New Paltz Town Board approves $844,500 conservation easement for Humpo Marsh

New Paltz Town Board members agreed at their November 20 meeting to purchase a conservation easement to protect a portion of Humpo Marsh, an important wetland ecosystem adjacent to the Mohonk Preserve along Route 299. The total cost — $844,500 — is being paid out of a local real estate transfer tax voters approved in 2020 over the strong objections of lobbying groups representing brokers. The cost represents 61% of the appraised value of the easement, plus administrative costs for lawyers, surveyors and inspection of the land in question. This ecologically sensitive 175-acre property straddles New Paltz and Gardiner and the 84 acres in New Paltz includes roughly 40 of Humpo Marsh itself, which could not be built upon based on the current array of local, state and federal regulations. It’s