Saving Sterling Forest

Ann Botshon

Description

This is the inspiring story of the twenty-five-year-long effort to preserve Sterling Forest, a tract of rugged, upland terrain encompassing twenty thousand acres within the New York–New Jersey Highlands. Barely forty miles northwest of New York City, Sterling Forest seemed destined to suffer the same fate that had befallen thousands of acres of land in this rapidly suburbanizing corridor. The fight to save Sterling Forest brought together one of the largest coalitions of environmental groups and government entities ever assembled. Despite the loose, sometimes fractious nature of the alliance, the coalition managed to extract support from Congress, New York State, New Jersey, and private donors, while at the same time negotiating a contract to purchase the land from the Sterling Forest Corporation, a company that vigorously protected its financial interests at every turn. Deemed by some to be one of the more remarkable environmental victories of the 1990s, the successful outcome of the Sterling Forest struggle—a large state park within easy access of millions of people and a protected supply of water to New Jersey residents—embodied virtually every facet of land-use conflict. It provides a model for saving other areas where critical wild lands are threatened by development.
List of Illustrations
Foreword by Richard Botshon and Lisa Botshon

1. A Forest Is at Stake

2. Money from the Colonial Rocks

Sterling Forest—A gem of Highlands real estate
Iron mines flourish, then fade
Key tracts change hands
Early conservation efforts in the Highlands
The nineteenth and twentieth century preservation movement emerges

3. The Sprawl Wars Begin

Looking at land as a high-profit investment
Sprawl imposes major changes in the region
Big plans afoot for the forest
Major constraints to large-scale subdivision
The Sterling Forest Corporation’s first plan
The corporation’s next plan: Sterling One
The people of Tuxedo versus the corporation
Orange County welcomes money from sprawl

4. The Art of Launching a (Forest) Preservation Movement, 1985–1990

Protecting the Appalachian Trail in the 1980s, piece by piece
As the grassroots mobilizes . . .
. . . the corporation reinvents itself
The death and life of a Thruway Exit in Tuxedo
“Convergence of concern about Sterling Forest”
A new strategic element: The Sterling Forest Coalition
The corporation strikes back
Heimbach brought in as development point man
The pivotal Kostmayer hearing on preservation sets the federal stage
The recalcitrance of Benjamin Gilman

5. New Corporate Actions Make Enviros Scramble

The parent corporation loses money big time
Need cash? Float a plan for 14,500 houses
The very first federal money—$250,000 for a Highlands study
The corporation envisions murals, fountains, and some trees
But forest watchers see a Swiss-cheese forest
Asking the feds for big bucks
New York barely hangs on as a player
Divisions in the environmental ranks
A forest on two launch pads

6. Government Sees Green

The partial purchase proposal: Selling the forest for seed money
New players in Washington: Three supporters introduce key House legislation
The Park Service gets balky
Stateside: New Jersey firms up its commitment
Stateside: New York State creates a new open space funding source
The downward spiral of Home Holdings

7. Turning the Grassroots into a Fighting Force

Sterling Forest Coalition moves to the rear; the new Sterling Forest Resources is launched
The Public Private Partnership to Save Sterling Forest
Environmental review of the corporation’s project begins
The public gets its say

8. Bounced Around in the Washington Turf Wars

Contract with America holds up congressional action
New York wants it to happen
The diabolical land swap proposals of 1996
Dousing the Contract with America brushfire
Back to the negotiating table
Sales contract for 90 percent of the forest
Back to the Washington melee
Time is running out

9. The Open Space Movement Saves a Highlands Jewel

The federal and state governments come through, and so does the private sector
Contract compromises mar the deal
New York and New Jersey get their new park
The corporation still banks on a piece of the rock

10. A New Vision for Land Preservation

How preservation prevailed
The fight for open space continues
Sprawl is not inevitable
Epilogue
by Jürgen Wekerle

Notes
Index

Sujets

• Central
• National

Informations

• Publié par: State University of New York Press
• Date de parution: 01 février 2012
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780791480847
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

ANNBOTSHON

S A V I N G Sterling Forest

photograph by Richard Botshon

The Epic Struggle to Preserve New York’s Highlands

Ann Botshon

S T A T E U N I V E R S I T Y O F N E W Y O R K P R E S S

Çôé à:“Śé àé ô é ôé (ŝ)”  Géôé M. Āôŝô Ûŝé  éŝŝô ô é àŝ.

Pûŝé  Ś tat e Û n i v e r s ity o f  e w o r k P re s s Ā l ban y

© 2007 Śàé Ûéŝ ô é ô

Ā ŝ éŝéé

Pé  é Ûé Śàéŝ ô Āéçà

ô à ô ŝ ôô à é ûŝé ô éôûçé  à àé àŝôéé ôû é éŝŝô. ô à ô ŝ ôô à é ŝôé  à ééà ŝŝé ô àŝé  à ô ô  à éàŝ çû ééçôç, ééçôŝàç, àéç àé, éçàçà, ôôçô, éçô, ô ôéŝé ôû é ô éŝŝô   ô é ûŝé.

ô ôàô, àéŝŝ Śàé Ûéŝ ô é ô Péŝŝ 194 àŝô Āéûé, Śûé 305, Āà,  12210-2384

Pôûçô à ôô éŝ, àûé Śéà Màé, Śûŝà Péé

Library of Congress CataloginginPublication Data ôŝô, Ā, 1942– Śà Śé ôéŝ : é éç ŝûé ô éŝéé é ô’ŝ àŝ / Ā ôŝô.  . ç. çûéŝ ôàçà éééçéŝ à é. Ś-13: 978-0-7914-6939-2 (àçôé : à. àé) Ś-10: 0-7914-6939-5 (àçôé : à. àé) Ś-13: 978-0-7914-6940-8 (. : à. àé) Ś-10: 0-7914-6940-9 (. : à. àé) 1. ôéŝ çôŝéàô—é ô (Śàé)—Śé ôéŝ. 2. ôéŝ ààéé—é ô (Śàé)— Śé ôéŝ. 3. Śé ôéŝ (..) . é.

