COLUMBIA COUNTY – The state Department of Environmental Conservation
has paid $2.8 million for 700 acres of land in the towns of Ancram, Gallatin
and Taghkanic in what will become Columbia County’s third and largest
wildlife management area, to be known as Doodletown.
The state agency bought the land from an anonymous seller using federal
Pittman-Robertson Act funds. The act dates back to 1937 and established
an excise tax on the sale of firearms, ammunition and archery equipment
to pay for restoration, land acquisition, wildlife habitat management,
and wildlife-related recreational programs.
The acquisition will support wildlife-dependent recreational opportunities
including hunting, trapping, hiking, and wildlife viewing,” said
the DEC.
The parcel can be accessed via New Forge, Allen, East Klein and Doodletown
roads, as well as County Route 27. The DEC is planning to name a number
of access improvements at the area, including parking areas, signage and
kiosks and will study the area for the potential to add trails and other
infrastructure improvements.
