The Open Space Institute (OSI) has announced the purchase of more than 3,100 forested acres in the Catskill Park. The property, referred to as the “Blue Hill” property, lies in Neversink and is one of the largest parcels of privately owned, contiguous forestland remaining within the Catskill Blue Line. The property was previously proposed for a large-scale development of housing, resort and commercial uses.

OSI purchased the property for $6.2 million, using funds from its Delaware River Watershed Protection Fund and an anonymous foundation, and plans to convey the land to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). It will be the largest addition to the Catskill Forest Preserve in nearly 25 years.

The property contains a variety of natural resources, including native hardwood forests, undisturbed wetlands, nearly 20 miles of streambanks, and a ridgeline of peaks with views of the surrounding mountains. The highest peak is over 2,700 feet in elevation.

The purchase is considered a major victory for clean water protection, since the land plays a major role in protecting water sources for the Delaware River watershed. The watershed provides clean water to more than 15 million people in New York City, Trenton, Philadelphia, Wilmington and northeastern Pennsylvania. The property's streams and wetlands filter water into the Neversink River, Fir Brook, and Willowemoc River, all within the Delaware River watershed.

The DEC has been operating within a state goal of conserving 30% of the state’s land and water by 2030, and DEC Acting Commissioner Amanda Lefton praised OSI, among other partners, as “instrumental” to this goal.

OSI President and CEO Erik Kulleseid said, “This new acquisition is a rare find, both for its sheer size and for the wealth of benefits it provides. OSI is committed to conserving those landscapes that are most important for the health and well-being of both people and wildlife.”

The Blue Hill property borders the 14,800-acre Willowemoc Wild Forest and the 33,500-acre Big Indian Wilderness in the Catskill Forest Preserve. The addition creates a large block of unfragmented conserved lands in the southwestern Catskills.

The property's varied topography supports a range of wildlife, including songbirds, wood turtles, black bears, fishers, and bobcats. The property also provides important cold-water habitat for native brook trout in the Fir Brook and upper Willowemoc Creek.