The following is a snippet from the 2005 draft NYSDEC open space plan. At a glance, it looks like nothing in the Gunks is off their conservation radar, including the Nears and Bayards. It's interesting that the Shawangunk Biodiversity Partnership is referred to as "public-private consortium."

From http://www.dec.state.ny.us/website/dlf/opensp/

Quote:

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SHAWANGUNK MOUNTAINS {34} - The Shawangunk Mountains contain exemplary natural communities including the globally rare dwarf pine ridge community, over 7,000 acres of pitch pine-oak-heath rocky summit, the largest chestnut oak forest (30,000 acres) in New York, extensive northern hardwood forests, and cliff, talus and ice cave communities. Within these communities are over 30 known rare plant and animal species. Taken together these elements of biodiversity make the Shawangunks one of the highest priority areas for biodiversity conservation in the northeastern United States. The Northern and Southern Shawangunks also have extremely high watershed protection value and high scenic and recreational value.
Protection of the Northern Shawangunks in Ulster County is critical to maintaining the input of high quality water to the Rondout and Wallkill Valleys.More than 500,000 visitors annually use the more than 100 miles of trails and 90 miles of carriage roads for hiking, mountain biking, rock climbing, horseback riding, and nature study.
Together public and private entities have protected 30,000 acres in the Northern Shawangunks, including Minnewaska State Park Preserve (14,000 acres), the Sam’s Point Preserve (a 5,000 + acre National Natural Landmark managed by The Nature Conservancy and owned by Open Space Institute), and the 6,600 acre Mohonk Preserve. The Mohonk Mountain House resort (2,200 acres) is a National Historic Landmark and a regional anchor for heritage and ecotourism. A public-private consortium, the Shawangunk Ridge Biodiversity Partnership, provides a forum for sharing scientific and land management information for conservation. Protection of approximately 14,000 additional acres of land is needed to protect biodiversity, scenic and recreational values of the Northern Shawangunks. Highest priority projects include Peterskill Gorge, Sanders Kill Area, Palmaghatt Ravine-Millbrook-Bayards-Near Trapps Escarpment, Sam’s Point Preserve (the Ellenville tract), and the Verkerderkill Falls area.
2005 NYS OPEN SPACE CONSERVATION PLAN DRAFT FOR PUBLIC COMMENT CHAPTER 5 PAGE 145
In addition, the Shawangunk National Wildlife Refuge (GALEVILLE GRASSLANDS) and surrounding agricultural landscape provide an area of rare grassland habitat large enough to support a suite of grassland-dependent birds
including short-eared owls, northern harriers, upland sandpipers, vesper sparrows, grasshopper sparrows and many others. This area also provides significant recreational opportunities including hiking, bird watching and hunting. Opportunities to conserve additional lands in this area should be pursued.
Protection of the Southern Shawangunks in Orange and Sullivan County, will enable a greenway corridor for recreation and biodiversity conservation extending from Sam’s Point to the New Jersey state line, completing the protection and buffer for the 30-mile long Shawangunk Ridge Trail corridor. Efforts continue to protect the ridge top and both its western and eastern slopes and bases which contain the 2,200 acre New York State Bashakill Wildlife Management Area, an important site for biodiversity conservation. Important projects are linkages between the Shawangunk Ridge State Forest through the Roosa Gap to the Wurtsboro Ridge State Forest lands including protection to Route 17; linking Wurtsboro Ridge to the Bashakill Wildlife Management Area; linking south of Bashakill to Guymard Lake; and links south to Highpoint State Park in NJ.
The Shawangunk Mountains Scenic Byway, jointly sponsored by 11 municipalities surrounding the ridge in two counties, Orange and Ulster, will be designated by New York State DOT. Pursuant to the Byway Corridor Management Plan, protection of the mountains and key surrounding scenic and natural lands is basic to the success of the Byway. The Byway Plan recommends using local open space plans, inter-town planning, transportation planning and funding opportunities within an 80-mile loop roadway corridor system to link recreational, cultural and natural focal points while conserving open space.

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Thanks for posting this. As a matter of interest, where do "people" fit into their biodiversity? Where is it written that we are protected?

I think we come somewhere below spotted owls and bears...