The Open Space Institute (OSI) announced this week that it has purchased roughly 440 acres of mountainside property near Sam’s Point.

OSI’s Siobhan Gallagher Kent described the property as “the single largest remaining undeveloped property on the ridge that could be added to the Sam’s Point Preserve.” She added that “anything we can do to expand Sam’s Point and Minnewaska State Park is beneficial.”

The story of this property extends back into the 19th century when the Terwilliger family, who also developed Terwilliger House in downtown Ellenville, bought it and set up the first large summer resort in the town of Wawarsing. The land has magnificent views to the west, over the Rondout Valley looking out on the southern Catskills.

In 1958, Joe Tso, a Chinese-American army veteran and graduate of Columbia University, bought the Cathalia section, which amounted to 350 acres. Tso knew the area well and had worked at the previous resort and had identified it as a potential ski area. After World War II he became an attorney and a businessman. He added several smaller parcels to it and went into the ski lodge business.

Mount Cathalia skiing became a thing in the area through the 1960s to the ‘80s. Back then there was sufficient snow in winter to make skiing viable. Today things have changed and the climate is too warm in winter to hold much snow.

After Joe Tso passed away, the property was bought by Morgan Barrington Financial Services, and they have sold it now to OSI for a reported $3.3 million.

The Tso family are said to be delighted with the sale of the land to OSI, and the fulfillment of their parents’ dreams of protecting it from any further development.

“It really speaks to the inclusiveness of the Tso family,” Gallagher Kent said, “and this brings forward the Tso family legacy.”

Gallagher Kent noted that this is all part of OSI’s grand scheme to protect the migration corridor along the Appalachian chain.

“The Gunks are a key part of the Appalachian corridor, and that is the longest north-south migration route in North America,” Gallagher Kent explained. “OSI has now set protection on more than 40,000 acres in the Shawangunks. OSI has just about doubled the size of Minnewaska State Park and brought Sam’s Point Preserve to more than 24,000 acres.”

Residents of Mount Meenahga, which rises up on the eastern side of Cathalia expressed relief and satisfaction at the news. Patricia Sayad, one such resident, said, “Great to know that this land will be protected and be available for people to enjoy and walk on in the future.”

Judith Remet, another resident on the mountain, going back several decades, commented, “There’s never been a moment when I haven’t noticed it when passing the Cathalia property. For me it’s always been about overlook, the view to the west is magnificent and sanctuary. We always worried that someone would do something terrible on that property so this is a huge relief.”

In time, it is expected that OSI will turn the property over to the Sam’s Point Preserve, extending protections for the Shawangunk Ridge land. Until then, the land is closed to visitors.