| | | OSI Adds Another 300 Acres to Minnewaska
New York State’s third largest park has grown by another 300 acres – thanks to the Open Space Institute’s (OSI) decades-long effort to protect and expand the spectacular Minnewaska State Park Preserve. To date, OSI has doubled the size of the nearly 24,000-acre park – best known for its breathtaking views, inviting sky lakes, sweeping carriage roads, critical forest habitat, and fragile pitch pine ecosystem. "I’m excited to expand Minnewaska State Park Preserve to better connect future generations with New York’s parklands,” New York Governor Kathy Hochul said of the new addition to the park.
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| | South Carolina's Newest State Park Gains 1,100 Acres
The opening of South Carolina’s first new state park in 20 years is just around the corner—and OSI is playing a key role. OSI recently announced the permanent protection of 1,100 acres for the new Black River State Park, marking a total of 6,200 acres conserved by OSI to date to support recreation, wildlife habitat, and flood resilience along the river. The park’s first site is slated to open in 2026, offering public access to the scenic Black River for the first time in generations. |
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| | | | Online Mapping Tool Prioritizes Conservation for Carbon Storage
As part of its work to elevate forest conservation as a key climate solution, OSI has launched a free, web-based, interactive tool to guide protection of New York’s forests for carbon absorption and storage. The user-friendly NY Forest Carbon Mapper will help land trusts, government agencies, private landowners, renewable energy companies, and others to identify high-carbon forests across the state—guiding smarter conservation and land-use decisions. |
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| | | | OSI Honors Youth Shaping Hudson Valley’s Green Future
OSI’s 2025 Barnabas McHenry Hudson Valley Award recipients were honored at a gathering of friends, supporters, and family members. The event paid tribute to an OSI founding trustee, Barney McHenry, who passed away earlier this year and for whom the program is named. To date, more than 70 young adults have received McHenry Awards for projects that preserve, interpret, and enhance the Hudson Valley’s history, landscapes, and communities. |
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| | | | A New Chapter for OSI’s Adirondac Upper Works Property
OSI recently celebrated a new round of upgrades at its Adirondac Upper Works property, where it has worked for more than two decades to preserve the area’s rich history and create a new southern entrance to the popular High Peaks region of the Adirondacks. Highlights of OSI’s recent work include the exterior revitalization of MacNaughton Cottage—a historic structure that saw the start of Teddy Roosevelt’s presidency—and major enhancements to OSI's scenic Upper Works Trail. |
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