DEC and Open Space Institute Announce Expansion of Roosa Gap State Forest

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and the Open Space Institute (OSI) today announced the addition of more than 98 acres of fully forested land to Roosa Gap State Forest in Sullivan County. Located high on the Shawangunk Ridge, the parcel is home to one of the largest chestnut oak forests in New York State.

"Protecting and growing New York's forest resources, sustaining the State's investments in growing forests like Roosa Gap, and DEC's ongoing work with land trusts, private landowners, and other stakeholders are critical to bolstering climate resiliency in the long term," DEC Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar said. "DEC is excited to partner with OSI to conserve this land, protecting forest habitat and providing improved recreational opportunities for residents and visitors in Sullivan County."

"OSI is proud of this newest achievement in our decades-long work along the iconic Shawangunk Ridge," OSI President and CEO Erik Kulleseid said. "Our efforts in the Shawangunks have delivered critical benefits including the safeguarding of habitat for countless wildlife species and the conservation and enhancement of numerous outdoor recreation areas. It is a true privilege to continue protecting the natural resources and inimitable beauty of this region."

Originally acquired by OSI in 2006, the property was transferred to DEC to become part of Roosa Gap. This expansion of the State forest will enhance opportunities for hiking and other recreational activities in the southern Shawangunks, as well as protecting important stretches of the 357-mile Long Path and the 71-mile Shawangunk Ridge Trail, which cross through the parcel.

DEC purchased the 98-acre parcel using $155,840 from the State's Environmental Protection Fund (EPF). Among the many environmental victories in the enacted 2024-25 State Budget, Governor Kathy Hochul and legislative leaders maintained the historically high level of $400 million in EPF funding. The EPF supports climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts, improves agricultural resources to promote sustainable agriculture, protects water sources, advances conservation efforts, and provides recreational opportunities for New Yorkers. The EPF also supports New York's 30x30 initiative, which commits to conserving 30 percent of lands and waters by 2030.    

For more information on New York's lands and forests, visit DEC's website.

DEC remains focused on the goals of New York's State Forest Action Plan:

• Keep New York's forests as forests;
• Keep New York's forests healthy;
• Increase forest benefits for humans and all living creatures; and
• Appreciate, support, and protect New York's forests.

Conservation of the Shawangunk Ridge has long been a priority for OSI. Since the 1980s, OSI acquired and protected more than 37,000 acres on and around the Ridge, despite widespread development in Ulster, Sullivan, and Orange counties. The land is part of a contiguous swath of wilderness stretching from Ellenville south to the New Jersey border, comprising the Shawangunk Ridge, Roosa Gap, Wurtsboro Ridge, Gobbler's Knob, Graham Mountain, and Huckleberry Ridge State forests.

The Shawangunk Ridge is home to a globally unique ecosystem featuring one of the largest pitch pine barrens in the world. The 50-mile-long Ridge is a major East Coast flyway for migratory birds, and its forests are habitat for bobcats, black bears, timber rattlesnakes and more than 200 species of nesting birds.

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