Regional Overview
The region
of the Catskill Mountains is a very unique environmental, historical and
demographic area. The presence of natural resources including plentiful hunting
and fishing allowed Native Americans to thrive and attracted many early
settlers to this vast wilderness. Agriculturally the area is known to
have “two stones for every dirt”; however farming, lumbering, dairy farming and
wool production have been a source of income for many over the years. Bark
from the abundant Hemlock trees made leather production an important industry
from the mid to late nineteenth century. The leather produced here supplied
shoes and saddles to the Union soldiers during the Civil War. When the railroad
connected the area to New York City in 1870, tourists came to enjoy the fresh
air as well as the hunting and fishing. Many writers and artist were
inspired by the views from and of the mountains, surrounded by streams and
abundant wildlife. Historically the Catskill area was home to much folklore,
most famously the story of Rip Van Winkle. (Catskill Mountain Keeper)
The Catskills are located about eight miles west of the Hudson River and about two hundred miles North West of NYC. They are an extension of the Appalachian Mountain range and are very old, rounded mountains. Important natural resources of the area include more than 30 mountain peaks over 35,000 feet in elevation and six major river systems including the Hudson, Delaware, Mohawk and Susquehanna Rivers. Within the area is the Catskill Forest Preserve which contains over 287,000 acres of forest designated as "forever wild" by the New York State Legislature in 1904. The area has been referred to as "America's First Wilderness" because it was a first in conservation efforts of its kind in the country. The State continues to acquire land to add to the Preserve because of its significant ecological importance. It is estimated that 1,500 to 2, 000 black bears live in the Catskill Region and the bald eagle thrives in the reservoir areas. (The Catskills) Environmentally the area has inspired many people to take pride in and enjoy the splendor of the abundant habitats. The area is great for visitors who enjoy outdoor activities such as skiing, biking, rafting, hiking, rock climbing and fishing.
The demographics of the area include six counties with a total land area about the size of Connecticut. The counties include Sullivan, Delaware, Greene, Otsego, Schoharie and Ulster. The area is mostly made up of small rural towns and about 400,000 people live within the Catskill Region. There are over 2,000 farmers in the Catskills who cultivate 400,000 acres of farmland. Primary sources of employment are in the manufacturing, professional and service industry. Ulster County contains 181,860 people, much more than the other counties. It also contains the highest median for annual income and household value. Schoharie County has the lowest population at 32,277, with the third highest median annual income of $40,786. The lowest median annual income is $36,086 in Otsego County, which has a population of 62,746. In all six counties, about 80% of residents have completed high school and roughly 20% have a higher education.(The Catskills)
The most significant factor of the region is that New York City is dependent upon Catskill reservoirs for their water supply. Between 1905 and 1965, New York City dammed several streams in the Catskills to create six large reservoirs that supply 90% of the water used by nine million people. The water from these reservoirs supplies 1.3 billion gallons of unfiltered clean water every day. Needing to filter this much water would be far too expensive so New York City has invested millions to protect the watershed and the quality of the water. This includes land use restrictions for the communities in the watershed areas. (The Catskill Center for Conservation and Development)
The Catskills are located about eight miles west of the Hudson River and about two hundred miles North West of NYC. They are an extension of the Appalachian Mountain range and are very old, rounded mountains. Important natural resources of the area include more than 30 mountain peaks over 35,000 feet in elevation and six major river systems including the Hudson, Delaware, Mohawk and Susquehanna Rivers. Within the area is the Catskill Forest Preserve which contains over 287,000 acres of forest designated as "forever wild" by the New York State Legislature in 1904. The area has been referred to as "America's First Wilderness" because it was a first in conservation efforts of its kind in the country. The State continues to acquire land to add to the Preserve because of its significant ecological importance. It is estimated that 1,500 to 2, 000 black bears live in the Catskill Region and the bald eagle thrives in the reservoir areas. (The Catskills) Environmentally the area has inspired many people to take pride in and enjoy the splendor of the abundant habitats. The area is great for visitors who enjoy outdoor activities such as skiing, biking, rafting, hiking, rock climbing and fishing.
