Hon. Erin M. Crotty, Commissioner
Department of Environmental Conservation
625 Broadway,
Albany, NY 12233-1011

Dear Commissioner Crotty:

I am absolutely opposed to the Amendment to the Hudson Highlands Unit Management Plan as it will be applied to the Nimham Mountain Multiple Use Area. I consider the 1,023 acre area in the Town of Kent to be a valuable resource of old growth forest to be left in its natural, unmanaged state for the enjoyment of all the people of Putnam County and the New York Metro area, with no logging or any such commercial activity, with no thinning out of “less desireable” stands or any such plantation type forest management activities and with no road building.

Furthermore, I believe it is foolish in the extreme to conceive of the application of herbicides to alien plant life that have been growing in the Nimham Mountain forest area, so close to the West Branch Reservoir, which is such a vital part of the New York City Watershed. The invasive species can be removed by hand, by willing volunteers who share my view of the need to preserve this area in its natural state, for the sake of its beauty and the solitude that it offers to people. There are few areas so close to the City that offer this benefit and no new knowledge can be gained by the Department’s “research” project in this area. In short, this area should be left forever wild, with no disturbance of any of the interdependent elements of this ecosystem.

Sincerely,

AF
New York City