New York to preserve 4,000 acres of open space in the Hudson Valley. Here's where

ALBANY - New York is set to preserve 4,000 acres of open space in the Hudson Valley that will expand seven state parks and add new trails and viewpoints.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo plans to make the announcement Wednesday as part of his State of the State address in Albany, his office told the USA TODAY Network New York on Saturday.

The acquisitions will cost $20.6 million in state funding from the Environmental Protection Fund and Hudson Highlands Conservation Act.

"The Mid-Hudson Valley is home to some of our state’s most breathtaking natural resources and open space," Cuomo, a former Westchester County resident, said in a statement..

'We’re committed to ensuring these views and landscapes are protected for generations to come.”

Here are the parks that will benefit:

Hudson Highlands State Park Preserve: 965 acres.

The park is a mostly undeveloped preserve of over 8,000 acres that runs from Peekskill in Westchester County, through Putnam County and into Beacon in Dutchess County.

The new lands include two parcels: a 20-acre area that will create new trails, new views of West Point and the Hudson River and connect Arden Point on the Hudson River with the remainder of Hudson Highlands State Park.

The majority of the acquisition is part of the Scofield Ridge in Philipstown, Putnam County. It will allow for a public trail with views and "safeguard a significant ecological and biodiversity corridor," Cuomo said.

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Minnewaska State Park Preserve: 633 acres

The acquisition includes several parcels and expands the northeastern section of park in Ulster County.

The 24,000-acre park is the third largest state park in New York.

The new land will protect a gorge through which the Peterskill stream flows and several rocky summits.

The state said the new land will increase recreational opportunities and protect important views both from the park and the adjacent Rondout Valley.

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Schunnemunk State Park – 158 acres

The expansion to the park in Orange County will provide a link to a planned public trail to the Storm King Arts Center.

It will also help protect the Moodna Creek watershed.

Schunnemunk State Park has already has more than 4,000 acres.

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Fahnestock State Park – 150 acres

The property will protect natural resources and connect the park to a local scout reservation that has a trail open to the public.

The state is acquiring the land through a partnership with the Hudson Highlands Land Trust.

The 14,086-acre park runs across Putnam and Dutchess counties and includes hiking trails, a beach, picnic areas, a campground and the Taconic Outdoor Education Center.

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Sterling Forest State Park – 112 acres

The land will create new access to the 22,000-acre Sterling Forest State Park and to the Appalachian Trail from the western side of the park, Cuomo's office said.

The Orange County park includes a major watershed for the New York City area.

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Rockefeller State Park Preserve –1 acre

The small parcel will remedy a lack of a formal entry to Rockwood Hall, a riverside section of the nearly 1,800-acre preserve in Westchester County, Cuomo said.

The land will allow for the state to add signage and parking for public access.

The new additions to the park system come after the state in recent years acquired 2,000 acres of open space in the region — including land in the Shawangunk Mountains and Hudson Highlands west of the Hudson River.

New York has the oldest parks system in the nation with 180 parks and 35 historic sites.

The new land "will allow us to add ecologically significant lands and new trails to seven state parks across the region, further promoting tourism and building on our efforts to strengthen this world-class outdoor destination," Cuomo said.

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