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DEC Announces More Than $1.26 Million in Grants to
Land Trusts to Protect Forests Through Conservation Easements
Published: October 27, 2024
at 06:30 p.m.
By: Press Release
from NYS DEC
DEC Announces More Than $1.26 Million in Grants to
Land Trusts to Protect Forests Through Conservation Easements
Conserving Forested Land Combats Climate Change and
Sustains Benefits to Local Communities
Funded Projects Will Directly Contribute to State’s
‘30 by 30’ Land Conservation Goal
New York State
Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Interim Commissioner Sean
Mahar has announced more than $1.26 million in grants for four land trusts
to support five projects that help safeguard local forests. Land trusts
will use this funding to create new conservation easements that will
protect water quality, build wildlife corridors, preserve old growth
forests, increase climate resilience, strengthen biodiversity, and expand
recreation opportunities for New Yorkers.
“New York’s
natural landscapes are vital to our quality of life and our economy,” said
Interim Commissioner Mahar. “This $1.26 million in funding for land
trusts will empower communities to protect cherished open spaces and
contribute to the State’s 30 by 30 initiative—conserving 30 percent of our
lands and waters by 2030. Together, we are investing in a sustainable
future for all New Yorkers and ensuring that future generations can enjoy
the beauty of our state.”
The grants,
administered by the Land Trust Alliance in partnership with DEC,
were made available through the Forest Conservation Easements for Land Trusts (FCELT) Grant
Program.
"We want to
thank DEC and the State for partnering with the Alliance to offer funding
to land trusts through the FCELT Grant Program," said Jamie
Brown, New York Senior Program Manager for the Land Trust Alliance.
"Our forest lands play critical roles in terms of providing jobs,
wildlife habitat, and helping to mitigate climate change. New York’s nearly
95 land trusts are working to protect these important lands, as well as
other open space that is important to all New Yorkers. We are grateful to
the State’s support and leadership in protecting our natural resources and
important places.”
Funded Projects:
Cazenovia Preservation Foundation, Inc., Madison County: $350,000 to
purchase a 467-acre conservation easement on forested land adjacent to the
State’s Tioughnioga Wildlife Management Area. The property was identified
as a conservation target in the organizations recent Strategic Land
Conservation Plan and will be conserved for sustainable forestry,
recreational hunting, and habitat protection. The large size of this
easement ensures substantive climate resilient forest characteristics and
habitat connectivity benefits for future generations.
Dutchess Land
Conservancy, Dutchess County: $350,000 to purchase a 260-acre
conservation easement on property located within the Taconic Ridge/Harlem
Valley, which was identified in the New York State Open Space Plan as a
priority for protection. The property, comprised of upland conifer and hardwood
forests, will add to more than 1,100 contiguous acres of adjacent protected
land and provide important habitat for the threatened timber rattlesnake
and endangered Indiana bat.
Genesee Valley
Conservancy, Livingston County: $199,950 to purchase a 129-acre
conservation easement on property located within the Finger Lakes Plateau
Forest Legacy Area and the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative area. The new
easement will provide a buffer to the nearby Hemlock-Canadice State Forest
and Hemlock Lake, a primary water supply for the City of Rochester and the
towns of Livonia, Henrietta, and Rush. The area contains forests that are
diverse in species composition, age, and structure, and support bird
species of Special Concern including the golden-winged warbler and American
woodcock.
Tug Hill Tomorrow
Land Trust, Herkimer County: $139,250 to purchase a 190-acre
conservation easement on land adjacent to the Hinckley State Forest and
near West Canada Creek, an area which was identified by the land trust as a
priority conservation area. The conservation easement will promote sustainable
forestry, help mitigate the impacts of climate change, preserve the area’s
biodiversity, and protect important habitat for several threatened and
endangered species.
Tug Hill Tomorrow
Land Trust, Oswego County: $222,550 to purchase a 268-acre
conservation easement on property located adjacent to the Stave Mill State
Forest. The forest is dominated by northern hardwood species and contains
areas of old growth forest designated as “Important Habitat Area Significant
Natural Communities” by the town of Boylston. The property includes areas
along Pine Creek recognized by the New York State Natural Heritage Program
as containing a significantly rare, largely undisturbed hemlock-hardwood
swamp, which is also designated as a Special Area by the town of Boylston
under the Special Areas and Tug Hill Reserve Act.
The grants are
funded through the State's Environmental Protection Fund (EPF). Among the
many environmental victories in the enacted
2024-25 State Budget, Governor Kathy Hochul and legislative leaders
maintained the historically high level of $400 million in EPF funding. The
EPF supports climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts, improves
agricultural resources to promote sustainable agriculture, protects water
sources, advances conservation efforts, and provides recreational
opportunities for New Yorkers. The EPF also supports New York’s 30x30 initiative, which commits to conserving 30
percent of lands and waters by 2030.
Laurelbrook Heifer Forest
Conservation Easement, Dutchess County
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