The Palisades Interstate Park Commission this month released a master plan for Minnewaska State Park Preserve that would expand recreation, create a green-certified visitors center and relieve the parking shortage.

The Minnewaska State Park Preserve brings more than $12 million annually into the Ulster County economy.According to the Times Herald-Record, the commission estimates the improvements would cost $5 million and take five-to-15 years to complete

"The plan does a great job of balancing the recreational needs with the protection of sensitive natural habitats and resources," said Cara Lee, director of the Shawangunk Ridge Program at the Nature Conservancy.

Minnewaska, a 21,000-acre preserve, is a critical component of Ulster County's tourism economy, with roughly 250,000 visitors yearly. A study released last month showed that three parks of the Shawangunk Ridge - Minnewaska, Mohonk and Sam's Point - inject more than $12 million into the local economy every year.

The 217-page plan seeks to capitalize on Minnewaska's strengths while improving some of its shortcomings:

• The preserve would expand parking to 800 spaces, up from 532, but only on fields and former hotel sites adjacent to current parking lots.
• A new visitors center would occupy the Phillips house, which sits atop a ledge overlooking Lake Minnewaska. This former private residence would be refurbished to LEED standards using eco-friendly materials.
• The preserve would expand its more than 100 climbing routes in the Peter's Kill area to include the adjacent Dickie Barre area.
• Hiking trails would be expanded, including a new trail that was bulldozed into the mountain near Stony Kill Falls to fight the wildfire that scorched 3,100 acres in 2008.
• Minnewaska plans to build its first-ever campground on Route 299 in Gardiner. The campground would include 50 spots for tents and it would be managed by Mohonk and the American Alpine Club.
• The main entrance off Route 44/55 would be reconfigured to alleviate traffic. The ticket booth would be set back and roads rearranged to accommodate 50 cars waiting to enter the park.