Release Date: March 12, 2025

It’s 65 acres of pristine unfragmented forest near the top of Mt. Tobias in the Town of Woodstock and, thanks to generous donors who contributed between $5 and $105,000, the Woodstock Land Conservancy (WLC) will ensure it remains protected forever. The Conservancy announced this week that it had secured the $310,000 in funding required to acquire the property.

“Our primary mission as a land trust is the preservation of lands for habitat and carbon sequestration,” WLC Executive Director Andy Mossey said. “Thanks to the generous support of more than 40 donors, this sensitive ecosystem is going to remain wild. It was our dream, but they made it a reality.”

The land acquisition is due to be completed in May.  The funds were not only needed for the purchase itself but also for the required documentation such as an appraisal, survey, title search and environmental report. The Conservancy’s staff and Board of Directors will then develop a land management plan to preserve the area for wildlife while preparing for public recreational use in the future.

The 65 acres boast a number of conservation benefits, and it ranks in the top 1% of the Forest Condition Index. Features include

•  being part of the Hudson Valley “Core Forest,” which is especially important for sensitive wildlife including many forest songbirds; 
• comprising a significant wildlife corridor connecting lower and higher elevations;
• serving as the home for rare terrestrial animals that rely on high quality forest habitats; and
• being designated as a Significant Biodiversity Area that supports processes critical to maintaining habitats for rare animal and plant populations while helping protect the integrity of unfragmented forest in the Catskills.

According to Kevin Smith, chair of WLC’s Board, the Conservancy will also work with the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to add this land to the Catskill Forest Preserve. If that were to come to fruition, it would advance the state’s goal to connect the top of Mount Tobias to the Maurice D. Hinchey Catskills Visitor Center through a public trail. Smith noted it generally takes years for the state to acquire land, but WLC would be pleased to again partner with DEC to further a conservation goal in the state’s Open Space Plan.

After receiving multiple pledges from generous donors totaling $210,000, WLC announced the final phase of the fundraising campaign in early February. A philanthropic supporter committed up to $50,000 in matching funds if WLC could raise $50,000 by March 31. Thanks to the support of 43 donors, WLC exceeded its $310,000 goal in record time, completing the campaign in the first four days of March.

“Without the support from our community, this acquisition and the future protection of this land would not have been possible,” Mossey said. “Notably, one generous donor had the great idea to help us drum up more support by requesting that their donation be matched dollar-for-dollar. I am so proud of the team at WLC who worked hard to make sure we could match each and every one of those $50,000.”

There was some initial concern about launching a large fund drive given the current economic uncertainty. “Given the tumultuous times in which we live, one could argue this was not the best time to launch a significant fundraising campaign,” Smith said. “We are inspired and gratified at how our community responded – and in record time.” 

WLC Board President Patty Goodwin noted she was confident Conservancy supporters would feel empowered by helping to protect land locally, as many want to make a demonstrable difference protecting the environment even as federal bureaucrats are gutting those protections nationally. “We’re going to stay true to our mission to conserve land,” she said, “and we’re thrilled to have community members who want to help us ‘keep Woodstock wild’.”