ULSTER COUNTY, NY — The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) recently announced a community availability session on Tuesday, February 24, to solicit public input on the development of an amendment to the Unit Management Plan (UMP) for the Sundown Wild Forest in Ulster County. The meeting will include a short presentation by Region 3 Division of Lands and Forests about a recent 900-acre acquisition in the Town of Olive proposed to be added to the Sundown Wild Forest through a UMP amendment. The presentation will be followed by opportunities to meet directly with DEC staff and gather input. 

The 900-acre addition to Sundown Wild Forest, part of the Catskill Forest Preserve, will provide expanded public access to state lands, opportunities for public recreation and enhanced natural resource protection. Notable landmarks on the property include Wagon Wheel Gap, Low Point, Little High Point and one of the best views of the Ashokan Reservoir in the Catskills.  

Sundown Wild Forest currently contains 30,100 acres of protected land, including 10 mountains more than 2,000 feet high, numerous waterfalls, valleys and streams, as well as access to the Long Path, Vernooy Kill Falls and the Peekamoose Valley Blue Hole.  

The meeting will be held on February 24 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., in the Town of Olive Meeting Hall, 50 Bostock Road in Shokan. DEC will solicit input from the public on the types of public use and supporting facilities they may want to have developed on the new parcel and how the land will be managed.

Following the public information session, DEC will accept written and emailed comments until April 1. After the comment period, DEC will develop a draft amendment to the 2019 Sundown Wild Forest UMP that will include: 

Formal classification and addition of the 900-acre acquisition to Sundown Wild Forest, 

Improving public awareness of current and future recreational opportunities on these lands, and 

Identifying opportunities for improvements to recreational facilities and natural resource protection goals for all lands contained within the unit. 

Comments can be mailed to Environmental Program Specialist Pine Roehrs, NYSDEC, 21 South Putt Corners Road, New Paltz, NY 12561 or emailed to Catskill.Park@dec.ny.gov. 

The amendment planning process will include an additional public meeting and comment period on the draft amendment to provide the public with the opportunity to review and provide input before it is finalized.