GOSHEN – There are concerns that prehistoric caves in Goshen could be compromised by further mining of property adjacent to the 15,000-year-old structures so the Orange County Legislature is set to create a committee to look into their protection.
Michael Edelstein, founder and now president emeritus of Orange Environment, Inc., said the county should take advantage of the educational and interpretative value of the Dutchess Quarry caves.
“Back when these early people were in the caves they were looking out over a region that was teeming with wildlife like giant beaver and mastodon, creatures that are now long extinct, and so we have a real connection here to an earlier period of region, we have a connection to the biota of that early period, and we have a connection to the people of that period,” he said.
The county has allowed Tilcon to mine a portion of the county-owned property and the county has been considering selling the 31 adjacent acres for continued mining.
