Archive: Around Town

The Finger Lakes Land Trust announced Monday that it has acquired a permanent conservation easement on scenic woodlands adjacent to Cayuga Lake’s eastern shore.  Located in the Town of Lansing, the Ross/Penhollow property features 47 acres of hillside forest with 2,000 feet of frontage on the Norfolk Southern rail line, which, in turn borders Cayuga Lake.

The Ross/Penhollow property was a high priority for conservation due to the fact that it is located within a county-designated Unique Natural Area and is part of a cherished scenic vista viewed by thousands of visitors each year from Taughannock State Park.  The property features several rugged ravines as well as mature hardwood forest that supports a diversity of wildlife.

Landowners Barbara Kelliher Ross and Carol Ross Penhollow donated a perpetual conservation easement that will limit future development to a single additional home in a designated location that is designed to minimize impacts upon Cayuga Lake as well as the property’s scenic character.  Forestry activities may be conducted solely with the prior review and approval of the Land Trust, which will be responsible for holding and monitoring the easement agreement.

Ross and Penhollow say that they “are proud of this land which has been in our family for five generations, and we are pleased to have a small part in preserving the beauty and tranquility of the countryside surrounding Cayuga Lake.”

The Land Trust’s Director of Land Protection, Rocci Aguirre, adds “Carol and Barbara’s commitment to the long term conservation of their property is only exceeded by the exceptional natural and scenic qualities they are protecting.  This extraordinary gift will benefit the family, the public, and the water quality of Cayuga Lake for generations to come.”

The Ross/Penhollow easement is the 69th to be acquired by the Land Trust.  Perpetual conservation easements are legal agreements that limit future development of the land while allowing it to remain in private ownership.  They may be acquired through either purchase or donation.  Donors of conservation easements are eligible for both state and federal tax benefits.

The Finger Lakes Land Trust was established in 1989 to work cooperatively with landowners and local communities to protect those lands that define the character of the Finger Lakes Region.  To date, the organization has secured 11,000 acres of the region’s most significant open spaces through the use of conservation easements, direct acquisition, and partnership with local government to use a combination of these tools.

The Land Trust is a non-profit organization that is supported by more than 1,900 families from across the region.

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