OCLT Protects 179-acre Sisters of Saint Dominic Property in Towns of Goshen and Chester

Black Meadow Creek

Mountainville, NY (OCLT): The Orange County Land Trust has protected 179 acres of forest, farmland, and  streams located in the Town of Goshen and Town of Chester. The landowners, the Siters of Saint Dominic of  Blauvelt, donated a conservation easement on the property to OCLT. 

The property contains a 100-acre contiguous tract of mature, mixed deciduous forest, along with 52 acres of  agricultural land comprising mostly state-designated “soils of statewide importance.” The acreage also features  2,500 feet of frontage on Black Meadow Creek, a tributary of the Moodna Creek, as well as frontage along the Heritage Trail. In addition, the Sisters of Saint Dominic will eventually allow for future public access to a  portion of their property from the Heritage Trail. 

“We are grateful to the Sisters of Saint Dominic, whose dedication to protecting natural resources for the  benefit of future generations helped spark this project,” said OCLT Executive Director Jim Delaune. “This  beloved property has been a source of spirituality, kinship, leisure, and sustenance to them, so we know this  conservation easement means a lot to them,” Delaune added. 

Sister Ellenrita Purcaro said: “We, the Sisters of St. Dominic of Blauvelt, have dialogued internally since 2008  on how to assure to keep some portion of our land in its natural state or close to its natural state for the public  good. We reconnected with Orange County Land Trust in 2018 and worked diligently since then to educate  our congregation and involve our sisters in the development of the details of our conservation easement. Using  our Land Ethic as a guide throughout the process, we affirmed that the earth is our home and each one of us  has the responsibility to preserve the web of life. We restated our belief that the beauty of the earth sustains  and refreshes the human spirit. Thank you to all who contributed to bringing this dream to reality.” 

Orange County Executive Steven M. Neuhaus said: “I applaud the Sisters of Saint Dominic for generously  donating this conservation easement to OCLT. The protection of this property is important to the Moodna  Creek watershed and will enhance the many recreational opportunities on the Heritage Trail. The County will  continue to work with the OCLT and other partners on projects that preserve open space and create recreational  opportunities for residents.”  

The project also received funding through the Orange County Soil & Water Conservation District. 

Orange County Land Trust is dedicated to conserving Orange County's watersheds, agricultural lands, and  natural habitats through conservation agreements with willing landowners. For more information call (845)  534-3690 or visit www.oclt.org

Siters of Saint Dominic of  Blauvelt, donated a conservation easement on the property to OCLT, portions of which border the Heritage Trail.