The New York City Department of Environmental Protection next week will begin removing trees it says endanger a monument at the Ashokan Reservoir in Ulster County.
The tree removal is part of a long-term plan to enhance public access at the 108-year-old J. Waldo Smith Monument, a stone tower on a hill along the south side of the reservoir. In the coming weeks, timber experts will remove trees within a 100-foot radius of the monument to prevent them from falling on the tower. Dead and dying trees will also be removed from a 9-acre area surrounding the monument.
This tree thinning is intended to open the forest floor to sunlight and promote the growth of a younger, more diverse forest. It will also allow DEP to create a lawn area near the monument. DEP will close a portion of the recreation path at Ashokan Reservoir until the end of the year to allow for the tree removal.
