Shawangunk Multiple Use campground
Multiple Use Area Campground
Letter Writing Campaign
For more information about the MUA Campground issue, please read our
Shawangunk Multiple Use Campground
Potential Closure Information web page.
The following is a sample of what we'll be sending out. If you want to
work with a Microsoft Word copy of the letter,
click here to download.
You may copy it or use it as guideline for writing your own.
If you choose the latter, please reinforce that this campground
has provided a critical resource for years and that public
camping in the Gunks is severely limited. Send it to Governor
Pataki at:
Governor George E. Pataki,
State Capitol
Albany, NY 12224
as well as:
Marc Moran, Regional Director
NYSDEC Region 3
21 South Putt Corners Rd.
New Paltz, NY 12561-1696
and the Ulster County Assemblyman:
Kevin A. Cahill
Governor Clinton Bldg
Suite G-4
Kingston, NY 12401
or:
Kevin A. Cahill
Albany Office
LOB 557
Albany, NY 12248
You can also do much by reminding folks at the campground that the
situation is tenuous and by following some simple suggestions, we may
not lose the site.
Thank you.
GCC steering committee
Governor George E. Pataki,
State Capitol
Albany, NY 12224
Dear Governor Pataki,
Outdoor enthusiasts have enjoyed the privilege of camping at the Shawangunk
DEC Multiple Use Area in Gardiner for several decades. Citing conflicts
with campers, new homeowners adjacent to the campground have voiced their
wish to have this site closed. I strongly advocate that your office does
not permit this to happen.
Camping in the Gunks - our gorgeous ridge that serves 500,000 outdoor
recreationists a year - is already severely limited. The Shawangunks are
North America's busiest rock climbing area. Their easy access is
famed nationwide by birders, hikers, mountain bikers, and cross-country
skiers. The Shawangunk Multiple Use site is the only public campground
serving the ridge. Closing it would surely compromise access to this
precious resource.
The rural town of Gardiner historically has been hospitable to camping.
The campground has existed for years without incident with its neighbors.
Camping remains a compatible, necessary use of the land, reflecting
Gardiner's rich outdoor tradition that in part has drawn so many new
homeowners to the town. Those who want a view of the Shawangunks from
their doorstep ought to accommodate the recreationists in their midst,
just as campers must respect their new neighbors. Clearly, some
compromise can be reached between campers and landowners, but closing
the campground is not the solution.
The Gunks Climbers’ Coalition, whose work you may read about on their
website, http://gunksclimbers.org, has an educational campaign for
climbers and non-climbers alike, to mitigate everyone’s concerns.
Please extend every effort towards keeping the Shawangunk DEC Multiple
Use Area open to the public.
Thank you for your continued interest in the Shawangunks.
Respectfully submitted,
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