January 20, 2020 -- 

Albany - Governor Cuomo announced the introduction of a bill to permanently ban fracking as part of his New York State 2020 Budget. Advocates and environmental organizations across the state applauded the Governor’s leadership on this important bill to permanently protect the public health and environment of New Yorkers for generations to come. 

In 2015, Governor Cuomo’s administration, including the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation and NYS Department of Health, announced the completion of the Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement (SGEIS) process and a public health review that found high-volume hydraulic fracking was a danger to public health and the environment and therefore it would be not permited in New York State. Since that time, more than a thousand additional peer-reviewed scientific studies have been published that overwhelmingly confirming the serious public health and environmental risks and harms of fracking. Governor Cuomo’s announcement today was welcomed and applauded. 

Actor and long-time anti-fracking advocate Mark Ruffalo, "Today Governor Cuomo showed our state and the nation once again what real climate leadership looks like by announcing a legislative fracking ban as part of NYS 2020 Budget. By listening to the science, he is on the right side of history in working to ensure that NY's fracking ban becomes the law of the land.”

“Governor Cuomo’s bold announcement to pursue a permanent fracking ban will protect New Yorkers’ health, water, and the communities we cherish, and we call on the New York State Legislature to make the ban law” said Ramsay Adams, Catskill Mountainkeeper’s Executive Director. “Between today’s announcement and the nation-leading Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, New York is walking away from powering our grid with fossil fuels. In the years since Governor Cuomo implemented the regulatory ban on fracking in New York, the science has become indisputable: fracking isn’t safe.”

January 8, 2020 - In the 2020 State of the State address, Governor Cuomo announced plans for a $3 billion bond act. Catskill Mountainkeeper issued the following statement in response, attributable to Ramsay Adams, Executive Director.

As the Catskills Grow Into a Premier Destination, Outdoor Recreation on Protected Lands Supports the Region

Kingston, NY--Open space recreational lands in the Catskills are worth millions of dollars annually to the local economy, an update to an earlier study confirms. Research concluded that recreational opportunities on publicly owned lands in the Catskill Park and the Catskill-Delaware Watershed, plus private lands open to the public, draw over 2.7 million visitors annually. These visitors spend an estimated $170,031,580, while creating an additional economic impact of $123,889,686 and supporting 1,882 jobs. The full report is online at catskillmountainkeeper.org/reports.

December 10, 2019--

Environmental Groups Urge Governor Cuomo to Sign Green Bills

Albany—Today a group of leading environmental organizations gathered in support of various legislation that has not yet been signed into law. This year, the New York State Senate and Assembly passed more environmental legislation than has been passed in over a decade. While many bills have been signed into law, Governor Cuomo has just 22 days in which to sign outstanding measures that would lead to cleaner water and air, and a less toxic environment

Catskill Mountainkeeper

“New York passed the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) and Governor Cuomo embraced the law when he signed it this summer," said Wes Gillingham, Catskill Mountainkeeper's Associate Director. “Now it's time for the Governor to sign the CLCPA's companion bill into law and make the most ambitious climate act in the country the law of the land.”

TravelStorys App provides free GPS guided tours that share the stories of the Catskills

LIVINGSTON MANOR and ARKVILLE, NY – The stories of the citizens and settlers of the Catskills illustrate the uniqueness of the region, and today Catskill Mountainkeeper and the Catskill Center release new TravelStorys audio tours that allow listeners to hear the stories of the Catskills as they travel at the pace of their own curiosity.

The Gateway to the Catskills: Livingston Manor, Roscoe and more! and Catskill Mountains Scenic Byway audio tours are both available through the free TravelStorys app (available for download on smartphones). TravelStorys bringsthe little-known stories about the land to life, and by using GPS technology, stories on the tours automatically play as listeners pass through each site.

SAUGERTIES, NY – On July 1 and July 2, 2019 the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) issued two Notices of Violation ordering the owners of three illegal dump sites in Saugerties, NY to shut down operations and begin removing all the waste on the sites. According to the notice, the dumping sites violated state clean water and solid waste laws and regulations 39 times, putting neighbors and waterways at risk.

In response, Catskill Mountainkeeper issued the following statement:

According to the Notices of Violation, Joseph and Rachel Karolys must shut down their illegal dumping sites and safely dispose of the waste they’ve been accepting for years. This is a huge victory for the neighbors who have been fighting to protect their community and local waterways from the dumps and we look forward to seeing the waste moved to a location where it can be properly managed.

Catskill Mountainkeeper is grateful for the Department of Environmental Conservation’s strong response, sending a clear message that New York will not stand for this type of criminal activity. We also applaud the Town of Saugerties for their swift and steady action throughout this effort and all the elected officials who spoke up on neighbors’ behalf. Mountainkeeper calls on the State Supreme Court to expedite its pending review of this situation.

This is a huge victory and proof that by working together we can protect our Catskills communities.

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Catskill Mountainkeeper Supports Governor Cuomo’s Call for a Ban on Single Use Plastic Bags, Calls for Fees on Other Single Use Bags

LIVINGSTON MANOR, NY – Sunday afternoon, Governor Cuomo announced his commitment to a ban on single use plastic bags in the executive budget as well as a pledge to expand the state’s bottle deposit laws.

November 15, 2018

As economic pressures mount, Catskills’ farms are threatened with closure. FarmHearts, a fund to support family farms, steps in to fill the gaps and the community rallies to support.

Livingston Manor, NY – Catskill Mountainkeeper released a new video about the urgent crisis facing Catskills family farms.  Every day, our region’s small farmers face an uphill battle to produce products sustainably. These farmers are unable to compete with industrial megafarms, have been abandoned by the agricultural co-ops that are supposed to protect them, and are crippled by a broken federal milk pricing system--the tragic result is that many of our small farms are being driven out of business. Mountainkeeper produced the video to build support for a critical new resource to help farmers succeed: the FarmHearts fund.

HeatSmart Ulster•Sullivan (HeatSmart U•S), a state-supported community campaign to help our local home and business owners increase energy efficiency and choose clean heating and cooling systems. Read Catskill Mountainkeeper's press release launching our campaign!