The demographics of the area include six counties with a total land area about the size of Connecticut. The counties include Sullivan, Delaware, Greene, Otsego, Schoharie and Ulster. The area is mostly made up of small rural towns and about 400,000 people live within the Catskill Region. There are over 2,000 farmers in the Catskills who cultivate 400,000 acres of farmland. Primary sources of employment are in the manufacturing, professional and service industry. Ulster County contains 181,860 people, much more than the other counties. It also contains the highest median for annual income and household value. Schoharie County has the lowest population at 32,277, with the third highest median annual income of $40,786. The lowest median annual income is $36,086 in Otsego County, which has a population of 62,746. In all six counties, about 80% of residents have completed high school and roughly 20% have a higher education.(The Catskills)
The most significant factor of the region is that New York City is dependent upon Catskill reservoirs for their water supply. Between 1905 and 1965, New York City dammed several streams in the Catskills to create six large reservoirs that supply 90% of the water used by nine million people. The water from these reservoirs supplies 1.3 billion gallons of unfiltered clean water every day. Needing to filter this much water would be far too expensive so New York City has invested millions to protect the watershed and the quality of the water. This includes land use restrictions for the communities in the watershed areas. (The Catskill Center for Conservation and Development)
Map of the counties in the Catskills
(Catskills GIS Atlas. Catskill Center)
Catskill MountainKeeper: The Advocate for the Catskills. (2012)
Date Visited 2/12/12
The
Catskills: Best of Both Worlds. (2010) Date Visited 2/12/12.
http://thecatskillregion.com/about-the-catskills/Facts
The
Catskill Center for Conservation and Development. (2012) Date Visited 2/12/12.
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Annotated Environmental Links
New
York Times
Annotated Environmental Links
This article was written by Miyea
Navarro under the Envrionment section of New
York Times and explains the controversy that occurred in 2010 regarding
natural gas drilling in upstate New York and the clean water in the Catskill
reservoirs. The area supplies most of New York City's drinking water and state
officials decided each new well for drilling would have to be subject to an
environmental impact review. The gas companies planned to use hydraulic
fracturing to obtain gas. The article provides a brief description of hydraulic
fracturing, also known as fracking. The article also states that since the
State Department of Environmental Conservation decided against the drilling,
New York City will not have the burden of spending billions of dollars on water
filtration if pollution were to occur.
This
article talks about the importance of the area’s natural gas reservoir. The Catskill Mountains supply most of New York City’s water supply through the Delaware
River Valley. This creates a conflict of interest between those who need water
in and around New York State and those who want energy supplies. The reason we
cannot have both right now is because hydro-fracking is not safe enough to
allow drilling in New York State. It has been allowed in other areas such as
P.A, resulting in a complete contamination of the water supply. The article shows
how some citizens say it’s an outrage when they hear about others who can now
light their water on fire because it is so polluted. Only the future will tell
what will be done with the water and gas reserves and measures are being taken
to try to use precaution and impact assessments before any drilling is done in
New York.
This website is great for an overall
understanding about the Catskill Parks
and what it has to offer in terms of lodging, hiking, recreation, natural
beauty in all seasons. It also highlights the towns in the Catskills for
tourists to come and visit. Hunter Mountain is an area every summer where
artists and listeners come to jam out at the festival known as Mountain Jam.
The local artists and listeners are dedicated to enjoying a great atmosphere of
the Catskill Mts. Camp grounds in the
area are abundant and there are many good reviews for year round visits. Various people have hiked the trails around
Hunter as well as been skied there for generations. The atmosphere in the
Catskills has a unique sense of place and is very popular to visit. This
website explains the history of the area to get a better understanding of why
that is. It is easy to see the historical significance of the abundant
resources and do it yourself type of motto, that helped to expand and home lots
of pioneers.
