In 2000, Douglas Eger and Cristina Khuly partnered with The Open Space Institute and the Trust For Public Lands to purchase and forever preserve the Lundy Estate.

A magnificent piece of land less than 100 miles northwest of New York City in Ulster County, the preserve covers approximately 6,800 acres, from deep forest bottomland to rocky ridges with wind-twisted Pitch Pine forests. It is positioned between the Catskill Forest Preserve and Shawangunk Mountains (The Gunks), forming a critical bridge between these important recreation and conservation areas. The Lundy Estate preservation effort was a unique opportunity to preserve a special piece of land diverse in wildlife and rich with human history.

The property contains several important features, including a pristine section of the Vernooy Kill River, one of the few remaining undisturbed trout streams in this part of the state, and is home to several threatened and endangered species, including the Northern Goshawk, Cooper’s Hawk, Eastern Timber Rattlesnake, and the Pied-billed Grebe.

Several important wetland sections are also located on the property, which provide a rich habitat for waterfowl, herons, and a host of other migratory bird species. Other wildlife that call Lundy Estate Preserve home: bears, turkeys, otters, beavers, osprey, red-tailed hawks, owls, coyotes, and bobcats, to name a few.

The Lundy/Lyons Estate contains two historic residential estates, a combined total of 500 acres of private holdings. The remainder of the property will remain undeveloped and “forever wild,” managed by the New York Department of Conservation. The two estates include a unique complex of barns and outbuildings that are under restrictive easements to preserve the historic quality and footprint of the original estates for future generations.