UPPER DELAWARE CATSKILLS — For those of us who call these mountains home, we know the Catskill Park to be a lush, wild region of both public and private lands that extend through Sullivan, Ulster, Greene and Delaware counties, with nearly 100 mountain peaks over 3,000 feet high.

Within the Catskill Park, is the state protected Catskill Forest Preserve, which has grown from 34,000 acres of land since its creation in 1885 to almost 300,000 acres today, and it’s about to get a little bit bigger thanks to the Open Space Institute (OSI).

Founded in 1974, OSI is a leader in national conservation, partnering to protect more than 2.5 million acres across the Eastern US and Canada for clean drinking water, wildlife habitat, healthier communities and public recreation, among other things.

On March 6, OSI officially announced the acquisition of more than 3,100 forested acres, known as the “Blue Hill” property, within the Catskill Park. The land is one of the largest parcels of privately-owned forestland remaining within the Catskill Blue Line.

“OSI had identified the property as a top conservation opportunity many years ago due to the property being directly adjacent to the Catskill Forest Preserve,” noted OSI Northeast Senior Land Project Manager, Tom Gravel, “and adding it to the Willowemoc Wild Forest would have a plethora of natural resource and public recreation benefits. So, when a development plan was proposed by the prior owner in the Spring of 2021, members of the community quickly informed us.”

The proposal that had been developed for the site included a large-scale mix of housing, resort, and commercial uses. Thanks to the support from its Delaware River Watershed Protection Fund (DRWPF) and an anonymous foundation, OSI was able to step in and purchase the land for $6.2 million, ensuring its preservation and protection.

The land is abundant with native hardwood forest, undisturbed wetlands, nearly 20 miles of stream banks, and a ridge line of peaks that reach 2,700 feet in elevation.

“The conservation of the Blue Hill property is a monumental win for clean water, habitat, and recreation in the Catskills,” stated Erik Kulleseid, OSI president and CEO. “This new acquisition is a rare find, both for its sheer size and for the wealth of benefits it provides.”

Protection of the property will play a significant role in safeguarding the quality of the waters that flow into the Delaware River watershed, which is the source of clean water for more than 15 million people in NYC, Trenton, Philadelphia, and northeastern PA. The property’s streams not only flow into the Delaware, but also into the Neversink River, the Fir Brook, and the Willowemoc River, all while its wetlands act as a filter for that very water.

Adjacent to the Willowemoc Wild Forest and bordering the Big Indian Wilderness area, the property will join an immense unfragmented corridor of conserved lands in the southwestern Catskills, and its protection will preserve its wide range of microclimates and habitat for an abundance of species.

OSI will soon begin the process of transferring the land to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) as an addition to the Willowemoc Wild Forest, making it the largest addition to the Catskill Forest Preserve in nearly 25 years.

“Once the property is transferred to NY State, the DEC will update its unit management plan to include the property,” explained Gravel. “DEC staff will then solicit public comments as part of the planning process about what types of uses are most compatible with the land and the wild forest character.”

Gravel estimates that as of now, that may still be a couple of years down the road.