FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 21, 2025

City of Kingston and Scenic Hudson Officially Acquire ‘Rondout Uplands’ Land

KINGSTON, NY – Mayor Steven T. Noble is pleased to announce that the City of Kingston and Scenic Hudson have closed on a 70-acre open space property in the Rondout Uplands. 

Made up of seven distinct parcels spanning Kingston and the Town of Ulster, this new forested upland property will serve as open space in the City’s portfolio. The property is to remain closed to the public for the near future to ensure public safety.

Mayor Noble said, “We are so pleased to acquire and conserve this land and expand our open space offerings for the residents of Kingston. This land is wilderness with varied terrain and challenging conditions that will need to be readied for public use. We ask the public for their patience while we work to create a safe space to be enjoyed for generations to come.”

“Scenic Hudson applauds Mayor Noble and the City of Kingston for their nimble action to conserve this important 70-acre property in the Rondout Uplands,” said Seth McKee, Executive Director of The Scenic Hudson Land Trust. “This ‘forest in the city’ is located only 1.5 miles from Broadway — it will help close the nature gap that can deprive city residents of access to woods and wildlife. It also is adjacent to the Kingston Land Trust’s Land in Black Hands farm — resulting in a total of 145 acres of intact conserved open space. Scenic Hudson continues to be inspired as a partner with the City of Kingston on this important project, and proud to have partnered earlier with Kingston Land Trust on the Land in Black Hands project.” 

The City of Kingston adopted the Open Space Plan in November 2020, with the ambitious goals to preserve hundreds of acres of land, forge new trails, and improve public access to our natural resources. This unique property in the Rondout Uplands is the City’s first major open space acquisition.

The City of Kingston also owns an adjacent 4.5-acre parcel on Rodney Street with an abandoned single-family home and will be conducting a feasibility study for returning affordable housing to that site.

The City of Kingston has also worked closely with the Kingston Land Trust (KLT) to conserve additional land in the open space priority area, including 20 acres of land at the Red Fox Ravine on Wilbur Avenue and properties across the City which were designated as surplus properties and were reclassified as green space. These recent acquisitions include: 10.4 acres of Hudson Uplands, 12 acres of Twaalfskill Corridor, and 14.4 acres at the rear of Hurley Ave. With the Rondout Uplands land, this recent work to preserve open space in the City totals 106.8 acres.  

These acquisitions help the City of Kingston reach the goals set forth in the Open Space Plan, with 100% completion of the goal to protect 60 acres of land in the uplands along the Rondout and 67% to completion of the goal to protect 500 acres of land in the uplands along the Hudson.