Beautiful Saugerties is a citizen-led effort to protect our safe drinking water, clear air, and pristine land for generations to come.
Take Action to Save Winston Farm! - September 2023
Winston Farm's natural beauty and diverse ecosystem are under threat, but together, we can make a difference. Here are some actionable steps you can take to join our cause.
Read our featured articles Below:
Explore our curated articles to learn more about the importance of preserving Winston Farm. Knowledge is power, and understanding the unique treasures at stake is the first step towards advocacy.
2. Contact your local officials
Reach out to your local representatives and let them know how much Winston Farm means to you and your community. Your voice matters, and your elected officials are there to represent your concerns. Info on how to reach them below:
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Fred Costello Jr. Phone: 845-246-2800 Ext. 345 Email: fcostello@saugertiesny.gov
Leeanne Thornton Phone: 845-246-5652 Email: leeanne.thornton@yahoo.com
Mike Ivino Phone: 845-399-3507 Email: mivino@saugertiesny.gov
Peg Nau Phone: 845-246-6929 Email: pnau@saugertiesny.gov
Zachery Horton Phone: 845-246-9654 Email: Zhorton@saugertiesny.gov
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C. Howard Post, Chairman Email: chowardpost@gmail.com
Becky Bertorelli, Recording Secretary Phone: (845)246-2800 Ext. 358 Email: BBertorelli@saugertiesny.gov
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Pat Ryan, Ulster County Executive Phone: 845-340-3800 Email: exec@co.ulster.ny.us
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Joe Maloney Phone: (845) 901-0520
Aaron Levine Phone: (845) 246-8666
Dean Fabiano Phone: (845) 246-2067
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Assemblyman Chris Tague Phone: 518-943-1371 (Catskill office)
State Senator Michelle Hinchey Phone: 845-331-3810 Email: hinchey@nysenate.gov
3. Write Letters to the Editor
Share your passion for Winston Farm with your fellow community members. Writing letters to local newspapers can help raise awareness and rally support for our cause. Info below:
Hudson Valley One: submit at this link. Monday is the deadline for the weekly paper.
Daily Freeman: submit at this link or email letters@freemanonline.com.
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Read more about the Winston Farm development below…
WINSTON FARM Development
The owners and developers of Winston Farm are proposing a massive development project that will strain the Beaverkill aquifer, fragment the pristine 800 acres of natural habitat, overwhelm 212 and Route 32 with traffic, pollute the air, and drastically impact all of Saugerties and the region.
Don’t let the tap run dry
The Village of Saugerties’ water supply is already under immense strain. Any new development projects will increase pressure on the water supply. Winston Farm has been considered a candidate water supply for Saugerties for decades. Is a water park a responsible use for such a valuable and life-giving commodity?
Climate Emergency
Development at Winston Farm would change this natural carbon sink into a source of carbon emissions. Both deforestation and disturbing soil structure release stored carbon back into the atmosphere. If Saugerties is truly committed to mitigating the effects of climate change, Winston Farm should remain a carbon sink.
Open Space Institute in Talks to Purchase Large Portion of Winston Farm
by Will Solomon
August 17, 2023
The Open Space Institute, a northeastern conservation organization, has long been active in growing public lands in New York State. Founded in 1974 in the Hudson Valley, OSI has protected over 2.3 million acres in the United States and Canada, including over 150,000 acres in New York.
This has included adding over 13,000 acres to Minnewaska State Park and fundraising $3 million toward a visitor center that was opened in 2020, doubling the size of Fahnestock State Park since the 1990s and launching a major improvement plan in 2020, and adding over 1,200 acres to John Boyd Thacher State Park in Vorheesville.
The organization may soon have another acquisition.
Winston Farm hearing in Saugerties draws mixed reviews
by David Gordon
September 25, 2022
Danny Melnick, the owner of a music tour and production company called “Absolutely Live,” said that he has produced music festivals around the world for more than 30 years, “and if anyone should be excited about an amphitheater in this area it is me; but I am not. Amphitheaters are huge; they accommodate thousands of people, and this is how our two amphitheaters, SPAC and Bethel Woods are designed. They must have parking lots many times larger than the amphitheaters themselves.” An amphitheater would bring in thousands of cars, as well as trucks and buses idling on Route 212 and Route 32, as well as sanitation and other service trucks entering and exiting the site. In addition, “sound checks and concerts can be heard almost a mile away. I have never worked at an amphitheater anywhere in the world situated in a residential community.”
Winston Farm hearing in Saugerties draws environmental concerns
By William J. Kemble
September 22, 2022
Resident Bari Koral read a letter from her 13-year-old daughter, Tuli Caigan, who wanted board members to consider ways to have the scoping document protect the town’s environment and character.
Why this is important: Have an impact on the Winston Farm Environmental Assessment. Follow the steps below when crafting your letter to the Town Board in preparation for the Public Hearing on September, 21st at 6PM.
Winston Farm plans in Saugerties face objections
By William J. Kemble
August 18, 2022
Resident Gene O’Donovan, who owns property adjacent to Winston Farm, said developers are doing a disservice to the town.
Winston Farm development intensifies water supply concerns in Saugerties
by Alexandra Zissu
April 27, 2022
“The two biggest things are the water issues and the habitat destruction. And this is just the tip of the iceberg,” says Kate Hagerman, program manager at Catskill Mountainkeeper. “The developers are envisioning a massive commercial development that would destroy intact habitats on the site and could impact drinking water, species of concern, and communities further downstream to the Hudson.”