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The Ridgetop Lakes Conservancy, Inc. was organized by members of the Yankee Lake community in 2018 in response to the China City scare. Formal IRS recognition of the RLC as a 501(3)c tax exempt organization was granted in April 2019.
The Mission of the Ridgetop Lakes Conservancy, Inc. is to protect and preserve the natural environment of the Shawangunk and Mount Prosper ridge tops and surrounding areas by land acquisition, and by promoting conservation through educational programs and seminars.
The Mount Prosper ridge includes the undeveloped land surrounding the “Whale’s Tail” of Yankee Lake. One of the incentives to form the RLC was to provide a mechanism for purchasing and conserving lands atop the Mount Prosper ridge if an opportunity arose to buy the Whale’s Tail property.
Although you might see some of the same names across the YLPA and the RLC, the two organizations are legally, organizationally, and purposefully separate and distinct. Keeping the organizations apart was of fundamental concern as the RLC was organized. The RLC has formal “Conflict of Interest” policies to help prevent inappropriate ethical and legal overlaps between the YLPA and the RLC.
Since 2019, we have met or corresponded with various land trusts, conservancies and the like, but no one really was interested in buying, or helping us to buy, the Whale’s Tail property. The main issue has been cost. Since then, the price has gradually come down to the current $4M. A formal appraisal is in the works — it is illegal for a not-for-profit organization to buy something at higher than fair market value.
A counter-balance to being exempt from government taxes is a requirement to provide a “public good.” Any land conserved by a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization must provide a benefit to the public at large – not just a benefit to local land-owners.
At present, RLC anticipates that this public benefit would take the form of publicly accessible hiking trails, maybe biking trails, and possibly some seasonal hunting. Something similar to what the Basha Kill Area Association (BKAA) does.
Of course, the trails would need to be thoughtfully planned, because of the wetlands on the property and the location of certain threatened, endangered, and protected species. Obviously, we’d also want to take precautions to prevent public access to the waters of the private lake.
This might necessitate a parking area and some informational kiosks with maps and educational information. We envision that parking would be off the Wolf Lake Road access point, but all of these are conceptual and speculative plans at this point.
The northern end of Yankee Lake has a shape reminiscent of the tail of a whale. An area of nearly 550 acres of undeveloped land surrounds the “Whale’s Tail.” The dark green in the image below reflects how extensive this area of land is, stretching from the northern shores of Yankee Lake, hugging North Shore Drive, angling to New York State Route 17, up to Exit 111, wrapping around into the Town of Thompson, ending at the western edge of the lake. This land includes more than 22% of the Yankee Lake shoreline!
This expanse of land has spent decades in the spotlight of controversy — whether related to a proposed Wolf Lake area airport in the 1960s, the plan to use the Whale’s Tail lands for the Emerald Green development in the 1970s, or the China City Amusement Park / Business Expo / Learning Center the past decade.
The Town of Mamakating implemented a multi-decade Master Plan in 2019 that included significant re-zoning across the Township. The residential areas around several of the major lakes in the Township were re-zoned as Lake Neighborhoods. Large tracts of undeveloped lands, including the lands around the Whale’s Tail, were re-zoned as Mountain Greenbelt.
The conservation-minded among us breathed a sigh of relief after the re-zoning. Mountain Greenbelt can have residential development, but the zoning restricts construction to only one single-family dwelling per ten acres. That is a housing density that would be acceptable to most.
However, Mountain Greenbelt zones have 15 designated possible Special Uses, with the proper permit from the Town. These special uses include bed & breakfasts, resort/country inn, conference centers, campus-type offices and research business parks, summer and day camps, kennels, restaurants, hunting clubs/shooting ranges, vacation campgrounds, large-scale solar.
The thing is, zoning can be changed. With the most recent re-zoning, the Town of Mamakating was sued in an effort to get the new zoning over-turned. The Town prevailed.
But there are ever-changing pressures all around us. A housing shortage is driving states and municipalities to approve high-density housing. Indeed, an aide to the Governor was sent to the Town of Mamakating to ask why the Town is so resistant to high density housing. The population shift out of NYC post-Covid is changing the dynamic in rural areas. Climate weather crises are driving a shift from the sunbelt toward the Northern Corridor.
We say it again: Zoning can be changed. All it takes is a vote of the Town Council. A stroke of the pen.
Take a look at the image below. This is from a plan presented by a developer to the Town of Mamakating in 2023, for development of the lands around the Whale’s tail. This was after the zoning was changed to Mountain Greenbelt. Development money had been spent. Plans had been drawn up.
