WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST?
Years ago, I hitched a ride from an older gentleman in the Town of Denning. He pointed up the forested mountain as we drove along, “I remember before that was ‘wilderness’.” He was referring to the current owners, or the NYS DEC state forest preserve. I was quite young, and it never really occurred to me to think about those that made a living before the state came in. Most of the state forest preserve occurs on the most mountainous terrain where fewer farms existed, but not all. Instead, forestry or “lumbering” operations were more common. But sometimes, you can find where one’s home, barn, and outhouse once occurred. A place where humans raised families and hayfields were kept. Now a “wilderness.” Don’t tell me things don’t change. That’s phenomenal.
May the Forest Be with You,
Ryan Trapani
Director of Forest Services
Catskill Forest Association