This website links to; the Catskill Forest Preserve ,
readings, maps recreation lands, fishing spots, fire towers, as well as the
forest preserve master plan. What I liked about this site was that it also
links to the ecology for the area. It talks about plant and animal life in the
region, which is important because it makes the region spectacular in its own
way. The region has so much to offer in
terms of tourism, but the people who live there are able to enjoy it every day.
The article explains that these people live a slower paced lifestyle than areas
in the Hudson Valley, but they are very kind and welcoming to visitors. They
have so many stories to tell you about their life experiences and many of that
is revolved around their outdoor adventures.
This site is great at describing
the types of houses in the area. It creates a great visual feel for farm houses
and their historic significance to the area. This site is useful because it also links to other articles from
bloggers about their weekend experiences. It talks about moving into the area
and what to expect and how lifestyle is in the Catskills. It introduces the visitor to the types of
businesses and the types of power struggles that people in the area deal with
in terms of political and environmental decisions. It goes in depth with the
feeling of living in the woods and being “one with nature.” The everyday
sightings of birds, reptiles, mammals and other animals excite the people here
and contribute to a greater quality of life for them.
Annotated Economic Links
This site lists the
2012 festivals for all seasons on the mountain. This website is
intended for tourism and general knowledge on the resort. The first of the festivals I will reference is
called, “TAP.” This beer appreciation event is in its 15th year.
This gathering is the largest in New York for Craft Brewers, with over 200
individually crafted beers from 50 different breweries in New York. Another
festival is called the Mountain Jam Fest which has been listed by Rolling Stone
magazine as one of the top ten music festivals in the country. There is also an International Celtic Festival
and two Oktoberfests. People from all over the world come to Hunter Mountain to
enjoy its supply of cultural activities and events.
Catskill Chronicle
This site has reported on the Catskill Harvest Market’s, “Slow Food Fair” to Benefit Local Organizations. These organizations are the Catskill Mountain Keeper and the Slow Food Upper Delaware River Valley. They were launching their campaign called Neighbors First on September 14th 2011. The day that the event took place was in a Garden and Market Center in Liberty, NY. The program spotlights different areas of Sullivan County for amazing food and music and art. The fair allowed for people to try different types of dishes involved in slow foods and will give the businesses good publicity. The site states that the locals enjoy the food their community sells and produces, which allows for a happier economy.
Investing in the Catskill's Future
This website is by the Catskill Watershed Corporation and outlines their plans with the Catskill Fund for the Future. A mixture of economic development, community preservation and water quality protection assists the small business development within the Watershed region. There have been more than 150 loans, worth over$33 million since 1998. This has created hundreds of jobs for the area and for starting, relocating or even expanding businesses. There has also been funding for rebuilding historic structure to employ local architects and contractors to do repairs and upgrades. This all adds to the rehabilitation of the Business District and the Historic Rehabilitation Fund. Maps have been created through a new web based area mapping service to help tourists find their way around the region and increase regional tourism.
Annotated Economic Links
The Catskill MountainKeeper-Advocate for the Catskills
This website advocates to the public about the economic costs of fracking’s boom and bust cycles. This occurs because once the natural gas is taken out; the companies gain the money and move out. What is left of the landscape is depleted and can no longer support the local economy. That means the outdoor recreation will suffer and so will tourism as well as pure and clean water. Public health will suffer from hydrofracking in damaging ways and this is why there is a ban on fracking in New York State. Property values will go down as much as 75% if there are gas drills there.
This website advocates to the public about the economic costs of fracking’s boom and bust cycles. This occurs because once the natural gas is taken out; the companies gain the money and move out. What is left of the landscape is depleted and can no longer support the local economy. That means the outdoor recreation will suffer and so will tourism as well as pure and clean water. Public health will suffer from hydrofracking in damaging ways and this is why there is a ban on fracking in New York State. Property values will go down as much as 75% if there are gas drills there.
