County Legislature Seeks Kaaterskill Falls Public Input

CATSKILL — The Greene County Legislature is requesting residents, business owners, and tourism stakeholders to submit public comments on the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation's (NYSDEC) Visitor Use Management (VUM) Report for the Kaaterskill Clove Project Area before the comment period closes on June 1, 2026. Details on how to submit your comment can be found at the bottom of this release — we encourage everyone to take a few minutes to make their voice heard.

About the Kaaterskill Clove Visitor Use Management Project

The New York State Forest Preserve encompasses 2.7 million acres in the Adirondack Park and 288,000 acres in the Catskill Park. Constitutionally protected as "forever wild," the Preserve has seen a steady rise in visitation over the past decade, creating significant management challenges at high-use sites. In response, NYSDEC initiated the Visitor Use Management Pilot Project, selecting the Kaaterskill Clove/Route 23A corridor as one of two statewide case studies to develop long-term monitoring and adaptive management strategies.

Key Challenges Identified at Kaaterskill Falls

The VUM report identifies several challenges during peak summer periods, including parking congestion at major access points, pedestrian safety concerns along the narrow shoulders of Route 23A, and trail crowding that overwhelms facilities and pushes some visitors into higher-risk areas.

Economic Concerns: Finding the Right Balance

Greene County Economic Development acknowledges the public safety challenges outlined in the VUM report, but urges NYSDEC to carefully weigh the economic consequences of the proposed management measures. The proposed framework would cap the area at 1,000 visitors per day — but given that the adjacent North-South Lake Campground holds approximately 800 people, this could effectively limit access to Kaaterskill Falls to as few as 200 visitors per day on busy weekends. Overly restrictive limitations could significantly impact local businesses, hospitality providers, restaurants, and the broader tourism economy that Greene County depends on.

The Greene County Legislature is scheduled to vote on a resolution opposing these proposed restrictions.

Submit Your Comment Before June 1, 2026

The public comment period closes on June 1, 2026. Greene County Economic Development strongly encourages all stakeholders to submit comments urging NYSDEC to maintain reasonable public access that supports Greene County's economy and the livelihoods of those who depend on tourism.

Comments may be submitted to NYSDEC via:

Email: ForestPreserve@dec.ny.gov

Mail: Josh Clague - NYS DEC

625 Broadway, 5th Floor

Albany, NY 12233-4254