"Norman
Van Valkenburgh: The History of the
Catskill Forest Preserve".
The first meeting of the Forest Preserve Commission was held on September 23, 1885. The three new commissioners, Theordore B. Basselin from Croghan in Lewis County was a lumberman with one of the largest timber-cutting operations in the Adirondacks, Towsend Cox was a New York City stockbroker from Glen Cove, Long Island and Sherman W. Knevals, a lawyer from New York City "took immediate steps to familiarize themselves with the duties and various interests intrusted to their charge." They visited the Adirondack and Catskill regions. These visits were cursory only and they did not venture far from the main roads and villages. Instead, they hired "experienced, competent men...as special agents, who penetrated to every part of the wilderness."
In the case of the Catskills, the commission didn't really know what they had. After all, this addition (the Catskills) to the Forest Preserve had been a last-minute thing, and very little data existed as to the location of this state land asset. A tabulation of the state ownership did exist, however. It totaled 33,894 acres in three counties. Greene County had 661 acres, Sullivan County 502 acres and the remaining 32,731 acres were in Ulster county with most of that being in the mountain Towns of Denning, Hardenbergh and Shandaken, principally on and around Slide Mountain, the highest of the Catskill peaks.
The special agents who "penetrated to every part of the wilderness" came back with a different story than the "experts" who had reported to Comptroller Chapin. The Catskill Forest Preserve, they said, "...is surrounded by the grandest of its scenery. Here the Slide Mountain rears its majestic form, surrounded by its retinue of lesser peaks Here, also, are the deep, cool valleys, whose silence is broken only by the rushing cascades, or by the murmur of woodlands sounds. Here are the rocky glens, among which the Peekamoose is so justly celebrated, while on every side the eye is greeted by an array of scenery unsurpassed throughout the State." The streams, also, were "of more than local influence." The waters of the Schoharie Creek, they said, are "utilized as a feeder to the Erie canal. The Esopus Creek...pours its waters into the Hudson at Saugerties, affording an important water power, which is used to advantage by the manufacturers near its mouth. The east and west branches of the Neversink and the east branch of the Delaware all rise here, and flowing southward unite at Port Jervis and enter the Atlantic through Delaware Bay...numerous mountain streams have become repopulated with trout, and now afford some of the best fishing in the State."
A First for the Catskills
Chapter 356 of the Laws of 1892 provided $250 the Forest Commission "for completing the public path leading to the summit of Slide mountain, Ulster County, included within the preserve..." Townsend Cox, still one of the commissioners, must have hoped the funding would put the "public path" in better shape than when he had traveled that way back in 1886. An 1893 budget bill (Chapter 726) provided $1,000, "For the expenses of examination of title and survey of lands owned by the state on Slide Mountain in Ulster County and other parts of the Catskills..."
The $250 "public
path" money may not seem of much importance, but it was the first
legislation to authorize a trail and is the point of beginning of the present
and extensive trail system throughout the Adirondacks and Catskills.
A Vision for the Catskill Forest Preserve
The quality and character of the lives of the people of New York depend upon the quality and character of the natural resources which support our lives. The Catskill Forest Preserve is one of New York's great natural resources. The forest preserve plays an important role in the towns and villages of the Catskill region for residents and visitors alike.
The 300,000 acres of "forever wild" public lands receive more than a half million visitors a year who drive the scenic highways of the region on their way to hike, bike, canoe, hunt, fish, camp, and study nature. Surrounding communities depend heavily on access to forest preserve lands as a nature-based tourism attraction that can be the cornerstone of sustainable economic development for the region.
The biological and economic value of the forest preserve is rooted in the quality of its natural resources—clean water, land and air—and the inestimable beauty of the landscape. More than 9,000,000 New Yorkers depend on the pristine Catskill environment for their drinking water. The same picturesque mountains and sparkling streams that inspired Thomas Cole and John Burroughs in the last century remain wild today, a source of inspiration, pleasure, and spiritual enrichment to new generations of explorers.
