Shawangunk Ridge Coalition

The Shawangunk Ridge Conservation and Design Guidebook written by David Church and John Myers and published by the Catskill Center is reprinted here. Contained within it is a wealth of information on many topics including why land use on the Shawangunk Ridge needs careful planning. It explains why traditional zoning laws have been ineffective in mountainous terrain and why other techniques, complementary to such zoning, can be more effective in preserving the mountain character. Each chapter is online - please read and share with your neighbors and town officials.
You can also find information on current ridge zoning in each of the 11 ridge towns plus key growth and transportation issues. Click here for those zoning rules. You might also wish to check out the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) at the DEC's website.

The New York-New Jersey Trail Conference, Open Space Institute and the Trust for Public Land are working with NY State DEC to permanently protect more parcels of land along the ridge as public open space. These current efforts are a continuation of a long history of visionary efforts to protect the Shawangunks. This began with the Smiley family's vision to protect the Mohonk area and later to create the Mohonk Preserve.

** Click here to learn about recent acquisitions. (Updated March 23, 2006) **

In the 1980s and early 1990s, a major legal battle prevented Marriot Hotel Corporation from building a resort on Lake Minnewaska and instead the lake and its environs were added to the already existing Minnewaska State Park.

A threat to build windmill farms on top of the 4700-acre Ice Caves/Sam's Point tract eventually led to its acquisition and management by the Open Space Institute and the Nature Conservancy. Further south, the Basha Kill Wildlife Management Area was acquired to protect the largest fresh-water wetlands in southeastern New York. Just above the Basha Kill, the Wurtsboro Ridge State Forest protects its watershed and also the ridgeline viewshed for millions of motorists driving by on Route 17. Recently 1300 acres was added on the ridge just south of Route 52. Other acquisitions have taken place along the eastern and western slopes of Sam's Point to protect this sensitive area. Just across the Rondout Valley to the west, over 5000 acres along the Vernooy Kill was also recently acquired by OSI.

The long-range goal is to create a protected corridor running the entire length of the Shawangunk Ridge from the Mohonk Preserve in the north to High Point State Park in the south on the NY/NJ border. The Shawangunk Ridge Trail would run in the middle of this corridor and would link together all of the larger parks and preserves along the ridge.

The ridge has been recognized by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation as a priority area for acquisitions in the NY State Open Space Plan. (Click on the map to see large view of the entire ridge!)

Let your local elected officials know that you support
acquisition of these critical lands!

Find names and contact information of town officials
by following the links here.

Contact Members of Congress
To call your Member of Congress - US Capitol Switchboard: 800-504-0031
Senator Schumer's Website.   Email address: senator@schumer.senate.gov
Senator Clinton's Website.   Email address: senator@clinton.senate.gov
Write Your Representative - Lookup Representatives
The rep for this area is Maurice D. Hinchey. Email is: mhinchey@mail.house.gov

Sustainable Development/Smart Growth:

Several local advocacy groups have formed in local towns urging town officials to strengthen their master planning and zoning, encourage Smart Growth and discourage poorly designed developments.

In Greenville, a local group called Greenville Residents for Informed Planning (GRIP) has formed to monitor the current master planning process and urge ridge protection. A draft Master Plan was released in early 2003 for public review. Public hearing will occur sometime in the next few months. Contact GRIP to get involved.

In Mamakating, the current Town Supervisor, Fred Harding is working to encourage Smart Growth development within the town and especially along the Route 209 corridor. The Town is also encouraging eco-tourism by working to restore and open the D&H Canal towpath for hiking. They are also working to keep the Wurtsboro Airport open for gliding, and have prevented its conversion to an industrial park. Contact Kerron Barnes for more information.

In Gardiner, several groups are working to keep the Awosting property directly below Minnewaska in its natural condition instead of seeing it developed. The Town has been being encouraged to adopt stronger planning regulations to prevent developments in such a sensitive ecological location.
Farmland Preservation
In Warwarsing and Ellenville contact John Adams. He is a contact for people concerned about farmland preservation in Wawarsing, and those who support an alternative vision of economic revitalization for Ellenville & Wawarsing, through the development of responsible ecotourism and the Shawangunk Mountain Scenic Byway.
Contact the Shawangunk Coalition or visit the Save The Ridge website for more information or to get involved.

We have additional information resources on our website, that may be helpful in encouraging Smart Growth planning in your town.      Smart Growth Planning    and      Design Guidebook

The Shawangunk Ridge Coalition needs your help. You donations make it possible for us to keep our work going to protect the beautiful Shawangunk Ridge.

Contact: Shawangunk Ridge Coalition, 156 Ramapo Valley Rd., Mahwah NJ 07430;
201-512-9348 x25; Email: info@shawangunkridge.org