ITHACA, N.Y. — The Finger Lakes Land Trust today announced the permanent protection of 89 forested acres in southern Tompkins County through the use of a perpetual conservation easement. The property is adjacent to the Land Trust’s existing 200-acre Charles Spencer Nature Preserve and falls within the Emerald Necklace—a priority project in New York State’s Open Space Plan.
The Land Trust acquired the property in May 2017 along with an additional 70 contiguous acres that were immediately added to the Charles Spencer Preserve. The remaining 89 acres were sold subject to an easement limiting development to a single home. The easement will allow sustainable timber harvest but prohibits subdivision.
The Land Trust pursued protection of the land in order to secure valuable wildlife habitat and also enhance public access to its existing preserve. The property features a mature forest composed of oak, maple, ash, and beech, with scattered pines. It also includes a portion of the headwaters of a tributary to Cayuta Creek and the Susquehanna River. The land is located on Jackson Hollow and Scherer Roads in the town of Newfield.
Protection of the property expands the network of conserved lands known as the Emerald Necklace. The Emerald Necklace is an ambitious effort to link 50,000 acres of existing public open space that extends in an arc around Ithaca – from Finger Lakes National Forest in the west to Hammond Hill and Yellow Barn State Forests in the east. These lands host 78 miles of the Finger Lakes Trail, two Audubon-designated Important Bird Areas, and several dozen Tompkins County-designated Unique Natural Areas.
Conservation easements are legal agreements that limit future development while allowing land to remain in private ownership and on the tax rolls. Landowners who donate conservation easements may be eligible for both state and federal tax benefits.
By working cooperatively with landowners and local communities, the Finger Lakes Land Trust has protected more than 21,000 acres of the region’s undeveloped lakeshore, rugged gorges, rolling forest, and scenic farmland. The Land Trust owns and manages a network of over 30 nature preserves that are open to the public and holds perpetual conservation easements on 136 properties that remain in private ownership.
The Land Trust focuses on protecting critical habitat for fish and wildlife, conserving lands that are important for water quality, connecting existing conservation lands, and keeping prime farmland in agriculture. The organization also provides programs to educate local governments, landowners, and local residents about conservation and the region’s unique natural resources.
Additional information about the Finger Lakes Land Trust may be found at www.fllt.org. Information on the region’s premiere destinations for outdoor recreation may be found at www.gofingerlakes.org, a new web site developed by the Land Trust to encourage people to get outdoors.
Featured image courtesy of Chris Ray.