The forest preserve attracts people with a broad spectrum of interests throughout the seasons. Automobile travelers come to enjoy the breathtaking panoramic views throughout the Catskill Park. The views from the roadways, spectacular at any time of the year, are especially brilliant in the fall when the leaves are changing colors. Those who enjoy outdoor recreation find exciting challenges and rewards in the large tracts of undisturbed forest that make up the Preserve. For more than a century and a half Catskill streams have lured anglers in pursuit of world-class fishing for rainbow, brown, and native brook trout. Bountiful deer and bear, as well as turkey and other small game, draw hunters to the forest preserve. Skiing, ice fishing, snowmobiling, ice climbing and other cold weather sports delight winter visitors.
The forest
preserve supports a wide array of wild animals which provide a great many
recreational opportunities. Article XIV, §l, the "Forever Wild"
section of New York State's constitution, guarantees the protection of the
forest preserve as an important component of the array of habitats that support
the great diversity of plant and animal communities across the state. It states
that:
The lands of the state, now owned or hereafter acquired, constituting the forest preserve as now fixed by law, shall be forever kept as wild forest lands. They shall not be leased, sold or exchanged, or be taken by any corporation, public or private, nor shall the timber thereon be sold, removed or destroyed. (See Appendix A. for additional relevant text from Article XIV, §l.)
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is responsible for the care and management of the forest preserve. DEC has a two-tiered system for management planning. The Catskill Park State Land Master Plan (CPSLMP) provides the overriding policy and guidelines for all the lands in the forest preserve. Unit management plans (UMPs) refine and apply the criteria in the master plan to specific areas and conditions at a level of detail appropriate to administration and management.
New York State Department of Transportation (DOT) has responsibility for the state highways throughout the region. DOT has interagency guidelines and recommended procedures specific to the highways and maintenance facilities in the Catskill Park.
DEC provides some information about forest preserve lands to the public through publications and personal contact with regional staff. Brochures about campgrounds, Belleayre Mountain Ski Center, and brochures and maps for specific locations and recreational activities are available. However, existing information and interpretive programs do not reach enough visitors, particularly family automobile travelers not experienced in backcountry use, about how to use and enjoy the forest preserve. Unlike virtually all other parks of the scale and character of the Catskill Forest Preserve, there is no park-wide system of information points, no interpretive or visitors center, no telephone number to call for consistent information, no park-wide system of natural or historic interpretation, no standardized trailhead information systems, and a lack of consistent information about specific outdoor activities. Privately produced guides and maps are available to visitors at book or sporting goods stores, but these reach only a small proportion of visitors.
Although the forest preserve is governed by the "Forever Wild" constitutional protections, the Catskill Park State Land Master Plan, and the detailed management objectives contained in unit management plans, there is not a plan with the perspective of the forest preserve as a whole that addresses the need for balanced recreational use and information for all forest preserve "users." The existing information and methods of distribution are incomplete and inconsistent, especially in terms of the identification of forest preserve lands and access points from the highway system. Recreational opportunities need to be identified and enhanced to ensure access for a broad range of users, particularly families and people with disabilities.
The Catskill Forest Preserve Public Access Plan identifies deficiencies that hamper public use and the delivery of information about the forest preserve and recommends ways to fill these gaps in order to better meet the needs of visitors, residents, and highway travelers for access to these lands. While recognizing the need to protect the wild character of forest preserve lands, this plan seeks to raise the profile of the Catskill Forest Preserve and expand the vision for stewardship to assure that these lands will continue to support and enhance the lives of future generations in compliance with the "Forever Wild" clause while, at the same time, contributing to a robust economy throughout the Catskill Park.
