Dear Ms. Crotty:

As a resident of Putnam Valley and a recreational user of the Mount Nimham State Forest, I urge you to reconsider DEC's decision to log our maturing forests.

The DEC has been less than open in the way it has handled development of the Mount Nimham Model Forest Project. Local governments, especially the Town's Conservation Advisory Council and adjoining property owners, should have been involved in the decision making process from the outset or, at the very least, informed and given ample opportunity to offer advice, suggestions and objections.

These lands are the last vestige of natural ecosystems and highly valued recreational areas which result in thousands of tourist visits each year. They are one of the few areas that separate Putnam County from over-developed Westchester, providing a natural refuge and haven from our ever-increasingly stressful lives. Genuine forests in the Hudson Highlands are rare and what few are left are endangered by encroaching development. The best use of these lands is for recreational and therapeutic uses, viewshed protection and environmental enhancement.

I urge you to reconsider your decision to log our maturing forests and encourage you to continue managing them in a manner compatible with their current use. I urge you to allow the remaining State held forests in Putnam County's Highlands to be managed in a way that will allow them to regain a natural balance after 250 years of logging and abuse and allow us to hand old growth forest to the next generation of Highlanders.

Thank you for helping to protect and preserve the Hudson Highlands.

Sincerely,
JA, Putnam Valley

cc: Marc Moran, Regional Director
William Rudge, Regional Natural Resources Supervisor
Jeff Wiegert, Supervising Forester, NYS DEC