
Forest, which guarantees public access and the permanent protection of wildlife
habitat.
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The new Grape Hollow State Forest provides an
expanded natural buffer and viewshed protection for the adjoining Appalachian
Trail Corridor as it runs through the town of Beekman. The Appalachian Trail,
stretching 2,194 miles across 14 states from Georgia to Maine, is one of
America’s most iconic long-distance hiking trails.
DEC
purchased the parcel using $1.3 million from the State’s
Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) and $1.3 million provided by the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service through the Highlands Conservation Act. TPL received
funding from the Appalachian Trail Conservancy’s Wild East Action Fund and
private donors, including the Peter and Carmen Lucia Buck Foundation, Leonardo
Locascio, and the law firm Cleary Gottleib Steen and Hamilton LLP.
Colleen
Sculley, Assistant Regional Director for the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service’s
Office of Conservation Investment in the Northeast, said, “The U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service is pleased to help protect these lands in perpetuity through
the Highlands Conservation Act program, a unique public and private partnership
that protects threatened and endangered species, ensures clean drinking water,
creates outdoor recreational areas and sustains working forests and farms in
the 3.4 million-acre Highlands Region of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York and
Connecticut. These properties contain habitat for many species of conservation
concern, including forest songbirds, vernal-pool breeding amphibians and New
England cottontail — a rare native rabbit at risk of needing Endangered Species
Act protection.”
Rachel
Lettre, Mid-Atlantic Regional Director with the ATC, said, “With
both properties located adjacent to the Appalachian Trail, this land
conservation effort demonstrates what it takes to successfully safeguard the
Trail and the world-renowned hiking experience it provides—private and public
partners stepping up to protect the A.T.’s many threatened landscapes from
development pressure. We’re thankful to TPL and the DEC for their perseverance
and dedication that helped ensure the viewshed from the Trail will remain
undeveloped and enjoyed by hikers.”
This
announcement comes as partners celebrate the 20th anniversary
of the Highlands Conservation Act, which provides grants to state conservation
agencies, counties, and municipalities in the Highlands Region to protect open
spaces for the benefit of both people and wildlife.
Among the many environmental victories in the
enacted 2024-25 State Budget, Governor Kathy Hochul and legislative leaders
maintained the historically high level of $400 million in EPF funding. The EPF
supports climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts, improves
agricultural resources to promote sustainable agriculture, protects water
sources, advances conservation efforts, and provides recreational opportunities
for New Yorkers. The EPF also supports New York’s 30x30 initiative, which commits to
conserving 30 percent of lands and waters by 2030.
For more information on New York’s lands and forests,
visit DEC’s website.
Trust for Public Land (TPL)
is a national nonprofit that works to connect everyone to the benefits and joys
of the outdoors. As a leader in equitable access to the outdoors, TPL works
with communities to create parks and protect public land where they are needed
most. Since 1972, TPL has protected more than 4 million acres of public land;
created more than 5,364 parks, trails, schoolyards, and iconic outdoor places;
raised $93 billion in public funding for parks and public lands; and connected
nearly 9.4 million people to the outdoors. To learn more, visit tpl.org. In New
York, TPL has preserved over 123,891 acres of
open land and completed more than 578 projects including the transformation of over 225 community schoolyards since
1996.
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