KINGSTON – Ulster County has received just under $4 million from the state to convert 2.5 miles of the Ulster & Delaware Railroad corridor to a multi-use trail with pedestrian bridges.
The funding will be used to promote environmentally friendly modes of travel on the corridor from Highmount to Belleayre Beach in the Town of Shandaken, reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
“Ulster County is a statewide leader in investing in our trails and protecting our environment. This award will bolster the economic growth and environmental initiatives that we’ve seen come through these infrastructure investments,” said County Executive Pat Ryan.
“This project restores a county-owned corridor and opens it to the public for free year-round use, connecting cross-country skiing and mountain hiking activities at the base of Belleayre Mountain to recreational opportunities at Pine Hill Lake and in the Big Indian Wilderness, and eventually to the adjacent Shandaken Wild Forest,” said County Legislator Kathy Nolan, also a representative of Catskill Mountainkeeper.
