Advocacy
The Catskill Center is the leading voice for the Catskills and the Catskill park
Our mission is to protect and preserve the environmental, cultural, and economic resources of the Catskills. As part of this mission, the Catskill Center advocates for:
Protection of our Forest Preserve lands and the Catskill Park which includes natural resource protection, responsible outdoor recreation, outdoor education, and the proper stewardship of public lands in terms of visitor use management, recreation infrastructure, and sustainable trail construction and maintenance.
Responsible economic development to ensure the continued viability of our communities.
Watershed protection that protects water quality and undeveloped lands, revegetates buffers, increases resiliency to floods and climate changes, protects communities, and provides recreational benefits.
Equitable funding for the Catskill Park and our Catskills communities.
Our leadership for the Catskills includes our annual Catskill Park Day in Albany and the co-leadership of the Catskill Park Coalition, where we advocate for equitable resources for the Catskills and the Catskill Park with our elected officials in Albany. We also co-lead a collaborative group of stakeholders from the Catskill and Adirondack Park to advocate for the collective Forest Preserve in both parks.
We chair the Catskill Park Advisory Committee, where we collaborate with New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), and all park stakeholders to improve communications, to review and comment on
The Catskill Center is a signatory to the 1997 Watershed Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) and a key stakeholder in ongoing watershed negotiations.
Recent wins for the catskill park
Establishment of a Forest Preserve funding line in the Environmental Protection Fund (EPF), which has provided the Catskills and Adirondacks $36 million dollars of dedicated funding since 2021
Annual funding for Catskill priorities, such as the Catskills Visitor Center and the Catskills Science Collaborative
Issuance of the Catskill Strategic Advisory Group’s final report, which calls for a bold, comprehensive update to the management of the Catskill Park
Expansion of NYSDEC contracts for trail maintenance and construction
Improved access and parking at the Peekamoose Blue Hole
Continued additions to the Catskill Park and Forest Preserve
The Catskill Park Advisory Committee
The Catskill Park Advisory Committee (CPAC) was established by the Catskill Center in consultation with DEC. The Committee is a group of local governments and organizations organized by the Catskill Center and the Trail Conference, and represents the various communities and user groups of the Catskill Park and the Catskill Watershed. The purpose of the Committee is to provide assistance, advice and guidance to the NYSDEC, the New York City Department of Environmental Protection and other land managers in the management of the New York State Forest Preserve, the Catskill Park and the Catskill Watershed.
The Catskill Park coalition
The Catskill Park Coalition is an alliance of like-minded groups committed to working together to broaden public appreciation for the Catskill Park. The Coalition is co-chaired by the Catskill Center and Catskill Mountainkeeper.
The idea of the Coalition is the outgrowth of efforts by the Catskill Center, Catskill Mountainkeeper and Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) to seek additional resources for the Park. In the 2013 legislative session the Catskill Center, Catskill Mountain Club, and NY/NJ Trail Conference tested the waters in Albany through an “awareness day” of meetings with key state legislators about the need to increase funding for the Park. A DEC commitment to construct a larger building in the first phase of the Catskill Park Interpretive Center was one of the group’s accomplishments from that day. The success of this first trip to Albany showed that there needed to be a broader, longer-term campaign to try to advocate for increased funding for the Park and for a dedicated Catskill group to speak on the Park’s behalf.
Catskill Park Coalition Members include: Catskill Center - 3500 Club - Adirondack Mountain Club - Catskill Association for Tourism Services - Catskill Heritage Alliance - Catskill Mountain Club - Central Catskills Chamber of Commerce - Central Catskills Revitalization Corporation - Community Greenways Collaborative - Delaware Highlands Conservancy - Friends of the Catskill Interpretive Center - Friends of the Upper Delaware River - Hudson Valley Hikers - Catskill Mountainkeeper - Hunter Foundation - Mountain top Arboretum - Mountain top Historical Society - Natural Resources Defense Council - New York New Jersey Trail Conference - Open Space Institute - Parks and Trails New York - Pine Hill Community Center - Rip Van Winkle Hikers - Riverkeeper - Shandaken Art Studio Tour - Theodore Gordon Flyfishers - Trout Unlimited - Woodchuck Lodge - Woodstock Land Conservancy - Zen Mountain Monastery
Guardians of the Watershed: Our Role in the MOA for the New York City Watershed
The Catskill Center is proud to be a founding signatory to the landmark 1997 Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), which defined how New York City and Catskill communities work together to protect water quality, sustain local benefits, and deliver nearly one billion gallons of clean water every day to millions. For more than 28 years, we have been at the table as a key stakeholder, helping shape negotiations that balance the needs of watershed residents, the security of NYC’s water supply, and the protection of our region’s natural resources.
Recent negotiations centered on the renewal of the Water Withdrawal Permit from NYSDEC, a critical authorization for watershed protection programs such as our Streamside Acquisition Program, which conserves vital streamside buffers to keep the water clean and communities resilient.
The MOA stands as a global model for collaborative watershed management, bringing together local governments, state and federal agencies, NGOs, and New York City in a shared commitment. Our operations, partnerships, and programs continue to inspire and be studied internationally as examples of how healthy communities and healthy watersheds can thrive together.