Minnewaska Master Plan

New York State Parks has completed a Draft Master Plan and Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for Minnewaska State Park Preserve which is located in the Towns of Warwarsing, Gardiner, Rochester, and Shawangunk in Ulster County.

A public hearing will be held on Thursday, October 22, 2009 at 7:00pm in the Lecture Center, Room 100 at SUNY New Paltz, New Paltz, NY. Persons may provide comments at the hearing or in writing no later than the end of the comment period - November 13, 2009.

Copies of the Draft Plan/DEIS are available for review at the Preserve Office, at the offices of the agency contacts and at the Elting Memorial Library, 93 Main Street, New Paltz, New York 12561 and the Ellenville Public Library, 40 Center Street, Ellenville NY 12428. The online version of the entire DEIS/FEIS is available at the following publically accessible web site:

http://www.nysparks.state.ny.us/inside-our-agency/public-documents.aspx

The more climbers who show up, the better chance we have of adding climbing areas to the Master Plan. Only the Dickie Barre area, which has very few climbs, has been added in the draft plan.

The cliffs in the Palmaghatt Ravine, Murrary Hill, Castle Point, Millbrook, Beacon Hill and Lake Minnewaska continue to be off limits to climbing. And the ban now also extends to the newly acquired lands including the Awosting Reserve (Gertrude'sNose), the crags at the Shevchenko parcel crags and Sam's Point.

I hope to see you there.

/derf

Here are some speaking or writing guidelines from Dave R.

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Very important that climbers show a united front.

Comments on style,ethics etc.are not helpful.

Stick to the big picture: Climbing is a legitimate activity that should
be allowed in the state park, much like it is onthe vast majority of
public land. Why is New York State Park different, from other state's
Parks and Federal land?

Do NOT thank them for the limited increase. Any positives will be
counted against an increase in climbing within the park, and
justification for the preferred alternative, whenthey tally up the
comments and respond. Continue to press the point that the climbing
community is unhappy with the Park's response to climbers in the plan.

Do talk about the unique and great experiencesthat climbing in other
areas of the park has to offer.

Do talk about climbing history in areas thatpre-date the park, both the
new acquisitions and older areas in the park,prior to the existence of
the park.

Do talk about the history of and the future availability of climbers
to do volunteer work for the park, whether for resource inventory or
rescue.

Do talk about the fact that the Peterskill withthe climbers/state
partnership looks better than it did 20 yearsago.

Talk about how much garbage climbers haul out and trail work did we do.

Continue to press the point that the master plan should neither decide
on what area should be open or closed, but should allow for development
of a climbing management plan that allows for the future opening of
areas based on true impacts in the park. The Access Fund has written
and been involved with the writing of many and is ready to help.

Point to the success of the climbing partnership at the Peterskill. And
that climbers are a responsible and legitimate user group, and should
not be banned from the majority of the park.

The State Park should rely on the GCC and the Access Fund for their
expertise, and representation of the climbing community.

Continue to push for ice climbing, and ask for clarification on their
language about ice climbing.

Last if you are from New York, let them know that you will be sending
written comments and following up with your elected local state
Assemblyperson and Senator, about your dissatisfaction with the draft
plan, and will be asking x number of friends to do the same.

If anyone knows any local reporters, alert them to the meeting, and how
upset with the planning process climbersare. It would be nice to get
some media coverage.