Study the map below. From 2023! The plans would have mowed down forests, cut roads, built houses, strung power lines, hung street lamps, pumped ground water, produced waste. Yankee Lake is the watershed for those many hundreds of acres. Where would the run-off, and the fertilizer from those lawns have flowed? What would have been the impact on our lake water? On our wildlife? Would our wells go dry? What about the traffic? The noise and light pollution?
Life at Yankee Lake would have been forever changed. What do you think — Would your property values have gone up… or gone down?
This is what the Whale’s Tail Campaign is about.
The current owner has given us first right of refusal to purchase the property. The land would be deeded forever wild. The price is $4M. Taking into account costs for appraisals, title search, surveys, real estate attorneys, closing costs, state fees and so forth, we estimate we would need $4.25M to close the deal.
A formal appraisal of the property’s value is in the works. Not-for-profit organizations like the RLC cannot purchase property for an amount higher than fair market value. We can buy at or below market value, but not above.
We are also trying to procure grants, and work with trusts or other conservancies, to gather sufficient funds for this purchase. And we are soliciting donations directly from individuals, families, companies and area organizations to pitch in tax deductible donations toward this effort.
We have never had such an opportunity before. And we have never been confronted with such a challenge before.
The Whale’s Tail Campaign is a very heavy lift. Success is not guaranteed. We do not want you to put your money at risk. The IRS does not allow not-for-profit organizations to return tax-deductible charitable donations once they have been accepted. Charitable contributions are considered final gifts, and once they are made, they cannot be refunded without potentially jeopardizing the tax-exempt status of the organization, and creating tax consequences for both the donor and the nonprofit. Returning funds to donors could raise issues of mismanagement of funds against the nonprofit.
So, in order to protect you, our donors, we ask you to use the form below to make a legally binding pledge, and not to write a check just yet. Your pledge would only become payable once the project viability is confirmed. If the project fails, the pledges are not binding, so no one loses money. Additionally, accounting rules require that donations for a specific purpose must be held in a restricted fund and cannot be used for any other purpose, even if the donation is aligned with the organization’s mission. So, make a pledge. Provide your contact info. We will let you know when to send a check/transfer funds.
Note: Please consult with your tax advisors regarding deductibility of charitable donations.
Click on the image below to download a PDF version of this form. The form can be filled in on-line using a PDF reader, or printed and filled-out by hand. Electronic versions of the completed form can be emailed to: info@RidgetopLakesConservancy.org or snail-mailed to the address at the bottom of the form.
At the time of the China City activity ten or twelve years ago, the property that we are seeking to purchase was valued at about $13 million. That was probably the high water mark from a pricing perspective. Since then, the asking price has drifted downward. When the property was re-zoned as Mountain Greenbelt in 2019, restricting construction of single-family units to one house per 10 acres, the price dropped to almost half the previous peak.
So, you might ask, should we wait to see if the price comes down even further? Certainly a fair question. On the one hand, we don’t want to pay any more than we have to, but on the other hand, we don’t want to squander a real opportunity to secure the land once-and-for-all as forever wild.
So, it comes down to what is “fair market value.” Non-profit organizations are prohibited from “enriching” someone by paying more than what something is worth. It would be illegal for a not-for-profit organization like RLC to pay more than “fair market value” for a property. A not-for-profit would be allowed to pay less than market value, but not-for-profits are prohibited from ever paying more than fair market value. So, a formal appraisal is in the works, and is part of the process going forward.
The Whale’s Tail Campaign is a very heavy lift. The IRS does not allow not-for-profit organizations to return tax-deductible charitable donations once they have been accepted. Charitable contributions are considered final gifts, and once they are made, they cannot be refunded without potentially jeopardizing the tax-exempt status of the organization and creating tax consequences for both the donor and the nonprofit. Returning funds to donors could raise issues of mismanagement of funds against the nonprofit.
So, in order to protect you, our donors, we ask you to use the form below to make a legally binding pledge, and not to write a check just yet. Your pledge would only become payable once the project viability is confirmed. If the project fails, the pledges are not binding, so no one loses money. Additionally, accounting rules require that donations for a specific purpose must be held in a restricted fund and cannot be used for any other purpose, even if the donation is aligned with the organization’s mission. So, make a pledge. Provide your contact info. We will let you know when to send a check/transfer funds.
Note: Please consult with your tax advisors regarding deductibility of charitable donations.
Click on the image below to download a PDF version of this form. The form can be filled in on-line using a PDF reader, or printed and filled-out by hand. Electronic versions of the completed form can be emailed to: info@RidgetopLakesConservancy.org or snail-mailed to the address at the bottom of the form.
If you are wanting to donate to the Whale’s Tail Campaign, please refer to the FAQ question above titled, “How Do I Make a Pledge?”
