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News and Announcements

Autumn view of an emergent marsh with fall foliage in the background

There is an open space protection referendum on the back of the November 2020 ballot for New Paltz residents. Here’s how the proposed new Local Law No. 1 would work: When a buyer purchases a home or piece of property…

Creek flowing through woods with autumn foliage.

Winnakee Land Trust announced its purchase of 335 acres of land in the Town of Red Hook, enabled with funds from the CWIA/EPF Water Quality Improvement Project Grant administered by the NYSDEC. The acquisition was…

Blanding's turtle on the forest floor with trout lily - Photo by L. Masi

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today announced the agency is accepting public comment on a revised regulatory proposal to strengthen protections for threatened and endangered…

View of expansive forest in the Hudson Highlands

It’s hard to walk or drive through Beacon without being impressed by its awe-inspiring views, from the Hudson River to Fishkill Ridge and Mount Beacon.

City officials have been discussing how to preserve that…

View of Rondout Creek, with clouds reflecting in water and views of Fall foliage and boats. By L Heady

The city's Open Space Plan will carry the same weight as Kingston's Comprehensive Plan and will be used to help guide future development within the municipality. During a…

Four communitiy volunteers stand in front of Beacon city hall, and one holds a copy of our NRI Guidebook. By L Heady

The Beacon City Council on July 6 adopted a 56-page catalog of cultural and environmental resources prepared by the volunteer Conservation Advisory Commission over the last two-plus years. The report …

Thumbnail of news article entitled, "A tithe for mother earth: New New Paltz Plans Real-Estate Transfer Tax to Fund Open-Space Preservation" with a photo of five people standing on a viewing platform over a wetland. The first two paragraphs of the article are included in the screen shot.

New Paltz’s town board took preliminary legislative steps toward the continued preservation of natural resources, open space and working farms by voting to adopt the proposed Community Preservation Plan (CPP) and the…

Screen shot from online meeting with photos of four people representing the team that received the Capital District Regional Planning Commission Erastus Corning Achievement Award

The Town of East Greenbush, NYSDEC Hudson River Estuary Program, Cornell University and the Rensselaer Land Trust were recognized by the Capital District Regional Planning Commission (CDRPC) for developing…

A housing development encroaches upon what's left of woods and a small woodland pool. Photo by Scott Cuppett

The New York Times Magazine featured an in-depth article on the causes for zoonotic disease outbreaks around the world, including the "ceaseless rearranging of ecosystems" through deforestation, mining, intensive…

View of meadow under cloudy sky - Photo by L Heady

Extending the Community Preservation Fund through 2050 allows Warwick to take a longer view in preservation efforts and expand farmland and open space protection.

Town Councilwoman stands on the shore of a lake in East Greenbush. Photo from Times Union

The Town of East Greenbush intends to use its Natural Resources Inventory report to help guide…

Blooming Grove NRI public meeting - by L Heady

The Town of Blooming Grove's 85-page draft Community Preservation Plan – available for viewing on the town's website and at Town Hall - describes the town's rural to semi-rural character, identifies critical…