SAVE THE NATURE OF THE CATSKILLS: BLOCK OVERDEVELOPMENT
The Catskill Region is facing a surge of intensive development pressure at an unprecedented scale and pace. A century of natural resource protection, recent successes in thwarting casinos and fracking, and thousands of acres of farmland and open space are now under immediate threat. Our rural community character and thriving main street businesses rely upon and benefit from these natural assets, some of which we have yet to fully understand and appreciate. Our aging and stressed infrastructure cannot process the volume of demand from this dense demographic drawdown.
Citizens across the region are banding together to fend off oversized projects in their backyards, Town officials are struggling with limited resources to regulate unsustainable land use, and County planners are repeatedly censuring proposals that are incompatible with local zoning and state law. A more efficient, collaborative strategy is necessary to stop this existential threat and achieve a more balanced future. Our strength as a region will depend upon establishing clarity on all resources, both natural and built, and committing to preserve and protect them. Catskill Mountainkeeper has launched a campaign to create an approach that will bridge differences, demonstrate what is possible, and mobilize around a collective spirit for a resilient Catskill Region.
THE CHALLENGE
The unique natural assets of the Catskills define it - scenic vistas, clean water, fresh air and open spaces. Since 1885, the Catskill Forest Preserve of almost 300,000 acres has been uniquely protected as forever wild and today it is still recognized as exceptional by residents and visitors alike. The region has long been a leader in hospitality, welcoming people of diverse backgrounds for recreation and recovery, and an affordable place to live, encouraging multi-generations of farmers, fishermen and foresters to stay and settle. But a threat like never before has arrived and the rampant overdevelopment that is at its core will irreparably harm this region forever. The expansion of Route 17 to a superhighway will exacerbate this trend, the proliferation of major trucking warehouses for NYC delivery is already visible, and we’ve seen the creation of new villages solely for the purpose of evading land use regulations and environmental review. An explosive volume of high-density, inappropriately located development proposals are being considered now in almost every Town in the region, many of which lack necessary water and sewer infrastructure, involve clear-cutting centuries-old forestland, and intrude into sensitive steep slopes, aquifers and wetland areas.
Overwhelmed municipalities are being governed by crisis, creating an unpredictable and expensive approach to land use planning. Outdated mindsets and patterns are limiting our capacity to recognize that our prosperity is directly linked to our natural landscapes and green spaces. The Catskills are a natural amenity-based economy, offering unparalleled recreation, attracting second homeowners, and drawing more tourists than the country’s most notable national parks. Conservation has proven time and again that it saves communities money and creates value;
- Open space provides offsets to climate change impacts—forest land provides water filtration and flood control;
- It increases the value of surrounding land—real estate around open space, even those with conservation easements, is worth more each year; and,
- Open space augments net revenue for communities that forego development—residential land use requires more community services than it pays for in annual taxes.
Living and growing within the carrying capacity of our land and water resources is not an option—it’s a must.
THE CAMPAIGN
Save the Nature of the Catskills (SNC) is a multi-faceted, bioregional campaign that goes beyond borders to block overdevelopment and support smart land use in the Catskill Region. We will empower communities at the grassroots and municipal levels, encourage affordable housing for our work-force and senior residents, expand eco-tourism and fossil-free recreation, and endorse regenerative agriculture, sustainable forestry management, and local family businesses.
Our work focuses on three pillars:
- Organize & Amplify a Regional Grassroots Network: track development proposals and projects, facilitate the exchange of information for effective participation to shape responsible land-use and create a movement that sets new regional standards for long-term, sustainable growth and conservation town-by-town.
- Research & Empower for Municipal Background & Backbone: equip elected officials with tools and tactics to identify important resources, design sustainable zoning code, and ensure every land use proposal is evaluated based upon the lay of the land and the law of the land.
- Elevate, Legislate & Litigate When Necessary: strategically engage an array of acquisition, legal and lobbying expertise to advance solutions in Albany and the courts to purchase land, propose laws, and file claims.
Each day we learn more about the unprecedented risk our region faces from dozens upon dozens of ill-conceived development proposals. But the capacity CMK has to block them is also certain. With your help we can continue this ground-breaking work for permanent change. Listen here for more detail on this critical campaign.
https://wjffradio.org/catskill-mountainkeeper-overdevelopment-in-the-catskills/
And click here to support our vital work!
Read on for our March 2025 Update.
Read on for our April 2025 Update.
