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Rockland County And Open Space Institute Highlight Major Gains From Eagle Valley Land Acquisition 

Legislator Davidson: Historic Purchase Secured Through County Legislature, Open Space Institute, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Grant Ensures Protection Of 236 Crucial Areas Of Open Space

Environmental Committee and Water Resource Management Task Force Chair Beth J. Davidson joined Rockland County Executive Ed Day, the Open Space Institute and the Village of Sloatsburg to celebrate the preservation of 236 acres – the largest in the County’s Open Space Acquisition Program.

“As Chair of the County Legislature’s Environmental Committee, I’m proud to have played a role in this historic purchase, which preserves critical wildlife habitat and wetlands while providing recreational opportunities for Rockland residents and visitors alike,” said Davidson (D-Nyack, Clarkstown), who also represented Legislature Chair Jay Hood, Jr. at the press conference, held at Sloatsburg’s Valley Rock Inn.

“Further, as Chair of the Water Resources Management Task Force, I salute our bipartisan, public-private coalition for permanently protecting a section of the Ramapo Aquifer, which provides one-third of Rockland County’s public water supply.”

In October 2024, the Environmental Committee approved funding and contracts totaling $3.28 million for the purchase of 132.5 acres along Eagle Valley Road from the Open Space Institute, as well as $2.2 million for the County’s separate acquisition of 103 acres along Orange Turnpike, bringing the total to nearly 236 acres. The full Legislature approved the appropriations and purchases in November 2024; grants to help fund the acquisitions were accepted earlier this year.

“With this historic acquisition in partnership with the Open Space Institute, we send a clear signal that conservation is a bipartisan priority,” said Legislature Chairman Jay Hood (D-Haverstraw). “This purchase and the planned interconnection between Eagle Valley, Harriman State Park and Sterling Forest State Park, will not only preserve crucial green space and protect Rockland’s drinking water, but it will also enhance tourism in Sloatsburg and the western part of the County - which benefits us all.”

The Eagle Valley Assemblage Acquisition is supported by the Rockland County Comprehensive Plan, the Sloatsburg Comprehensive Plan, the NY State Open Space Plan and the Highlands Conservation Act Regional Study.

The purchase was approved by the Legislature’s Environmental Committee with the support of a $2.74 million Highlands Conservation Act grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The grant, secured with assistance from New York State Parks, will be returned to the County’s Open Space Acquisition Fund for the preservation of more land in the future. Since the 2019 revival of the Open Space Acquisition Program, the County has preserved 320 acres.

Environmental Committee and Water Resource Management Task Force Chair Beth J. Davidson joined Rockland County Executive Ed Day, the Open Space Institute and the Village of Sloatsburg to celebrate the preservation of 236 acres – the largest in the County’s Open Space Acquisition Program.

A view of the new Eagle Valley Assemblage, which adds vital acres to the county's overall open space. 

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