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Gov. Kathy Hochul made the announcement about the acquisition of the lands in Rensselaer County adjoining Pittstown State Forest on the Rensselaer Plateau in Grafton on Wednesday, April 20.
"New York State is laser focused on preserving and enhancing open space, and the Rensselaer Plateau, just a short visit from the Capitol, provides a spectacular outdoor escape from Albany's bustling downtown," Hochul said. "Today's addition to the Pittstown State Forest, more than doubling its size, will provide expanded outdoor recreational opportunities for locals and visitors while protecting valuable open space and unique wetland communities that define the Rensselaer Plateau."
Hochul said more than 900 of the acres were previously owned by the Gundrum family, who own Gundrum Logging and Lumber.
The Rensselaer Plateau Alliance purchased that land from Rynard Gundrum in 2016, and acquired the other 248 acres of adjoining land in transactions with other landowners with support from The Conservation Fund, state officials said.
The Department of Environmental Conservation purchased the acres from the Rensselaer Plateau Alliance for $894,000 with funds from the State's Environmental Protection Fund, officials said.
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