Otherwise, your donation made by cash or check will be a way immediately to assist our mission. You may either write a personal check, or have your bank generate a bank draft, made out to The Ridgetop Lakes Conservancy, Inc. Mail it to PO Box 568, Wurtsboro, NY 12790-0568.
You may also donate through your bank’s Zelle portal, using this dedicated email address for Zelle donations: donate2rlc@RidgetopLakesConservancy.org
Note: Please consult with your tax advisor regarding deductibility of charitable donations.
Yes. Charitable IRA Rollovers are the informal name for what the IRS calls a Qualified Charitable Distribution, or QCD. A QCD allows for donors 70½ or older to make gifts up to $105,000 from an IRA without incurring personal income tax on the withdrawal. (The donation can come from a Traditional IRA, or a Roth IRA, but there is generally no tax advantage for QCDs from a Roth.)
QCDs are often used to donate a Traditional IRA’s Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) to a tax-deductible organization and prevent a taxable RMD from increasing your taxable income. But you are not limited to only donating your RMD amount. Any amount up to $105,000 per year is allowed under the tax code. We obviously cannot provide you with tax information about your personal situation, but here’s basically how it works:
1. Eligibility: You must be 70½ or older at the time of the donation to make a Qualified Charitable Distribution.
2. Direct Transfer: The QCD must be transferred directly from your IRA to The Ridgetop Lakes Conservancy. This means you cannot withdraw the money first and then donate it. Your IRA custodian can facilitate this transfer by sending the money directly to the RLC on your behalf. Contact The Ridgetop Lakes Conservancy for transfer instructions: info@RidgetopLakesConservancy.org
3. Annual Limit: You can donate up to $105,000 per year via QCDs. The amount you donate will count towards your RMD for the year but will not be included in your taxable income.
4. Eligible Accounts: QCDs can only be made from IRAs. You cannot use funds from a 401(k), 403(b), or other types of retirement accounts for a QCD unless you roll over the funds to an IRA first.
5. Qualified Charities: The recipient must be a qualified 501(c)(3) charitable organization. QCDs cannot be made to donor-advised funds, private foundations, or supporting organizations. The Ridgetop Lakes Conservancy, Inc. would be a qualified recipient of your QCD.
6. Tax Benefits: The QCD amount is reported on your federal income tax forms as an IRA distribution, but is not included in your taxable income. This can provide additional tax benefits, such as potentially reducing the taxable portion of your Social Security benefits or avoiding higher Medicare premiums (IRMAA).
7. Itemization Not Required: Normally, to claim a charitable donation as a deduction, you would need to itemize your deductions on Schedule A of your tax return. With a QCD, you don’t need to itemize to receive the tax benefit. Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) are non-taxed IRA distributions, and are automatically excluded from your taxable income, even if you take the standard deduction. This makes QCDs especially useful if you don't typically have enough deductions to itemize but still want the tax benefits of charitable giving through a QCD.
8. Not Included in MAGI: A special calculation, called the Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI), is used to determine if Medicare premiums will be increased for those having a higher income. This adjustment to Medicare premiums for those with higher income is the Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount, generally referred to as IRMAA. The amount of IRMAA you pay for Medicare Parts B and D is based on your MAGI from two years prior. MAGI for IRMAA purposes is your AGI plus certain types of income (e.g., tax-exempt interest). A QCD does not count toward your MAGI used for determining IRMAA. This makes it a particularly attractive strategy if you're trying to manage your Medicare premium costs.
Bottom Line: By making a QCD, you can fulfill your RMD requirement and reduce your taxable income while supporting the Whale’s Tail Campaign.
Please consult your financial advisor for detailed information pertaining to your unique situation.
Contact The Ridgetop Lakes Conservancy for transfer instructions: info@RidgetopLakesConservancy.org, or you can click the button below to start the process now.
Note: Please consult with your tax advisor regarding deductibility of charitable donations.
The RLC has an account through which such transfers can be made. Shares that you donate should have been invested for at least a year and a day before donating them, to maximize any potential tax benefit coming your way. It is more to your tax advantage to transfer stock directly to a non-profit 501 (c) (3) account, rather than liquidating the stock while it is still in your account, and then donating cash. So, you transfer shares that you have held for at least a year, rather than selling them.
The advantage is that you can claim the full market value of the stock on the date it was donated, and avoid your having to pay capital gains taxes on the donated shares. Appreciated stock held over time may provide significant savings.
The only form of invested securities that we can accept are (1) shares of stock in publicly traded companies, (2) any type of shares held in mutual funds, and (3) shares in Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs). We cannot accept transfers of securities of companies that are not publicly traded, nor can we accept certificated shares (shares held privately as paper certificates alone).
