OSI acquires 89 acres in Tuxedo

On August 29, the Open Space Institute (OSI) announced the acquisition of what the organization described as one of the last unprotected parcels in an area of southeastern Orange County, an 89-acre parcel in the town of Tuxedo once known as the Tuxedo Farms or Tuxedo Reserve Northern Tract.

OSI says this latest acquisition will “improve connectivity between surrounding protected lands, safeguard critical drinking water resources, and protect land for wildlife habitat.”

The parcel was zoned for industrial use and, according to OSI, had been considered for 200,000 square feet of warehouse and office space. OSI acquired the land for $1.8 million and plans to transfer the parcel to the Palisades Interstate Park Commission (PIPC) as an addition to Sterling Forest State Park.

“After a long-term effort to develop the area into warehouse space, OSI is proud to have intervened to permanently protect the ecological and recreational connectivity of this landscape,” said Matt Decker, a Northeast Land project manager at the Open Space Institute. “Now the land will forever provide natural benefits to millions of New York and New Jersey residents and numerous wildlife species.”

Commissioner Pro Tempore of the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Randy Simons said, “We value our alliance with and reliance on OSI to help save at-risk lands likes this one in Tuxedo. This effort to preserve natural resources continues our commitment for the wildlife who call it home and public to further enjoy.”

According to OSI, this land conservation will help to prevent habitat fragmentation between Sterling Forest and Harriman State Park, as connected landscapes “provide high quality habitat that allow wildlife to move freely throughout the area.”

“PIPC, NYS Parks, and OSI have worked for two decades to protect more than 21,000 acres that are now Sterling Forest State Park,” said Joshua Laird, executive director of the Palisades Interstate Park Commission. “OSI’s acquisition of the Tuxedo Farms parcel represents another important addition that will provide new public access, limit potential development in the heart of the park, and continue to protect critical watershed lands and wildlife habitat. We are grateful for the leadership of our partners at OSI and New York State Parks that has resulted in the permanent protection of this important resource.”

The land reportedly comprises several acres of wetlands, including a portion of the Warwick Brook and land surrounding the headwaters of the Ramapo River. The Ramapo River and underlying aquifer system is a primary source of drinking water for more than two million people in New York and New Jersey.

OSI also touted the land’s “above-average climate resilience and landscape diversity, with the potential to support a range of plants and animals as the climate changes.” Additionally, the New York Natural Heritage Program has allegedly identified several rare, threatened, or endangered animal species living within close proximity to the property.

OSI has helped to create and expand Sterling Forest since the mid-1990s. OSI lists the park among its biggest project to date and was the largest addition to the New York State Park system in a century. OSI’s conservation work in the region has conserved more than 27,000 acres, including the expansion of area parks, the creation and expansion of recreational trails, drinking water protections, and the establishment of “climate-resilient lands for people and wildlife.”

For more information on this latest acquisition, visit openspaceinstitute.org.