Goals of the Public Access Plan
The goals of the Public Access Plan are: To enhance the experiences of Catskill highway travelers by increasing their understanding and appreciation of the forest preserve and its unique resources and improving the scenic qualities of Catskill highway corridors; To identify opportunities to enhance the quality and enjoyment of the forest preserve experience for Catskill Park residents and visitors; To encourage cooperation between the public and private sectors in enhancing the use, enjoyment and protection of the forest preserve; To support and encourage forest preserve uses that contribute to the economies of local communities in a manner consistent with the Catskill Park State Land Master Plan and
Article XIV of the New York State Constitution which declares the forest preserve 'Forever Wild'; and To provide additional guidance for forest preserve planning by taking a Preserve-wide perspective on the management of public use and natural resources. The Catskill Forest Preserve Public Access Plan treats, for the first time, the many parcels of state land within the Catskill Park as parts of a single Catskill Forest Preserve and recommends a series of actions to achieve the following objectives:
1.A balanced approach to the development of appropriate access and recreational opportunities on the forest preserve for the full spectrum of forest preserve visitors that focuses on families, older people and others who are not inclined to travel into the back country.
2.A system of information about the natural, cultural, educational, and economic values of the Catskill Forest Preserve, as well as the full spectrum of recreational and traditional sporting opportunities available on forest preserve lands.
3.The creation of new recreational opportunities and programs of public education and interpretation in accordance with objectives 1 and 2 above in a way that will enhance and protect the scenic travel corridors of the Catskill Park and take advantage of opportunities to form partnerships with Catskill governments, communities, and businesses.
Access in this plan is broadly defined as the ability of the public to gain entry to the natural or cultural resources in the Catskill Forest Preserve. Three types of access are addressed:
Visual access - the scenic character of the highways and byways, the forest preserve and surrounding landscape;
Physical access - the opportunity for a diverse public, from the rugged backcountry backpackers to families and people with disabilities, to have a satisfying experience suited to their abilities;
Informational access - traditional and new systems, such as the internet, brochures, maps, and signs, to inform the public about the opportunities that are available on forest preserve lands and to highlight the need for stewardship to care for the natural resources.
The geographic scope of
the Public Access Plan is the highway system of the Catskill Park and the forest
preserve. In addition, discussions of fishing interests involve not only the
streams located on forest preserve lands, but also those private lands with
easements granting public fishing rights on streams or rivers that are within
the park.
Planning Process for
the Public Access Plan
To gain public input for this plan, work groups were convened around four major subject areas: scenic byways, tourism enhancement, information and interpretation systems, and recreational opportunities. These work groups included staff from DEC, other state agencies and the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (NYC EP), as well as representatives of local government, private groups, organizations, and interested individuals.
Representatives of county and local highway departments, and the NYS DOT were active in the scenic byways work group. County tourism agents and a representative of Empire State Development Corporation in the Division of Tourism participated in the tourism work group. The information and interpretation systems and recreational opportunity work groups included representatives from a broad range of outdoor recreation interests, chambers of commerce, people with disabilities and others.
Each of the four work groups met three times between January and March 1997. The members of these work groups were charged with soliciting ideas and opinions from others in their community, organization or interest group and bringing back detailed proposals and recommendations. In all twelve meetings a total of about 100 stakeholders were represented. Meetings were held at various locations throughout the Catskill Park. A complete list of the participants appears in Appendix B. Others who were not able to attend the meetings submitted written comments. At the final meetings the representatives submitted recommendations for action which have been incorporated in the plan.
The objectives of the four work groups were defined as follows:
Scenic Byways
Recommend ways to provide information and improve access to the forest preserve
that enhance existing and prospective
Scenic Byways to community residents and highway travelers, such as information
kiosks and directional signs,
Recommend ways to develop a stronger "sense of place" or a
consistent identity within the Catskill Park.
Consider additions to the NYS Scenic Byway system in the Catskill Park.
Tourism Enhancement - Create a system for developing and distributing information to Catskill Park residents and visitors about what activities are possible and desirable throughout the forest preserve.
Recommend ways to contribute to the economies of local communities consistent with maintaining the natural, scenic, historic, cultural and biological resource values of the forest preserve. Build links between DEC and the forest preserve resources to existing tourism efforts locally, countywide and statewide.
Identify target audience, regional promotion and marketing strategies. Information and Interpretation Systems Develop systems for explaining to residents and visitors the natural and cultural resources of the Catskill Forest Preserve and what activities are possible and desirable.
