The Ridgetop Lakes Conservancy (RLC) recently acquired around 35 acres of land along the town line of Thompson and Mamakating New York. The acquisition is part of the ongoing mission of the group to protect the freshwater lakes and natural habitats of the Shawangunk and Mount Prosper ridge tops.

The recent acquisition is a subdivision of a larger 564-acre property, called the Whale’s Tail, for the whale’s tail shape of nearby Yankee Lake. The owners of the property approached RLC to avert development plans of other prospective buyers.

As a 501[c][3], RLC found itself unable to meet the seller’s asking price, which was about $1 million over the appraised value. Robert Rogers, President of Ridgetop Lakes Conservancy, says that individuals teamed together to pay the asking price, and that more than 200 acres of the land will eventually be sold to RLC as contiguous subdivisions. 

“The plans are to keep it the way it is with the exception of maybe a hiking trail,” says Rogers, “we want to keep it as virgin land. Let the bears and the turkeys have their place to live.”

The RLC was established in 2018 by a group of environmentally-minded citizens. Prior to the recent land acquisition, the group has primarily focused on sponsoring events, such as one hosted with the Ravensbeard Wildlife Center, a wildlife rehabilitation facility for birds of prey.

Rogers says that the RLC is also focused on educating the public about invasive species, such as the water chestnut, an aquatic plant species from Eurasia and Africa that forms dense floating mats in bodies of water and can prevent the growth of native plant species.

Rogers says that the group is currently seeking a winterized event space to continue its programming year round.