Mission
See "Their mission is to "protect the Shawangunk Mountains region and inspire people to care for, enjoy, and explore their natural world."
SADLY, Current leadership fails this noble mission. Using donor money to buy mortgages, litigate poor people, foreclose and take land does not fulfill the Mohonk Mission to "inspire people to care for, enjoy, and explore their natural world." See Hudson Valley Landowner's 22-Year Battle Against New York Land Trusts, C-FACT 2016. |
Who They Are
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"At the Preserve, you can enjoy scenic beauty, outdoor activities, and peace and quiet, all just 90 miles from New York City. Their carriage roads and trails are perfect for hiking, running, mountain biking, horseback riding, and cross-country skiing. They are also the home of "Gunks" climbing and bouldering, and one of the most visited climbing destinations in North America."
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Their History
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Founded in 1963, The Mohonk Preserve can trace it roots back to the Mohonk Land Trust. The Trust was also founded in 1963 with its first donation from Mabel Smiley in the amount of $100. To date the Mohonk Preserve has accumulated over 8,500 acres of land. As New York State's largest Land Preserve they receive generous support from their donors, members and the government. Only 17% of their holdings have conservation easements. This allows them to develop in whatever manner they so choose.
Since the early 1970's, Mohonk has eagerly sought to acquire the Clove Valley parcel called "Smitty's Dude Ranch." The Ranch consists of approximately 300 acres of prime commercially zoned real estate with a Dude Ranch, Bar and Inn. See Moving Mountains, Planet Waves, Rounding Out the Boundaries, Planet Waves, Mohonk Preserve loses lawsuit over disputed land, Daily Freeman, also New Paltz couple prevails in land war, Times Herald Record. The Mohonk Preserve was the intended beneficiary of a maleficent attempt by it's shell corporation the Shawangunk Conservancy to buy the mortgage that Wilber Smith, "Smitty" held so they could foreclose on the land "by hook or by crook". Robert Anderberg, Vice-President and General Council of OSI and Norman Van Valkenberg were the architects of multiple fraudulent land deals that ended up in court. Using donor money to buy mortgages, litigate poor people, foreclose and take land does not fulfill the Mohonk Mission to "inspire people to care for, enjoy, and explore their natural world." They are still in litigation for 70+/- acres in the Town of Rochester with the current owners of the former Smitty's Dude Ranch. See Mohonk Presreve vs Pardini and Fink NYS Supreme Court Decision, 2014, NYS Appellate Division 3rd Department Decision, 2015, Motion to the NYS Court of Appeals, 2015, Motion to Re-argue NYS Appellate Division 3rd Department, 2016. ******* Currently, the Mohonk Preseve has been granted approval from the New Paltz Planning Board for a development project spanning 857 acres. At risk is overuse of this sensitive land in New Paltz, creating too many parking lots, traffic jams and pollution.. It is insanity to overburden the New Paltz area when there are are 30,000+ underutilized state owned park and lake areas known as Minnewaska State Park Preserve and Sam's Point Preserve. Yet Mohonk Preserve goes against it's own mission by overburdening the very parcels it wants people to enjoy. The parcel is less then one mile from the village of New Paltz and adjacent to Rt. 299 along the Shawangunk Mountains Scenic Byway. This project is proposed at the same time Open Space Institute (OSI) plans the River to Ridge Trail which connects the Village of New Paltz with the Mohonk Preserve, Minnewaska State Park and Sam's Point Preserve. Currently, two other projects deserve mention.The Minnewaska State Park Upgrade and the Wildberry Lodge. This will cumulatively affect the area with increased usage and traffic. The traffic situation is has been a safety hazard for quite some time and the town has done nothing over the last decade to provide solutions. Both the town and the Mohonk Preserve agree that the traffic impacts are "minimal." However, it is quite the contrary. See Letter to Mike Calimano and Town of New Paltz Planning Board. The Mohonk Preserve and the American Alpine Club (AAC) co-manage the new Samuel F. Prior III Shawangunk Gateway Campground in the Shawangunks. Opening on June 3, 2015 the new campground now provides, "a pavilion and cooking area, bathhouse and restroom facilities, and circulation trails. There are 24 drive-in spots (one vehicle per site) and 26 walk-in spots. All sites accommodate up to two tents (and four people) per pad." The campground is also on Rt. 299 along the Shawangunk Scenic Byway where the speed limit is 55 mph. You have to cross the street in order to hike to the Preserve and entering in and out of the property can also be dangerous. This project circumvented the Town of Gardiner Planning Board and New York State DOT requirements because the AAC and the Mohonk Preserve had the Palisades Interstate Park Commision (PIPC) build the campground. State entities do not have to go through the same process that everyone else has to. The results were that NO studies of any kind were required through NYS Environmental Quality Review Act. NO Environmental Assessment Forms, NO public hearings, NO traffic studies, NO input. Now Mohonk wants two more parking areas along this vital route and still thinks nothing of the traffic and pollution it will create. With increased traffic and tourism comes an increased risk of fires in the foothills and on the ridge. The Shawangunk Mountains have seen four (4) major fires in the last ten years that have burned thousands of acres. All fires were presumed to be human induced by local authorities but there has been no proof offered. Luckily no one has been adversely impacted except maybe the wildlife. Many thousands of dollars and the lives of first responders' were put on the line. See Times Herald Article. They are partners in the Shawangunk Regional Biodiversity Project and also the Shawangunk Scenic Byway. Glen Hoagland, the Former Executive Director of The Mohonk Preserve, is also on the New York Advisory Board for the Land Trust Alliance. Mohonk Preserve's, Ellen M. Sticker, Executive Projects Manager was the only non-governmental representative in the Shawangunk Scenic Byway Committee. The current Executive Director is Kevin Chase (formerly of the Land Trust Alliance) who helps showcase the revolving door in these state sponsored not for profit real-estate monopolies. |