Catskill Chronicle
This site has reported on the Catskill Harvest Market’s, “Slow Food Fair” to Benefit Local Organizations. These organizations are the Catskill Mountain Keeper and the Slow Food Upper Delaware River Valley. They were launching their campaign called Neighbors First on September 14th 2011. The day that the event took place was in a Garden and Market Center in Liberty, NY. The program spotlights different areas of Sullivan County for amazing food and music and art. The fair allowed for people to try different types of dishes involved in slow foods and will give the businesses good publicity. The site states that the locals enjoy the food their community sells and produces, which allows for a happier economy.
Investing in the Catskill's Future
This website is by the Catskill Watershed Corporation and outlines their plans with the Catskill Fund for the Future. A mixture of economic development, community preservation and water quality protection assists the small business development within the Watershed region. There have been more than 150 loans, worth over$33 million since 1998. This has created hundreds of jobs for the area and for starting, relocating or even expanding businesses. There has also been funding for rebuilding historic structure to employ local architects and contractors to do repairs and upgrades. This all adds to the rehabilitation of the Business District and the Historic Rehabilitation Fund. Maps have been created through a new web based area mapping service to help tourists find their way around the region and increase regional tourism.
This site says that Monticello in the Catskills used to bring in 120,000 spectators for horse racing, but
today the casino is mostly desolate. The area is now home to many elderly and recipients
of unemployment. Once the hotels closed down there have been reports on a
connection to the decline of tourism in the area. The article states that many of the kids who graduate
from high school can’t find jobs in the things they like or have been studying.
Most of the jobs available are in prisons, hospitals, schools or government
agencies. Assembly woman Gunther says
that every dollar we spend on agriculture gives will give us three back. Other issues that hurt the area include the
use of drugs and gang violence in Monticello.
Annotated Social Links
Annotated Social Links
Vanishing Catskills
Here was a link on the declining population of locals in small mountain villages in the Catskills. What readers enjoyed about this link was the images of the old broken down homes that have been abandoned. The "Catskills boom began in the early 20 th century" and has been on the decline economically since then. The process of "de-industrialization" began to occur in the Catskills and this is when the area was first becoming de-populated. Today, many people such as politicians by the old Victorian style homes that have been re-modeled for suitable/up-scale living conditions.
Greene County Quick Facts from the US Census Bureau
Since trying to find overall population totals for the Catskill Mountain Region was too broad, this link is better because it has solid population statistics for Green County which is located in the Catskills. The statistics show population differences in age, decent, education, business backgrounds, and even geography. They also compare Green County’s population statistics to the entire state averages for each statistic. Overall Green County does not have a diverse population with over 85 percent of the people being white Caucasian.
Tourist Attractions in Ulster County, New York
Here is found a link that shows the most popular tourist spots in the Ulster County region of the Catskill Mountains. There are many attractions in the Catskills that lure tourists from the city as well the rest of the entire state to visit. The outdoor activities are almost endless if you’re a big fan of the outdoors. The Catskills have a lot to offer from hiking and biking to swimming and fishing there is something for every outdoors lover. Whats interesting about this link were the historic backgrounds of many preserved parks throughout the Catskill Mountains.
Delaware County New York School Districts
This link shows all of the public school districts in Delaware, NY. Delaware County is a very preserved little county in the western region of the Catskill Mountains. This link shows a lot of good facts on every public school in Delaware County. Also, this link has all of the public school district official link right on the website which is very convenient. From taking a look at the statistics the viewer can tell that Green County has relatively tiny school districts compared to Ulster County, which has more students overall in their school districts.
History and Early Settlements of the Catskills
This link tells about the historic "Catskill Point" which is transportation and shipping terminal that was created in the 19th century. This link gives good historical facts on how the Dutch originally settled in the area which was known as the "Kaaterskills" to them. It is very interesting that Robert Fulton tested the first ever steamboat on the Hudson River. He also began a commercial operation with many business people from the city and used the Hudson River for shipping goods and it was said every Wednesday his boat stopped in the Catskills.
Created by: Matthew Pomerantz and David Hickman
