November 16, 2021
Jim Bonesteel
As you may already know, RPA's board and staff launched the Forests Forever Campaign in early 2021, with enthusiastic support from our local conservation community.
The goals and inspiration behind the campaign include conserving wildlife pathways between forests, protecting water quality, and supporting recreation and human communities.
I'm so happy to let you know that—thanks to people who care like you do—the campaign has already raised 80% of its $2 million goal.
And I'm especially thrilled to let you know that we've spent the first of the funds to conserve an important forested pathway on the Rensselaer Plateau.
RPA recently closed on a 53-acre forested property that secures a corridor between 5,293 acres of conserved land to the north and 6,688 acres to the south. This creates 12,034 acres of connected, permanently conserved forest!
The property has a beautiful beaver pond that you can view from Dutch Church Road, spruce forests, and hemlock-hardwood swamps.
This forest was sold to the Rensselaer Plateau Alliance by Claes and Martha Sjogreen, who owned the land for 40 years before retiring and moving to California to be closer to their grandchildren.
Connected lands for wildlife, water, and people
Large conserved forestlands like this protect our drinking water, allow wildlife to move as needed, and support our native ecology. Not to mention the boon to hikers, birders, mountain bikers, hunters, and lovers of the outdoors.
The Sjogreen property connects the Capital District Wildlife Management Area CDWMA and Cherry Plain State Park to future State Forest to the north that was formerly owned by Cowee Forest Products, is now owned by The Conservation Fund, and will ultimately be owned by NYS Department of Environmental Conservation.
Hikers, take note: The future state forest land also connects directly to RPA’s Poestenkill Community Forest. I look forward to the day when I can invite you to walk on a Thru-Hike from Garfield Road in Stephentown all the way to the community forest!
Now is the time to help slow down, and buffer the effects of, climate change; outpace development pressure; and connect people of all ages and walks of life with all that wild nature offers.
There is no time to lose.
With help from you, our conservation community, I know we can do it. Thanks to so much generous support and momentum for conservation on the Rensselaer Plateau, the Sjogreen conservation project is just the beginning.