ŚD428.Ā2727 2007 333.75b160974737--ç22 2006003066

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

List of Illustrations

Contents

Foreword by Richard Botshon and Lisa Botshon

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3

A Forest Is at Stake

Money from the Colonial Rocks Sterîng Forest—a gem o Hîghands rea estate ïron mînes lourîsh, then ade Key tracts change hands Eary conservatîon eforts în the Hîghands The nîneteenth and twentîeth century preservatîon movement emerges

The Sprawl Wars Begin Lookîng at and as a hîgh-proit învestment Spraw împoses major changes în the regîon Bîg pans aoot or the orest Major constraînts to arge-scae subdîvîsîon The Sterîng Forest Corporatîon’s irst pan The corporatîon’s next pan: Sterîng One The peope o Tuxedo versus the corporatîon Orange County wecomes money rom spraw

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TheArtofLaunchinga(Forest)PreservationMovement, 1985–1990 Protectîng the Appaachîan Traî în the 1980s, pîece by pîece As the grassroots mobîîzes . . . . . . the corporatîon reînvents îtse The death and îe o a Thruway Exît în Tuxedo “Convergence o concern about Sterîng Forest” A new strategîc eement:The Sterîng Forest Coaîtîon The corporatîon strîkes back Heîmbach brought în as deveopment poînt man The pîvota Kostmayer hearîng on preservatîon sets the edera stage The recacîtrance o Benjamîn Gîman

New Corporate Actions Make Enviros Scramble The parent corporatîon oses money bîg tîme Need cash? Foat a pan or 14,500 houses The very irst edera money—$250,000 or a Hîghands study The corporatîon envîsîons muras, ountaîns, and some trees But orest watchers see a Swîss-cheese orest Askîng the eds or bîg bucks NewYork barey hangs on as a payer Dîvîsîons în the envîronmenta ranks A orest on two aunch pads

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Government Sees Green 99 The partîa purchase proposa: Seîng the orest or seed money New payers în Washîngton:Three supporters întroduce key House egîsatîon The Park Servîce gets baky Statesîde: New Jersey irms up îts commîtment Statesîde: NewYork State creates a new open space undîng source The downward spîra o Home Hodîngs

Turning the Grassroots into a Fighting Force Sterîng Forest Coaîtîon moves to the rear; the new Sterîng Forest  Resources îs aunched The Pubîc Prîvate Partnershîp to Save Sterîng Forest

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Envîronmenta revîew o the corporatîon’s project begîns The pubîc gets îts say

Bounced Around in the Washington Turf Wars Contract wîth Amerîca hods up congressîona actîon NewYork wants ît to happen The dîaboîca and swap proposas o 1996 Dousîng the Contract wîth Amerîca brushire Back to the negotîatîng tabe Saes contract or 90 percent o the orest Back to the Washîngton meee Tîme îs runnîng out

The Open Space Movement Saves a Highlands Jewel The edera and state governments come through, and so does the  prîvate sector Contract compromîses mar the dea NewYork and New Jersey get theîr new park The corporatîon stî banks on a pîece o the rock

10 A New Vision for Land Preservation How preservatîon prevaîed The ight or open space contînues Spraw îs not înevîtabe

Epilogue by Jürgen Wekerle

Notes

Index

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List of Illustrations

 Pôô ô Śé àé. Çôûéŝ ô Rçà ôŝô. Figure 1 ÛŚDĀ ôéŝ Śéçé à ô é àŝ éô (2004). ŝ à éçŝ é ŝà ô 3.5 ô àçéŝ ŝéç ô àŝû, Péŝàà, ô àô, Çôéççû, à àé û é ûŝô àŝ, ô ç Śé ôéŝ ŝ à é éçé.  é à ô 2004, Péŝé Géôé . ûŝ ŝé é àŝ Çôŝéàô Āç ô à, çô $100 ô ô ééà ûŝ ô é çôŝéé ŝ éô. Çôûéŝ ô é ÛŚDĀ ôéŝ Śéçé.

Figure 2 -à à çà ôçàô ô Śé ôéŝ. Çôû- éŝ ô Śéé ûIôŝ. Figure 3 ééé-çéû à.ŝ à àççôàé é ô- ŝéçûŝ ôé Śé ôôŝ ô ŝàé  1856. Çôû- éŝ ô é Ôàé Çôû ŝôçà Śôçé. Figure 4 ééé-çéû ôôà ô ôôŝ à é- ôééŝ. Śé ûàçé #3 àŝ ôé ô é ûŝ ûŝé ô àûàçûé à ô ôûçŝ  é ééé çé- û. Çôûéŝ ô é Ôàé Çôû ŝôçà Śôçé. Figure 5 Śé ôéŝ ôéçé à à éàé ééôé àçé ççà 1998.Çôûéŝ ô é Gà .àô Çéé ô Réôé Śéŝ & Śàà Āàŝŝ, Rûéŝ Ûéŝ. Figure 6 Śé ôéŝ Śàé Pà  à (2003). Çôûéŝ ô é Pàŝàéŝ éŝàé Pàŝ Çôŝŝô.

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