The Catskill Chronicle

YOUNGSVILLE – Catskill Mountainkeeper – the leading advocacy organization dedicated to the Catskill Mountain Region – has hired Aaron Bennett as Regional Director for Greene, Ulster, and Delaware counties. A lifelong resident of the area, Bennett was previously employed for more than 11 years by The Catskill Center for Conservation and Development – most recently as the Director of Programming – where he oversaw their education and natural resource programs.

Bennett brings extensive knowledge of the issues facing the northeastern Catskills, the high peaks region, the Catskill Park and Forest Preserve, and the NYC Watershed to Mountainkeeper. He will augment the work that the organization is doing regarding the challenges of the proposed Belleayre Resort at Catskill Park development, sustainable energy projects, ridge-top development, land preservation, the revival of our town centers, advancement of recreation opportunities and other important issues.

In response to his appointment Bennett said, "What I respect so much about Catskill Mountainkeeper is that they are honest brokers. While their primary goals are to protect the resources and well-being of the region, as well as pursue much needed sustainable growth, they have the integrity and courage to acknowledge both the pros and cons of complicated and difficult issues, and work toward realistic and satisfactory resolutions. They are beholden to no one, do not follow any other organization’s agenda, and are dedicated solely to what’s in the best interest of the region."

Ramsay Adams, Executive Director of Catskill Mountainkeeper, is excited about Bennett’s ability to contribute to Mountainkeeper’s mission. "Aaron is the right person at the right time. He brings over a decade of community activism, extensive knowledge of the issues in the region and achievement to us. He is a great fit for Mountainkeeper."

Bennett was raised on a dead-end dirt road in Oliverea, near the headwaters of the Esopus Creek in the heart of the Catskill Mountain high peaks region. After receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in Water Resource Management from the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF), he returned to the Catskill Mountain Region to work at The Catskill Center for Conservation and Development. He is a founding member of the Catskill Mountain Club and past President of the Pine Hill Community Center. Additionally, Bennett is a NYS-licensed hiking guide, and he authors an outdoor column in two local newspapers. Bennett, his wife Jeanenne, sons Hudson and Samuel, and their black lab Piper live on Brush Ridge in eastern Delaware County.

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Catskill Mountainkeeper is a community-based environmental advocacy organization, dedicated to creating a flourishing sustainable economy in the Catskills, and preserving and protecting the area’s long-term health. They address issues of water integrity for the Delaware and Susquehanna River Systems, the defense of the vast woodlands that encompass the Catskill Forest Preserve and the New York City Watershed as well as farmland protection. They promote smart development that balances the economic needs and concerns of the Catskill regions’ citizens and the protection of our abundant, but exceedingly vulnerable natural resources. To contact Catskill Mountainkeeper, e-mail them at info@catskillmountainkeeper.org, or phone 482-5400.