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Do you own forested land? Are you looking for ideas on the
best way to maintain your pristine Catskill streams? Wondering
about forests pests like Hemlock Wooly Adelgid and Beech
Bark disease? Or are you just looking for a new place to
explore the natural beauty of Catskill woodlands? In any
case, visiting the Frost Valley Model Forest in Ulster County
should be on your list of outings for this fall.
 The
Frost Valley Model Forest is a 240-acre Model Forest developed
for use as a “living classroom” for education,
research and demonstration located in Ulster County atop
the Neversink watershed basin. Nearby are some of the Catskills’
premiere high peaks trails, including access to the highest,
Slide Mountain (elevation, 4,180 feet). Experiencing this
particular stretch of Catskill forest is truly worth the
trip.
The Frost Valley Model Forest is one of four such facilities
established by the Watershed Forestry Program for the New
York City Watershed and administered in partnership with
the Watershed Agricultural Council. A number of contributing
partners make up the team involved in this premiere watershed
research forest: USDA Forest Service and Army Corps of Engineers
and New York City Department of Environmental Protection
provide funding; the US Geological Survey monitors water
on the site; Professor Rene Germain of SUNY College of Environmental
Science and Forestry leads the research team; and water
quality best management practices are implemented with the
Watershed Agricultural Council’s Forestry Program
staff.
The property is owned and operated by the bustling Frost
Valley YMCA, which hosts thousands of visiting students
and families – winter, spring, summer and fall. The
interpretive forest is designed to provide education and
outreach through a guided walking experience to participants
in Frost Valley’s educational programs, plus landowners,
foresters, timber harvesters – and anyone interested
in understanding the forest better.
At the trail head is a map of the Model Forest and along
the trail, hikers will discover educational panels illustrating
important “best management practices” to incorporate
into your forest plans, like temporary stream crossings,
culverts and other erosion control measures. The 2.5 mile
trail (moderate in difficulty) is designed to provoke thought
about today’s forest management issues and strategies
that woodland owners can consider on their land.
If you are a forest owner or someone interested in exploring
and learning about the forests around you, a trip to the
Frost Valley Model Forest will provide an enjoyable and
educational experience that will help you understand the
importance of good stewardship practices that contribute
to healthy working forests, while at the same time giving
you a glimpse of how well-managed forests can help protect
and enhance water quality and the environment.
Visitors to the Frost Valley Model Forest are asked to
register at the Frost Valley Administration Building, one
mile from the trail head. To contact Frost Valley directly,
call (845) 985-2291. To take a virtual tour of a model forest,
click on Forest Virtual Tour on the home
page.
Travel Directions:
From Albany & Points
North: From NY Thruway Exit 19 (Kingston), go 30
miles West on Route 28. Look for signs on left side of road
marked “Big Indian.” Turn left onto County Road
47 and go 14 miles to Frost Valley.
From Points South:
From the New York Thruway Exit 16 (Harriman) go 55 miles
West on Route 17 to Exit 100A (Liberty). At the end of the
exit ramp turn right onto Route 55 East. Take Route 55 East
10 miles to Curry. Look for sign on the right side of the
road marked “Claryville.” Turn left onto County
Road 19 and go 4 miles to Claryville. Turn left onto County
Road 157 (which becomes County Road 47) and drive seven
miles to Frost Valley.
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