News: Support Catskill Park Coalition Efforts to Build and Maintain a Modern Catskill Park
ARKVILLE, New York--According to the Catskill Park Coalition and its supports, the Catskill region deserves a modern park. Recently the Catskill Park Coalition, made up of dozens of organizations representing the Catskill region, has met with NY state’s legislators to request equitable support for the Catskill Park and Forest preserve, as well as the larger Catskill region. Providing a vastly improved recreational experience for residents and visitors alike will improve the health of our public lands, our people and the economy.
You can join the Catskill Park Coalition on Tuesday, February 9th in Albany for Catskill Park Awareness Day as they ask for continued support for our beloved Catskill region! For detailed information and to RSVP please visit catskillcenter.org/awareness-day.
The Coalition has had success in helping support our region’s Forest Rangers, to open the Maurice D. Hinchey Catskill Interpretive Center in Mt. Tremper, and to garner support for marketing the Catskills. During the 2015 legislative session, through the support of Senators Seward and Amedore, the Catskill Park Coalition secured a $500,000 line item in the Department of Environmental Conservation’s “Aid to Localities” budget, an historic budget item for the region that should have shovels in the ground soon. Working on a variety of projects throughout the Catskill Park and Forest Preserve, we’re working to build a modern park.
On Tuesday, February 9th, dozens of organizations will join the Catskill Park Coalition to request support for: a $300M budget for the Environmental Protection Fund, with $4M set aside for the Catskill Park and Forest Preserve for planning, infrastructure maintenance and improvements, and community grants for Catskill towns; support for the Department of Environmental Conservation’s Division of Lands & Forests to fill Forest Ranger vacancies and expand the division’s budget to properly manage and oversee the Catskill Park; support for capital projects at the Maurice D. Hinchey Catskill Interpretive Center (pavilion, amphitheater, fire tower, trails, solar arrays, electric vehicle charging stations) as well as operational support and funding to grow visitorship and increase visitors services; and increase the Environmental Protection Fund to support priority land acquisition projects to knit together public lands for enhanced recreational opportunities and to increase access in the Catskills; and support for public/private stewardship partnerships such as the Catskill Conservation Corps, the Catskill Summit Stewards program, Fire Tower Stewards program, and the Catskill Regional Invasive Species Partnership, to counteract resource degradation from increasing visitors and invasive species.
Learn more at the Catskill Center's Catskill Park Awareness Day page
Read up on the Catskill Park at our Catskill Mountains Information Page for hikes, advice, travel and planning information.
We have a Guide to Hiking in the Catskills available and on our sister site, ReviewThis is a Guide to the Catskill Park.
Need a hiking map for your hikes in the Catskills? We recommend the Trail Conference's Catskills Trails 6-Map Set
. These maps are the best available for hiking and outdoor adventures in the Catskills and the Catskill Park. 
How about a guidebook? Both AMC
and ADK
publish trail guides to the Catskill Region and the Adventures in the Outdoors Bookstore carries many more books and maps that will help you as you hike and explore the Catskill Mountains region.
If you are looking for more information about the extensive history of the Catskill Mountains and the Catskill Park, we would suggest reading The Catskills, From Wilderness to Woodstock and The Catskill Park, Inside the Blue Line.
You can join the Catskill Park Coalition on Tuesday, February 9th in Albany for Catskill Park Awareness Day as they ask for continued support for our beloved Catskill region! For detailed information and to RSVP please visit catskillcenter.org/awareness-day.
The Coalition has had success in helping support our region’s Forest Rangers, to open the Maurice D. Hinchey Catskill Interpretive Center in Mt. Tremper, and to garner support for marketing the Catskills. During the 2015 legislative session, through the support of Senators Seward and Amedore, the Catskill Park Coalition secured a $500,000 line item in the Department of Environmental Conservation’s “Aid to Localities” budget, an historic budget item for the region that should have shovels in the ground soon. Working on a variety of projects throughout the Catskill Park and Forest Preserve, we’re working to build a modern park.
On Tuesday, February 9th, dozens of organizations will join the Catskill Park Coalition to request support for: a $300M budget for the Environmental Protection Fund, with $4M set aside for the Catskill Park and Forest Preserve for planning, infrastructure maintenance and improvements, and community grants for Catskill towns; support for the Department of Environmental Conservation’s Division of Lands & Forests to fill Forest Ranger vacancies and expand the division’s budget to properly manage and oversee the Catskill Park; support for capital projects at the Maurice D. Hinchey Catskill Interpretive Center (pavilion, amphitheater, fire tower, trails, solar arrays, electric vehicle charging stations) as well as operational support and funding to grow visitorship and increase visitors services; and increase the Environmental Protection Fund to support priority land acquisition projects to knit together public lands for enhanced recreational opportunities and to increase access in the Catskills; and support for public/private stewardship partnerships such as the Catskill Conservation Corps, the Catskill Summit Stewards program, Fire Tower Stewards program, and the Catskill Regional Invasive Species Partnership, to counteract resource degradation from increasing visitors and invasive species.
Learn more at the Catskill Center's Catskill Park Awareness Day page
The Catskill Park Coalition is an alliance of like-minded groups committed to working together to broaden public appreciation for the Catskill Park and seek additional resources to enhance, maintain, and make available to the public the extraordinary opportunities the Park and its surroundings offer and can offer.
Need more information on hiking and planning your
trips to the Catskill Mountains and the Catskill Park?
Read up on the Catskill Park at our Catskill Mountains Information Page for hikes, advice, travel and planning information.
We have a Guide to Hiking in the Catskills available and on our sister site, ReviewThis is a Guide to the Catskill Park.
Need a hiking map for your hikes in the Catskills? We recommend the Trail Conference's Catskills Trails 6-Map Set
. These maps are the best available for hiking and outdoor adventures in the Catskills and the Catskill Park. How about a guidebook? Both AMC
and ADK publish trail guides to the Catskill Region and the Adventures in the Outdoors Bookstore carries many more books and maps that will help you as you hike and explore the Catskill Mountains region. 
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