Your assets need to be held by a participating/supported brokerage institution to facilitate our acceptance of donated invested assets. We support any brokerage firm that can do a partial stock DTC (Depository Trust Company) transfer. Most mainstream brokerage firms do provide that option. Some brokerage firms do not offer such support. Notably, ComputerShare, Robinhood Financial, and TD Ameritrade are not supported for this reason.
Transfers from these brokerages are immediately supported: Etrade, Fidelity, Merrill Edge, T. Rowe Price, Schwab, Vanguard Personal, USAA, and Wells Fargo Advisors (Wells Trade). If your brokerage firm is not listed, you may make a donation to the RLC by selecting “Other Brokerage” during the donation process. You may need to follow the instructions required by your own brokerage firm as well if “Other Brokerage” is selected.
Use this link to begin the process of transferring shares of invested assets to the RLC.
If you prefer not to use the automated process for transferring assets from your brokerage account to the RLC, non-automated paper-based forms are available as an alternative. Send us an email and let us know what you need: ObscureMyEmail
Note: Please consult with your tax advisors regarding deductibility of charitable donations.
A Donor Advised Fund (DAF) is a giving account, established at a public charity, where individuals, families, or trusts can donate assets and recommend charitable organizations to receive grants from the charity over time.
Donors generally receive an immediate tax deduction when they contribute to the DAF, though they can allow the contributions to grow over time, and distribute their funds to the charities at a future date.
We would be thrilled for you to recommend RLC when making grants from your Donor Advised Fund. Our legal name is, “The Ridgetop Lakes Conservancy, Inc.” and our Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN) is 82-4699665.
Just like individuals, companies can also receive tax benefits by donating to non-profits, and are often looking for worthy causes to support. Many companies will match their employee’s donations to eligible nonprofit organizations. A matched gift donation can be made by an employee, an employee’s spouse, or sometimes even a retired employee. Matching gifts can potentially double or triple your charitable donation. Check with the company’s Employee Benefits or Human Resources department to see if this is an option for you. Let us know if your company needs paperwork from us: info@RidgetopLakesConservancy.org
Note: Please consult with your tax advisor regarding deductibility of charitable donations.
The Ridgetop Lakes Conservancy has a commitment to provide public educational opportunities regarding conservation and the environment. Companies or foundations oftentimes provide larger, structured gifts, sometimes in exchange for recognition or partnership. These gifts are generally deductible as charitable contributions or as marketing expenses.
If you are interested in exploring sponsorship opportunities with the RLC, we may be able to provide tailored benefits for your contributions. Please contact us to begin the conversation: info@RidgetopLakesConservancy.org
Note: Please consult with your corporate tax advisor regarding deductibility of charitable donations.
Including Ridgetop Lakes Conservancy, Inc. in your annual charitable contributions ensures there will always be resources to continue our vital mission of environmental preservation and protection. You can write a check on the schedule your prefer, or contributions can be set up through your financial institution as scheduled recurring bank drafts or electronic fund transfers (EFTs). Contact the RLC for details about how to make recurring donations in such a way that we can reliably provide you with receipts for your tax deductible donations: info@RidgetopLakesConservancy.org
Note: Please consult with your tax advisors regarding deductibility of charitable donations.
Your lifetime of good work can become a legacy. Estate provisions often can make gifts possible that might not have been practical during your lifetime. Deferred gifts can be made through bequests in a will or trust, and may include gifts of appreciated stock, bonds, mutual funds, life insurance or another planned giving vehicle.
Please consult your financial advisor or estate planner, and contact The Ridgetop Lakes Conservancy for specific transfer instructions: info@RidgetopLakesConservancy.org
Note: Please consult with your tax advisor regarding deductibility of charitable donations.
You can contribute real estate, such as a home, land, or commercial property to the RLC, through a transfer of title to the property. In this way, you may be able to deduct the fair market value of the property, and avoid capital gains taxes you might otherwise have incurred by selling the property.
You should consult with your legal and financial advisors to determine if this might be something that would make sense for your unique circumstances. If so, contact us to see if we can work out a mutually agreeable plan: info@RidgetopLakesConservancy.org
© 2025 Ridgetop Lakes Conservancy, Inc.
PO Box 568 • Wurtsboro • New York • 12790-0568
Email: ObscureMyEmail
Background image used under Creative Commons License.
© 2025 Ridgetop Lakes Conservancy, Inc.
PO Box 568 • Wurtsboro • New York • 12790-0568
Email: ObscureMyEmail
Background image used under Creative Commons License.
The Ridgetop Lakes Conservancy web site does not capture, store, track, share, or sell information related to visitors to our site.