Historic Environmental Movements of Warwick

October: Notice of the sale first appears in the Warwick papers and the idea of development is included.

November: Description of plans for between "400,000-500,000" families are in local paper. [Note: appears to be "too many zeros?!"]; extraction of peat and lumber resources to be marketed under brand name "Sterling Forest."

Sterling Forest Corp. announces plan to sell all 20,000 acres.  JoAnn and Paul Dolan organize the Greenwood Trust and a tour for government officials, and begin to build a coalition for preservation of the Forest; a presentation on preserving 10,000 access is given before the Regional Plan Association.  Passaic County (NJ) applies for NJ Green Acres funding to preserve a portion for watershed; negotiations with City Investing stall. 

Lynmark Corporation sues Warwick Town Board for refusing variance to develop former International Nickel parcel.

A new exit off of the NYS Thruway is proposed to facilitate access for economic development of the area, which is eventually tabled due to opposition and the disclosure of high level officials' ties to developers.  It was eventually built (exist 15A) several miles further south, at Sloatsburg.

Passaic County (NJ) condemns and takes ownership of NJ acreage in a "seizure for public good" action.  Preservation discussions with the newly minted AMBASE (formerly The Home Group) corporation stall in New York.  As negotiations further deteriorate, the Regional Plan Association steps in to help the coalition (eventually called the Sterling Forest Coalition) to move forward. 

The Home Group resists the publicly floated purchase price by preservationists, and develops a new assessment of the market value, vastly increasing the expected price.

In October, 1989, a U. S. Congressional hearing is held at Tuxedo to examine the issue, organized by Representative Peter Kostmayer (PA) at the urging of NJ Congressman Robert Torricelli.  One of the outcomes of the hearing is increased Federal interest in the preservation and/or oversight of development.

Sterling Forest Corporation retools its development plans to exhibit greater sensitivity to the environment. Citizens for Environmentally Responsible Development (CERD) forms, but is later shown to be receiving substantial funding from the Sterling Forest Corporation.   Local activists are split between those who advocate responsible development and those who want the land preserved intact.

Lack of forward movement on public acquisition lead to continued efforts by the Sterling Forest Corporation to continue efforts to develop the land.  

In June, plans for development of 14,500 resident units in Tuxedo, Warwick, and Monroe are presented by Sterling Forest Corporation, which would fragment the forest.  

The U.S. Forest Service is appropriated $250.000 to study the NY/NJ Hudson Highlands, sponsored by Rep. Kostmayer, and protested by Rep. Ben Gilman.

The Draft "New York- New Jersey Highlands Regional Study" is released in November of 1991, and the Palisades Interstate Park Commission also discussed preservation in its Second Century Plan in 1990.

Hearings are held in Washington regarding funding and creation of public lands of Sterling Forest.  Despite several dramatic developments, in June of 1992 the House Appropriations Committee  authorized five million dollars for the purchase, requiring matching funds from New York and New Jersey.  After intervention by New Jersey's Senator Frank Lautenberg, but New York's legislators were lukewarm or disapproving. Eventually five million (later reduced to three) a fraction of what was needed, was approved.

The environmental coalition began to suffer from infighting and differing views and approaches as the search for funding to accomplish preservation continued.

By late 1993 progress had been accomplished, and fell appart, due in part to an economic downturn which diminished the financial resources of all parties.    A new administration in Washington allowed plans to move forward.  Representatives from both states--- Torricelli, Gilman, Roukema, and Lautenberg-- all now supported preservation.

In 1993, New York established the Environmental Protection Fund.

In 1994, ten million of New Jersey funds were committed.

The ownership of Sterling Forest Corporation was shifting, and negotiations were moving in a more positive direction, yet the plans for development are moving slowly forward, with an environmental review in 1993.

The preservation coalition, with the leadership of JoAnn Dolan, coalesces with renewed efforts, and enlists several key powerhouse organizations and individuals.