- By Emily Eisman
- Around Town
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Extending from the Finger Lakes National Forest in the west to Connecticut Hill State Wildlife Management Area in the south and Hammond Hill State Forest in the east, the Necklace encompasses a diverse landscape of forested hills, agricultural valleys, and rural hamlets. The area serves as the headwaters for a number of streams feeding Cayuga Lake as well as tributaries to the Susquehanna River and the Chesapeake Bay. Natural resources within the Necklace include two National Audubon-designated Important Bird Areas and more than 20 unique natural areas identified by Tompkins County's Environmental Management Council. Wide-ranging wildlife species such as the black bear find a home in the area's extensive forests.
The significance of the project was recently recognized through its inclusion in New York State's Open Space Plan as a priority project. Sue Poelvoorde, Senior Natural Resources Planner for State Parks' Finger Lakes Region, calls the project "a forward thinking initiative" that will "continue the legacy initiated by past community leaders who had the vision to protect the complex landscapes of the Finger Lakes Region."
Tompkins County Planner Ed Marx adds that the project encompasses three "natural features focus areas" identified in the county's comprehensive plan. He adds that these landscapes "provide significant benefits to residents and visitors alike in terms of our water quality, tourism economy, and our overall quality of life."
Recreational resources within the Emerald Necklace include the Finger Lakes Trail as well as trail networks for cross country skiing, snowmobiling, and mountain biking. Ensuring the future of the Finger Lakes Trail, which is increasingly threatened by encroaching development, will be a primary focus of the project.
"The Finger Lakes Trail Conference is pleased to participate in a cooperative venture which promises to afford protection of a beautiful segment of New York State's nationally recognized long distance trail and surrounding green space for generations to come" says David Marsh, president of the Trail Conference.
Campaign Launched With Land Acquisitions and Outreach Effort
With support from Cornell University and private donors, the Land Trust recently acquired two parcels within the Emerald Necklace that have long been considered a priority for conservation. In West Danby, the Land Trust acquired the 16-acre Galat property as an addition to its Lindsay-Parsons Biodiversity Preserve. Acquisition of the tract secures mature forests bordering a small tributary of the Cayuga Inlet and completes protection of the scenic hillside on the east side of the Cayuga Inlet Valley.
The Lindsay-Parsons Preserve was established in 1992 through a partnership between the Land Trust, Cornell University, and Schering-Plough Pharmaceuticals as the world's first temperate zone reserve for bioprospecting. Many recognize the preserve, which features several miles of hiking trails, as one of the region's premiere natural areas.
The Land Trust also recently purchased 113 acres located within the Towns of Ithaca and Newfield, just south of its existing Sweedler Preserve at Lick Brook. Previously owned by John Babcock, this property features more than a mile of frontage on the Cayuga Inlet and hosts a segment of the Finger Lakes Trail. The land also borders Robert Treman State Park and a natural area owned and managed by Cornell Plantations. The property's scenic hillsides are visible from the State Park as well as State Routes 13 and 34/96.
The Land Trust acquired this land from the Babcock family at less than its appraised fair market value. "We're grateful for the family's generosity as well as their long term commitment to careful stewardship of the land," says Land Trust director Andrew Zepp. "Our family is very privileged to have been part of the Land Trust's commendable efforts to protect this land," adds landowner John Babcock.
The Land Trust was able to acquire these properties through financial support from Cornell University along with support from private donors and an internal loan from its land acquisition fund. The Land Trust is right now in the midst of a $240,000 fundraising campaign to cover the costs associated with acquisition and future management of these lands.
The two acquisitions are the first made under a partnership between the Land Trust and Cornell University to work together to conserve significant natural areas within Tompkins County. The University has committed $85,000 in funds for the two projects. "The goals of the Land Trust and those of Cornell Plantations are entirely consistent," states Don Rakow, the Elizabeth Newman Wilds Director of Plantations. "By working together, we can preserve remaining natural areas for research, education, and future generations."
While it is finalizing these acquisitions, the Land Trust is also expanding its outreach to landowners to educate them about conservation easements. A conservation easement is a legal agreement between a landowner and a conservation organization or agency that protects important resources while allowing it to remain in private hands. Conservation easements are recorded in the land records and are binding on future owners of the property. The Finger Lakes Land Trust holds 54 conservation easement agreements, including several within the Emerald Necklace.
"The use of conservation easements will actually serve as our primary approach to protecting land within the Emerald Necklace," says Land Trust director Andrew Zepp. "Our goal is not to convert all of these lands to publicly owned open space. We're looking at a landscape where people live and make their livelihood. We envision the continued use of much of this landscape for farming, forestry, and outdoor recreation."
New York State this year created an annual property tax credit for landowners who have a conservation easement on their property. Provided that basic criteria are met, landowners are eligible for reimbursement by the State of up to 25% of the local and school taxes on their land, with a maximum of $5,000.
To educate landowners about options for conserving their land, particularly through the use of conservation easements, the Land Trust will be launching a series of meetings and workshops during the coming year.
The Finger Lakes Land Trust was established in 1989 to work cooperatively with landowners and local communities to conserve those lands that define the character of the Finger Lakes Region. To date, it has conserved more than 8,500 acres of our pristine natural areas, scenic farmland, and rugged gorges.
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