Orange County Land Trust relocates office to Sugar Loaf

SUGAR LOAF — Orange County Land Trust recently relocated its office from downtown Middletown to the Kurt and Arlette Seligmann Homestead on White Oak Drive in Sugar Loaf, sharing the 55-acre estate with several nonprofit organizations, including the Orange County Citizens Foundation, which owns the property, the Orange County Arts Council and the Seligmann Center for the Arts.

The Land Trust moved into the ground floor office space in the historic barn and gallery, previously occupied by the Citizens Foundation and the Arts Council. These two organizations’ offices now occupy the 18th century, fully renovated former residence of the late artist Kurt Seligmann and his wife, Arlette, who bequeathed the entire estate to the Citizens Foundation in 1992.

Also located on the property are several smaller buildings for meeting space and storage, an historic cemetery holding the remains of the Seligmann’s, as well as the remains of previous owners.

“We look forward to not only sharing the offices and land but sharing new ideas and services whenever possible,” Nancy Proyect, the president of the Citizens Foundation, said in the press release announcing the move.

Marlena Lange, the president of the Orange County Land Trust, added: “We see our move to Sugar Loaf as a good opportunity to have, as we grow, larger office space, proximity to other wonderful non profits, as well as a chance to be surrounded by a beautiful piece of land, which is what the land trust is all about.”

Background
Since 1993, the Orange County Land Trust has helped preserve nearly 4,700 acres of land in communities throughout Orange County and one in Sullivan County. These lands include working farms, ecologically important wetlands, old growth woodlands, scenic ridge lines and wildlife corridors.

The Land Trust owns and stewards over 1,000 acres of land that is open to the public for hiking and other forms of passive recreation.

Two properties are leased to farmers for agricultural production.

Essential information
The new mailing address for the Land Trust is P.O. Box 269, Sugar Loaf, New York 10981 and the location address is 23 White Oak Drive.

Board and staff can be reached by calling 845-469.0951.

The Web site remains www.oclt.org and staff can be contacted at their same e-mail addresses and also at info@oclt.org.