Over 1500 Supporters Strong; You Can Help Get Split Rock Back!

Dear Supporters:

Great news: Over 1500 of you have supported my petition to Mohonk Preserve to restore the clothing-optional area at Split Rock Downstream! A small group has been working on getting a meeting with management, and we are moving into the next phase. If we are going to get back this sanctuary as we know and love it, we need your help! Can you please print out the letter that follows and mail it to the Preserve right away?

A printed message from you received by the three people listed lets management know that we will not let this matter drop. They can see and hold a printed page, so we're using this strategy instead of emailing and phoning for this phase. For more impact, send a letter to each addressee rather than one to all three. Feel free to customize the text and personalize why this issue is important to you.

Thank you all for your help and support! Look for more updates as we continue to work towards getting Split Rock Downstream back!

Best,

Joe

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Instructions: 

1. Please copy and paste the following text into Microsoft Word file, or whatever other text application you want to use. You can also download a Word template via Uploadfiles using this link. (No need to register on the site; click the Free Download button to get the file.) 
2. Remember to add your name, address, and the date, and customize the message if you wish. If you're sending one letter to each person listed, create three versions, each with one of the three names.
3. Print your finished message, sign it, and send it to Mohonk Preserve.

Here is the text to copy and paste:

[Street Address]
[City, State, Zip]
[Date]

Kevin Case, President/CEO
Russell Clune, Chair, Board of Directors
Chuck Reid, Director of Stewardship
Mohonk Preserve
PO Box 715
New Paltz, NY 12561-0715

Dear Messrs. Case, Clune, and Reid:

I am one of many who have enjoyed the clothing-optional area at Split Rock, known as Split Rock Downstream. Mohonk Preserve’s decision to ban nudity has taken this haven away without consultation and with minimal warning. Mohonk Preserve must immediately reverse this harmful policy and restore the clothing-optional area via a solution that addresses the Preserve’s concerns.

You have damaged the reputation of Mohonk Preserve by pushing out the diverse community that came to Split Rock Downstream for decades, primarily comprised of naturists and LGBTQ people. Visitors were as unique and exceptional as the area itself. We gathered and supported each other, many of us giving back to the Preserve through membership and volunteering.

Mohonk Preserve unacceptably communicated this new policy. You posted signs about the nudity ban less than 48 hours before the rule went into effect. Some visitors only learned of the change upon arrival. The Preserve gave us no chance to help it find a solution. 

This decision’s resulting costs could have just as well kept Split Rock Downstream as it was. Over 1500 people support a petition to restore the clothing-optional area. You will incur expenses for increased monitoring, signage, and staff. You can quickly adapt these resources to preserve Split Rock Downstream for those who want to enjoy naturism's health and wellness benefits: Create signage warning that nudity may be encountered, post a code of conduct, and monitor the area.

There will be a negative impact on the local economy through lost patronage. Tourists attracted to Split Rock Downstream would lodge at Mohonk Mountain House, bed and breakfasts, motels, and the Sam Pryor Shawangunk Gateway Campground. Visitors bought food and gasoline nearby. Some have even purchased or rented real estate and relocated to Ulster County.

I respectfully ask Mohonk Preserve to immediately find a solution that restores the clothing-optional area of Split Rock Downstream. I am confident that we can bring back this diverse tiny haven within the vast 8,000 acres and restore it to the welcoming organization that we have supported and loved.

Sincerely,

[Signature]

[Name]