purchased a 90-acre farm in Warwick, NY to add to the state park. In 2006, the park was expanded yet again after a tract in the center of the forest known as Sterling Forge came on the market. Sterling Forest LLC developers planned to construct 107 luxury homes and an 18-hole golf course on the tract. Concerned members of the public rallied and were able to procure the tract for the state park. The final $13.5 million sale price was negotiated by The Trust for Public Land, funded through the State of New York Environmental Protection Fund. and private contributions. In February 2021, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the addition of another 112 acres to the state park, resulting from a partnership with the Orange County Land Trust. These and other acquisitions have resulted in Palisades Interstate Park Commission holdings of 21,938 acres at Sterling Forest. Residential and commercial development no longer threaten negative impact to the natural ecosystem. Public outdoor recreation is the predominant use. Funding for various acquisitions, beginning with the purchase in 1998 of 15,805 acres, have included the Lila Acheson and DeWitt Wallace Fund, the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, the Victoria Foundation, the Trust for Public Land, the State of New York, the State of New Jersey, the Palisades Interstate Park Commission, the federal government, and contributions from private individuals. Park description and facilities The park's forest habitat is important for the survival of several species, including timber rattlesnakes, black bear, fox, various raptors and songbirds, and many rare invertebrates and plants. The forest is embedded in a larger area of over of largely uninterrupted woodland that serves both as a wildlife corridor and as a watershed for nearby urban areas. The park contains a number of lakes and reservoirs including Sterling Lake and Blue Lake. Hunting, fishing, ice fishing, hiking and snowshoeing opportunities are available. The park lies in the New York - New Jersey Highlands, a stretch of natural habitat from the Hudson to the Delaware River that links the Abram S. Hewitt State Forest in New Jersey with Harriman State Park in New York. The park conserves a part of the Northeastern coastal forests ecoregion. It also protects the Appalachian Trail corridor, which crosses the northern portion of Sterling Forest. The park is administered by the Palisades Interstate Park Commission. The Appalachian Trail in Sterling Forest is maintained by the New York - New