Mountaintop Community Resource Strategy

Schoharie Watershed Program

A program of Greene County Soil and Water Conservation District

Please use the links provided to access information on the SWP, its projects, and watershed issues

Mountaintop Community Resource Strategy

Enhancing Resource & Recreational Opportunities in the Great Northern Catskills

Watershed Assistance Program

PO Box 996, 6049 Main Street

Tannersville, NY 12485

Phone 518-589-6871

Fax 518-589-6874

GCSWCD Main Office

907 County Office Building

Cairo, NY 12413

Phone 518.622.3620

Fax 518.622.0344

GCSWCD Home Page

Project Overview

The Northern Catskills are a significant resource for recreational, cultural and scenic activities. For generations people have come to the “Mountaintop” to enjoy the great outdoors, ski, visit historic and cultural sites, and admire the idyllic scenery.

The Mountaintop Community Resource Strategy is a region-wide planning effort to develop a locally driven master plan that identifies resource enhancements, integration and protection of the resources that have attracted people to the area for generations. At the same time, the Strategy integrates the economic vitality of the small, rural mountaintop communities that rely on these resources to attract tourists to the area.

The Strategy covers the nine mountaintop municipalities located in Greene County— the Towns of Ashland, Jewett, Halcott, Hunter, Lexington, Prattsville, and Windham, and the Villages of Hunter and Tannersville. A comprehensive inventory of historical, recreational, recreation business retail, arts and cultural, & scenic resources was conducted and built into the Strategy’s development.

The Strategy was developed under the guidance of a Project Advisory Team and small focus groups that were organized to identify concerns and opportunities for resource enhancement and integration.

In order to keep up with changing economic times that influence the tourism market, it is important for the Mountaintop communities to work together to assess current resource attractions, identify where improvements are needed, develop a plan to address those needs, and begin implementing actions for the betterment of the Mountaintop as a whole. The Mountaintop Community Resource Strategy is the culmination of such a collaborative effort. The Strategy provides a foundation for the communities to work individually and collectively on solutions to enhancing the region’s outdoor recreational, historical and cultural resources, as well advance approaches to market the local tourism economy.

Strategy Reports & Planning Documents

Full Report January 2009

Project Advisory Team Overview & Handout and summary of meetings

Inventory of Mountaintop Resources

Map of Mountaintop Recreational Resources

List of Referenced Plans

Summary of Relevant Information From Referenced Plans

Focus Group Descriptions

Notes from Hospitality Meeting, prioritization exercise

Notes from Snowmobile focus group meeting

Notes from meeting with Cultural & Arts organizations

Notes from Recreation Business Meeting