Applications now available for next round of open space funds

Goshen — Open Space Fund applications for the year’s first round of funding is available on the Orange County web page: www.orangecountygov.com/planning. Municipalities, non-governmental organizations, and individual property owners are invited to apply for county grants to help preserve farms and open space. In this round of funding, $3.5 million will be available for eligible projects. The first round is due by 5 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 16. The department of planning will host a training session at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 23, in the 1887 County Building at 124 Main St., Goshen, in the Department Conference Room on the first floor. For those unable to attend at this time, a second session is scheduled for 7 p.m. The training session will explain the procedures and information needed to fill out the application. Planning staff will be available to answer any questions. Due to some changes in the program, county planner David Church urges prospective applicants to attend one of the workshops. For reservations, call the planning department at 291-2318. Second-round awards County Executive Edward A. Diana will announce the projects proposed for funding from the second round of applications in 2006. These projects represent five municipalities: Town of Wallkill, Town of Warwick, Town of Crawford, Town of Goshen and Town of Highlands. The Goshen projects are the purchase of the development rights to the 131-acre North Star Farm on Conklingtown Road and the 162-acre Knoellwood Farm on Knoell Road. The estimated total funding is $1.9 million for all of 2006’s second-round projects. The formal announcement will take place at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 24, at the Fort Montgomery Marina in the Town of Highlands. In case of inclement weather, the event will be held on Thursday, Jan. 25, at 9:30 a.m. For additional information, call the Orange County Planning Department at 291-2532.