Campground gets new name

By Addie Robbins | Manor Ink Mentor

Livingston Manor, NY – The NY Sate Department of Environmental Conservation recently announced the renaming of the Beaverkill Campground in honor of John and Patricia Adams.

In announcing the renaming, DEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton said, “The newly renamed John and Patricia Adams Campground at Beaverkill recognizes the extraordinary contributions the Adams have made to land conservation efforts in New York State.”

John Adams is a co-founder of both the Open Space Institute and the National Resources Defense Council, and both John and Patricia have spent their lives dedicated to preserving natural lands, including the Beaverkill area and local environs. John is also a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the United States.

“Although John and I have been recognized – it is clearly ‘We the People’ who own the campground,” Patricia Adams said, adding, “It is the only substantial public access to the upper Beaverkill, from Rte. 206 all the way to Balsam Mountain. We, the residents of the valley, have worked closely with the state to maintain and improve this public place. So this honor belongs to all of us.”

Ramsey Adams, their son and executive director of Catskill Mountainkeeper commented, “It is especially meaningful that this honor is rooted in a place close to their hearts – a particular corner of the Catskills they have spent decades helping to protect by supporting the preservation of lands along the Beaverkill and the restoration of the covered bridge that is an integral part of the campground.”