Press Release
November 12, 2008
Contact:
Eileen Larrabee
Dan Keefe
518.486.1868
State Parks Issues Draft Trails Plan for Sterling Forest® State Park
New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Commissioner Carol Ash announced today that the agency has issued a Draft Trails Plan and Environmental Assessment to address a range of trail issues at Sterling Forest® State Park.
"We are pleased to make available for public review a trails plan for Sterling Forest State Park. This comprehensive plan provides a vision and analysis of a trails system to include single track and family hiking, biking, equestrian, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and interpretive trails. We look forward to continuing to work with the community on the development and implementation of the trails plan," Commissioner Ash said.
Sterling Forest® State Park is located in Orange County. It comprises close to 20,000 acres of nearly pristine natural refuge amidst one of the nation's most densely populated areas. The park is a remarkable piece of woodland and a tremendous outdoor recreation area. This unbroken deep-forest habitat is important for the survival of many resident and migratory species, including black bear, a variety of hawks and songbirds and many rare invertebrates and plants.
The Draft Plan is available on the State Park website (www.nysparks.com). The agency will accept comments on the document until the close of business December 5, 2008. Comments can be sent to:
Sterling Forest® Draft Trails Plan Documents
Robert W. Reinhardt, Director
Bureau of Resource and Facility Planning
NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
Agency Building 1, 17th Floor
Empire State Plaza
Albany, New York 12238
(518) 486-2909
(518) 474-7013 (fax)