I am honored to speak today. Many have worked actively during these past 13 years to accomplish what we are celebrating today. Community members, the Sterling Forest Coalition, and the Public-Private Partnership to Save Sterling Forest were among those who united for a common purpose.
It's been a long winding road with countless twists and turns... as you all will recall. Some of the most uplifting turn of events have been:
the bi-state, bi-partisan legislative activity... some unlikely suspects... who would of thought Newt Gingrich would come to Ster1ing Forest?
The forceful commitment, from the outset of both Governor Whitman's and Governor Pataki's administrations was uplifting... and a relief. At one of the Partnership's meetings, the new Parks Commissioner for NY, Bernadette Castro, came in with her characteristic vigor and promised to make Sterling Forest a high priority of the administration. She has more than lived up to that commitment!
And the major funds from private foundations that firmly pulled us over the fence.
Sterling Forest will be part of the Palisades Interstate Park Commission's park system. I remember when Nash Castro, the former General Manager of PIPC, presented the Sterling Forest proposal to the Commission in 1985. Under PIPC's rotating leaderships of Malcolm Borg Larry Rockefel1er, Martin Cornell and Barnabus McHenry the proposal to protect Sterling Forest as a state park has never faltered.
The Sterling Forest Coalition is a group of loca1 citizens groups and outdoor organizations who went public in 1987 to press for the cause of preservation. When the final 2,100 acres are preserved, their job will be completed.
The Public-Private Partnership To Save Sterling Forest was initially known as the "Work Group", a small number of representatives from environmental groups who met monthly in Alpine, NJ. Gradually the numbers increased to over 30 New York and New Jersey organizations from the local, regional and national level.
The beauty of the Partnership was to witness how each groups brought a unique skill and focus to the table month after month, to tackle the largest open space opportunity in the region. I'm not going to list the names of the 30 groups, but to illustrate the diversity of skills, I'll throw out some names... Regiona1 Plan Association, Environmental Defense Fund, Passaic River Coa1ition, Scenic Hudson, Appalachian Mountain Club, Sierra Club, Sterling Forest Resources... and of course, TPL and OSI as negotiators. Very different organizational agendas, very different skills... but a common mission.
The Partnership's work cannot be discussed without expressing deep gratitude to Bob Binnewies, the Executive Director of PIPC.
Bob Binnewies, you are a man of extraordinary leadership and steadfastness with a unique ability to listen to everyone while quietly serving. You have been our Teacher. We have learned the true meaning of the term public and private partnership. We learned that diverse environmental groups, can work together strategically, and come out with potent results if we pool our resources, and keep our eye on the mission.
We have created a model. We can use it for other purposes - like protecting the Highlands of New Jersey and New York.
The Partnership and the Coalition did their part. We thank the US Senators, Congressional Representatives, State Assembly and Senate members, State Governors, State Agency Members, and the National Park Service. We thank the press for covering the issues so evenly, and thus educating the public. And we thank the citizens of the region for voicing their will.
To all those who did their part, we thank you for the lessons learned... and for a great Park that will forever be guardian to a critica1 watershed.