Abstract
Forests cover 89% of the Catskill/Delaware water system, which is the largest unfiltered storage system in the country, and serves New York City. Of these, 75% are owned by non-industrial private forestland (NIPF) owners. This analysis of parcelization on private forestlands in four of the five counties in this watershed covers the transition from 1984 to 2000. Parcelization of private lands exceeds the national average in the eastern half, and the average parcel size of 14 acres is 10 acres less than the national average for NIPF. Land use changes on private lands in this area may significantly impact the supply and quality of metropolitan water.