| | | OSI Saves At-Risk Land in Orange County, NY
Earlier this month, the Open Space Institute (OSI) acquired a critical piece of property on the edge of New York’s Sterling Forest State Park. Just 90 acres in size, the land had been slated for development for 200,000 square feet of warehouse and office space. “With the land permanently safeguarded, area park enthusiasts are breathing a sigh of relief,” said Matt Decker, OSI’s Northeast Land Project Manager. “With the protection of this relatively small property, we have prevented a large-scale degradation of Sterling Forest, a park OSI played an integral role in creating nearly 30 years ago.”
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| | | | An Adirondacks Legacy
For more than 30 years, OSI has worked in the Adirondacks to protect its pristine landscapes, improve public access, enhance recreational opportunities, and preserve history. Earlier this month, OSI’s President and CEO, Erik Kulleseid, spoke at an event in Lake Placid, highlighting OSI’s ongoing projects and the importance of community support in preserving and enhancing the Adirondack experience. |
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| | | | Making Parks More Welcoming
With more than three million visitors over the past 10 years, Fahnestock State Park is among the Hudson Valley’s greatest outdoors attractions. In addition to more than doubling the size of the park, OSI has worked for a decade to make Fahnestock even more welcoming and enjoyable. OSI recently completed a suite of improvements including installation of a new 65-foot pedestrian bridge and an important streambank stabilization project. |
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| | | | Lifting Up Andrews, SC
The small town of Andrews is charting a course to a bright future, thanks to the Black River Initiative. This OSI-led, community-focused effort is creating a 70-mile-long network of parks along the river—with the centerpiece park in Andrews. OSI has helped guide the town’s Revitalization Plan, which includes new infrastructure, vocational programming related to outdoor recreation and natural resources, and more to bolster recreation and a growing ecotourism economy. |
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| | | | Creating a Nature Preserve in PA
OSI partnered with Natural Lands to turn 252 acres of forested land in Penn Forest Township, PA, into a new nature preserve. Once destined for development, the land will now continue to maintain clean streams, support diverse wildlife, and provide climate benefits. This project, funded by OSI’s Delaware River Watershed Protection Fund, underscores OSI’s commitment to preserving vital forested headwaters for future generations. |
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| | | | NY State Forest Expanded Thanks to OSI, DEC
OSI is proud to announce the expansion of Roosa Gap State Forest, together with the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. The 90-acre addition, high on the Shawangunk Ridge, protects stretches of the Long Path and Shawangunk Ridge Trail. It is also home to one of the state’s largest chestnut oak forests and provides habitat for bobcats, black bears, and more than 200 bird species. |
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