The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has purchased well over 100,000 acres of land in our area.  The purpose of this land acquisition is to protect the quality of NYC’s drinking water which comes from our “watershed” region.  As the DEP purchases more and more land in the Catskills, we lose control over our way of life, our ability to recreate and our economic viability.  Future solvency, and ultimately, the existence of individual towns and communities are threatened.

One small but very important example of this is the DEP’s recent decision not to allow multi-use recreation paths (for non-motorized vehicles) on their property.  The Windham Area Recreation Foundation (WARF) has demonstrated that the Windham Path does not negatively affect water quality, however, the DEP has denied any further construction of the Windham Path or any path like it on any of their property throughout all of the Catskills.

As residents, visitors and second homeowners in the Catskills, we urge the DEP to act as a good neighbor and ALLOW THE EXPANSION of the WINDHAM PATH and STOP the unnecessary STRANGLING of the CATSKILLS.