Governor George E. Pataki today announced that $530,000 from the 1996 Clean Water/Clean Air Bond Act will be used to repair and improve facilities at State campgrounds and trails in the Catskills that play an important role in tourism in the region..
"These improvements will protect water quality, make our campgrounds and State lands safer and more enjoyable to visit, and restore facilities damaged during recent floods that have ravaged parts of the Catskills," Governor Pataki said. "The Catskills are a magical place, filled with natural wonders and spectacular recreational opportunities.
"We must maintain our State campgrounds and forest lands in the Catskills so that they remain a source of profound pleasure for New Yorkers and one of the chief reasons that millions of people visit the Empire State each year," Governor Pataki said. "A healthy environment is an important part of our ongoing economic growth."
The grants will fund a broad range of stewardship projects, including replacing or upgrading of sewer facilities in five DEC campgrounds in Ulster, Sullivan, Delaware and Greene counties to protect water quality.
The grants will also fund projects to rehabilitate and improve recreational trails in the Catskill Forest Preserve in Greene, Delaware, Sullivan, and Ulster Counties that were damaged during major floods in 1995 and 1998. The projects will involve the installation and restoration of soil erosion control structures, which will also reduce stream sedimentation and reduce future maintenance requirements.
In addition to reducing stream sedimentation and maintenance needs, these projects will focus on improving public access to five fire towers that are in the process of being restored in a partnership between DEC and local governments, coordinated by the Catskill Center for Conservation and Development. The towers are on: Overlook Mountain, north of the Village of Woodstock, Ulster County; Tremper Mountain near the Village of Phoenicia, Ulster County; Balsam Lake Mountain, Town of Hardenburgh, Ulster County; Red Hill, Town of Denning, Ulster County; and Hunter Mountain near the Village of Hunter, Greene County.
Assembly Minority Leader John J. Faso of Kinderhook said, "Not only are we preserving the environment, we are creating new opportunities for tourism which means jobs for our people. Through Governor Pataki's leadership, New Yorkers will have greater opportunity to enjoy the natural surroundings in the Catskills."
Assemblyman John Bonacic said, "Outdoor recreation plays an important role in the Catskills. I commend the Governor for making this funding available and understanding the importance of improving our State Parks in the Catskills."
State Senator Charles D. Cook said, "I thank and appreciate the Governor's commitment of Bond Act funds to invest in the Catskills region. This funding represents desperately needed State support for vital tourism-related facilities."
DEC Commissioner John P. Cahill said, "Our Catskills campgrounds and public recreation areas are extremely important to the economy of the region and we must maintain them. Without adequate maintenance and stewardship, these irreplaceable natural resources deteriorate, driving visitors away and discouraging future conservation efforts."
Neil Woodworth, counsel to the Adirondack Mountain Club and the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference, said, "We are delighted that Clean Water/Clean Air Bond Act funds are being spent to maintain and improve our State parks, public campgrounds and Forest Preserve trails. This timely spending will ensure public access to New York's hiking trails, lakes and rivers, improve water quality and create new recreational opportunities for hikers, campers and canoeists."
A list of the grants is attached. Clean Water/Clean Air Bond Act Stewardship Grants New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
| County | Grant | Project |
| Delaware | $25,000 | Little Pond Campground: Rehabilitate the sewage system serving Bathhouses 3 and 4. |
| Greene/ Delaware | $75,000 | Catskill Forest Preserve, Hunter Mountain, Cherry Ridge, Kaaterskill Wild Forest: Rehabilitate and improve recreational trails for hiking, horseback riding, and other non-mechanized forms of recreation. This will include installation and restoration of soil erosion control structures that were damaged or made necessary by major floods in 1995 and 1998. The stabilization of trails will significantly reduce erosion and stream sedimentation and reduce future maintenance requirements.Trail projects also will improve access to a fire tower on Hunter Mountain near the Village of Hunter that is being enhanced for viewing and interpretive opportunities |
| Greene | $170,000 | North/South Lake: Replace 6,000 feet of sewer lines. |
| Sullivan | $75,000 | Mongaup Pond Campground: Replace sewer lines. |
| Sullivan | $55,000 | Beaverkill Campground: Replace two sewage lift stations, which are approximately 30 years old. |
| Ulster | $55,000 | Kenneth L. Wilson Campground: Rehabilitatesewage lift stations. The sanitary system serving the beach'sbathhouse has been plagued with problems, forcing the building to beclosed at critical times. |
| Ulster/ Sullivan | $75,000 | Region 3 Forest Preserve,Overlook Mountain Wild Forest, Slide Mountain Wilderness and Willowemoc Wild Forest: Rehabilitate and improve recreational trails for hiking, horseback riding, and other non- mechanized forms of recreation. This will include installation and restoration of soil erosion control structures that were damaged or made necessary by floods in 1995 and 1998. The stabilization of trails will significantly reduce erosion and stream sedimentation and reduce future maintenance requirements. The trail projects will improve public access to four fire towers that are being restored for enhanced viewing and interpretive opportunities. |
9/22/98