Recommend ways of distributing this information.
Recreational Opportunities -Recommend ways to provide and improve access to the forest preserve, particularly for families, elderly users, and people with mobility impairments.
Suggest a framework for
providing balanced and appropriate use and access to the forest preserve for all
people with detailed proposals.
Common Objectives Shared by all Four Groups Form partnerships with Catskill governments, communities, and businesses, Create a strategy to implement the recommendations of the plan, identify sources of funding. Work together with other state agencies to build synergistic relationships.
Implementation -- Opportunities and Challenges
Throughout the planning process an interdisciplinary project team of DEC staff met regularly with the project coordinator to review information developed by the work groups and to assemble a list of recommendations to incorporate into the plan. This project team included representatives of DEC's Central Office, Region 3 and Region 4 in various program areas with responsibilities within the Catskill Park.
The Public Access Plan contains a broad spectrum of key issues and actions that were identified in the planning process by work groups and the DEC project team to fulfill the goals and objectives. The plan's goals and objectives were tailored to be reasonable and attainable within the next five to ten years. The issues and actions reflect opinions from representatives from local government, chambers of commerce, environmental organizations and outdoor enthusiasts, sportsmen, other state agencies, DEC staff, and private citizens, bringing together a broad range of interests and diverse areas of expertise,
A significant element of the visitor experiences to the Catskill Park and the Catskill Forest Preserve is the character of the highway corridors of the region. The gateway entrances to the park and the scenic quality of the roads within the park are central to the visitor's visual appreciation of the corridor landscape and the towns, villages and hamlets that create its unique character. The beauty of Catskill scenic highway corridors must be enhanced, maintained and preserved for tourism within the park to thrive. If the transportation system does not support the high quality of visual experience, the Catskill Forest Preserve will not be an effective tourism asset to the region.
Another important characteristic of the visitors' experiences is that they are not packaged and programmed like some other recreational experiences. An essential ingredient to the public access strategy for the forest preserve is providing information without intruding on the character of the forest preserve or interfering with those who wish to discover things for themselves, while, at the same time, providing enough information about the Preserve and recreational opportunities to ensure visitor safety and a satisfying experience to a broad range of people.
For the plan to succeed in raising the profile of the forest preserve to benefit the local economies within the Catskill Park from nature-based tourism, new partnerships and alliances will be necessary. The Public Access Plan introduces an array of opportunities in hopes of stimulating creative partnerships, innovative problem-solving, and future dialogue throughout the Catskill region. The challenge of implementing these recommendations is shared by the citizens and local governments within the park, as well as DEC and other governmental agencies active in the Catskill region.
Funding to implement the plan is, of course, a key ingredient to its success. Funds to implement some of these recommended actions can be found by reorienting existing resources and priorities within DEC or other state agencies. Some actions can only be accomplished through new cooperative efforts, while others will require additional resources. Potential sources of future state investment in the forest preserve include two major environmental funding initiatives. The Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) was established in 1993 to provide a stable dedicated source of funding for a variety of state and local environmental programs. EPF funds could be made available for forest preserve stewardship projects. In addition, the 1996 Clean Water/Clean Air Bond Act provides substantial resources for water quality protection, as well as projects to improve public access to lakes and streams. In 1998, Governor Pataki directed that $530,000 from the bond act be used to protect water quality through improvements to Catskill Forest Preserve campgrounds and trails. $380,000 will go toward improving campground sewage systems, while $150,000 will be used to repair and improve hiking, horse, and ski trails. A focus of the trail rehabilitation work will be the five fire towers being restored through a cooperative effort involving DEC, volunteer groups, and the Catskill Center for Conservation and Development.
The Catskill Forest
Preserve is an invaluable asset to the quality of life and the economic vitality
of the Catskill region. In order to maximize this asset, the forest preserve
must be managed and maintained with vision that balances the needs of future
generations for recreational access with the preservation of the forest
preserve's ecological and physical infrastructure.