River Reporter Article on Beaverkill Campground

	Groups unite for Beaverkill Campground A plan to keep the campground open By FRITZ MAYER BEAVERKILL, NY — The Beaverkill Campground is one of six state-operated campgrounds in New York that is slated to remain closed this year due to budget considerations. But community groups, county agencies and officials are working diligently to keep it open. A meeting hosted by Catskill Mountainkeeper in Livingston Manor on March 7 drew members of various organizations who pledged to lobby officials in Albany to open the facility, which contributes to the economic health of area. Ramsey Adams of Mountainkeeper said that the closure would save the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), which operates the campground, perhaps $10,000 to $15,000, but the loss to the region would be far greater. The DEC has said that the campground has been very much underutilized in the past three years, but campground advocates point out that the past three years have each seen historic floods rampage through the area. County manager David Fanslau said in a phone interview on March 9 that he is working on a proposal whereby the county would assume operational control of the facility. Under the arrangement, the DEC would not pay for the operation of the campground; the revenue from campground fees would be used to cover expenses. The county currently has such an arrangement with the Palisades Parks Conservancy (PPC) regarding the public beach at Lake Superior in the Town of Bethel. Under the contract the county has with PPC, the county department of public works runs the facility primarily using seasonal employees. Under this scenario, according to Roberta Byron-Lockwood, president and CEO of the Sullivan County Visitors Association, her agency would be able to more effectively market the campground on its website and in various publications, and she has signed on to the effort to keep the campground open. It’s a cause that has widespread support from officials. On March 5, the Sullivan County Legislature passed a resolution urging the DEC and commissioner Pete Grannis to reconsider their position on the campground. And lawmaker Alan Sorensen issued a press release saying that he not only wants to keep the campground open, but he wants to apply to the state for stimulus dollars to fund other eco-tourism projects like the O&W rails-to-trails initiative and the Upper Delaware Scenic Byway. Sorensen said the fight to keep the Beaverkill campground open “should also be used as a start to actually expand our efforts to build our ecotourism industry in conjunction with the bed-and-breakfast industry, Bethel Woods and even our farming industry.” The Sullivan County Partnership for Economic Development has also called to keep the campground open and is urging members to write to William Janeway, director of DEC Region Three, 21 South Putt Corners Road, New Paltz, NY 12561 to advocate for the campground. Go to www.catskillmountainkeeper.org for an online petition urging the DEC to keep the campground open.	Contributed photo Pete Grannis, commissioner of the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), fourth from left, visited the Beaverkill Covered Bridge in August 2008 in recognition of the bridge being placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The bridge sits alongside the Beaverkill Campground, which under current DEC plans will not open this summer. (Click for larger version)

Community groups unite to save the Beaverkill Campground

http://www.midhudsonnews.com/News/2009/March09/04/BvkillCmgnd_CM-04Mar09.html

Covered bridge at the Beaverkill Campground

ROSCOE – The Catskill Mountainkeeper organization, the Roscoe Chamber of Commerce and the Friends of the Beaverkill are teaming up to lobby for the state to keep the Beaverkill Campground open this summer.

The state Department of Environmental Conservation last week announced the Beaverkill and a handful of other campgrounds would be closed because of low attendance and the need to save money given the state of New York’s fiscal condition.

Catskill Mountainkeeper Executive Director Ramsay Adams said the campground is a key component to the Sullivan County tourism economy.

The savings by closing the campground would be $10,000 to $15,000, said Adams. “The amount of money that the state will save in their cost they pay to keep the campsite open is greatly outweighed by the amount of money Sullivan County is going to lose in tourism dollars, and that’s just in one year.”

The state maintains attendance has been low in recent years, but Adams said that is because during the 2006, 2007 and 2008 camping seasons, the site was hit with three “100 year floods,” the main road to the site was closed or only allowed local traffic and for much of that period, the Beaverkill Covered Bridge was closed for repair, limiting access to the campsites.

Green organizations team up in Sullivan

Green organizations team up in Sullivan

By Victor Whitman

Times Herald-Record

Posted: January 13, 2009 - 2:00 AM

MONTICELLO — Sullivan County environmental groups that oppose gas drilling in western Sullivan, casino gaming in Thompson, the landfill expansion in Monticello and the mushroom plant in the southern Town of Mamakating are getting together.

They're not, they say, teaming up to oppose economic development projects.

"This is not to fight anything," said Janet Newberg, president of Special Protection of the Environment for the County of Sullivan.

Newberg said the concept is modeled on organizations in Pennsylvania, which have pooled their expertise, established goals for environmental protection and sustainable economic development and educated the public.

For example, SPECS has done lots of research on recycling and composting, whereas other groups are experts on solar energy, community cleanup projects, green building practices and the environmental review process.

"People are thirsty for information," she said.

Several of these groups, however, such as SPECS, which opposes the county landfill expansion, have been focused on a single issue.

Tim McCausland, president of the Sullivan County Partnership for Economic Development, said he doesn't feel threatened by the prospect of having to debate a super-sized opponent at public hearings — provided they don't gum things up with unrealistic objectives.

"It comes down to hysteria and total irrelevant issues that are brought up that make my life and economic development projects more difficult," he said.

The groups held their first meeting Thursday in Monticello. Others attending included the Sullivan Alliance for Sustainable Development, Catskill Mountainkeeper, The Delaware Highlands Conservancy and The Basha Kill Area Association. Representatives from the Gerry Foundation and Sullivan County Planning Department also attended.

vwhitman@th-record.com