| Catskill Country - The Catskill Forest Preserve |
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The Catskill Forest Preserve |
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| The Catskill Forest Preserve comprises 41 percent of the Catskill Park. The Preserve is the state land within the Catskill Park. Since its creation in 1885, it has grown from 34,000 to almost 300,000 acres ( pristine land protected as "forever wild" in New York's Constitution.) |
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| Forest preserve lands are protected under Article 14 of the New York State Constitution as "forever wild" and cannot be logged, leased or sold and must be managed to protect wilderness values. In addition, the state pays local taxes on the land. |
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| The forest preserve has thousands of acres of forests with meadows, remnants of old farmsteads, lakes, rivers, springs, waterfalls and cliffs. Also, there are hundreds of miles of abandoned logging roads and trails to enjoy. |
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| Today, it serves as watershed, recreation area and ecological and scenic reserve. |
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| In 1892, the state spent $250 to build a trail up Slide Mountain, which had only recently been proven to be the range's highest peak. It would be the first hiking trail built at public expense in New York's Forest Preserve. |
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