A Federal Complaint has been filed in the Southern District of New York detailing the 40+ years that the Mohonk Preserve and its affiliates have been trying to steal land in the Clove Valley for its own use which includes development of houses along the Coxing Kill to pay for the acquisition and opening a campground on Clove Road.

 It’s saddening that the Mohonk Preserve chose to put in two more parking lots along Route 299. There were other options however they chose to place these parking lots in areas that will be visible from a road that has been known to have traffic issues. The traffic report prepared was insufficient in recognizing this mainly because the Preserve and the consultants ignored the traffic concerns of the state and the local neighborhoods and collected their data during inclement weather which downplayed the actual traffic pattern. If there were minimal impacts as the Town has decided then why the new traffic pattern at Gatehouse Road (taxpayer funded), the 4 way stop on Butterville Road, and the constant petition by the Preserve to the State to lower the speed limit? The parking lots should have been constructed off of Pine road as to not impact the Scenic Byway and prevent the expensive job of clearing existing trees for parking. Pine Road has open fields that do not get used, would be unnoticed from the Scenic Byway and would have multiple routes for ingress and egress to the parking area from the north and south. As for selective tree cutting, one look at the construction site proves there was a very minimal selection. Trying to make it sound like they care about bats, trees, carbon sequestration, air pollution, runoff, etc is ironic as they create another parking area that goes completely against conservation and caring about the community. Ever since this project was announced, over a dozen homes went up for sale and people left the area. OSI’s new parking lot on Springtown Road had already seen overflow and has created traffic concerns. This is the canary in the coal mine. There will now be 8 parking lots within view of the Shawangunk Scenic Byway that were spawned by the Preserve and OSI. Currently, there are existing Preserve parking lots that are not maintained during winter because of insufficient staffing. Cars parking on the road is a regular thing with no enforcement and a blind eye turned toward these issues. This was a quiet neighborhood, now it will become a parade of people driving cars from surrounding states creating more air pollution and traffic issues. Never mind the disturbance of the flora and fauna that occupy this area. Building this is a major mistake that continues to showcase the Mohonk Preserve’s political clout and carelessness managing these landscapes. The parks are overrun with ecotourists and extreme sports fans coming from far and near. There are no conservation easements on over 83% of their holdings. This is done on purpose so construction of their ecotourism racketeering can continue to expand indefinitely and support their egos, wallets and the Mountain House. All this started over 50 years ago when the Mohonk Mountain House spawned the Mohonk Land Trust to avoid taxation of their holdings and it continues indefinitely. The Town needs tax revenue badly but this not for profit organization is a tax-exempt ecotourism destination with 25 million in assets (undervalued tremendously) and no taxes to pay.

Spring was short and it rained a lot! Summer is in full swing and it's getting real hot! Please help do your part in cleaning up any sites you visit. With the increase in local tourism brings more land use and the need for more stewardship. Carrying a garbage bag with you on a hike is always helpful!

Swimming is probably on every ones mind right now and with the rejuvenating effect cool water has it also attracts lots of people and has an impact in the water quality and in the land use. Tread lightly and enjoy your space!

The parking lots at the Mohonk Preserve get filled early. Particularly the West Trapps and Coxing Kill Parking. If you want to get in you need to be there before 9 am.

If the parking lots are full you can try Minnewaska Sate Park Preserve. It costs $10 to park as many as you can fit in a vehicle and NOT $15/person like the Mohonk Preserve charges. Please do NOT park on the sides of the roads. This creates a hazard for pedestrians, neighbors and emergency vehicles.

Fell into
A sea of grass
And disappeared among
The shady blades...
Children all
Ran over me
Screaming tag!
You are the one!

He trips her as
Her sandals fail
She says stop!
I'm a girl...
Whose fingernails are made
Of mother's pearl...

Yellow buttercup
Helicopters
Orange buttercat
Chasing after
The crazy bee
Mad about somebody...

Me and my girlfriend
Don't wear no shoes
Her nose is painted pepper
Sunlight...

She loves me
I mean it's serious
As serious can be...

She sings a song and
I listen to what it says:
If you want a friend
Feed any animal...

There was so much space
I cut me a piece
With some fine wine
It brought peace to my mind
In the summertime...
And it rolled
Summer.... oh...
Oh.... the summertime rolls
- Jane's Addiction

So many thing are happening so fast there will be so much to talk about. My hopes are first, educating the public about what goes on the the Gunks in regard to Land Trusts, State Parks, Preserves and local governments. Second, to hold these organizations accountable for the decisions they make. Third, the methods employed by these groups to acquire more land.

We will be discussing the most important issues that impact our environment and the neighborhoods we live in. We will cover issues like conservation, traffic, safety, hunting, sporting and local events, legal litigation, land acquisition, park projects, agriculture, and preservation.

Thank you for spending some time to explore these issues and topics of concern. We encourage discussion and collaboration within our community and hope that the inevitable changes happening around us can move forward as productive, positive and constructive energy.

With Gratitude.
The Grandmothers