Submitted by Tom Andersen on Tue, 09/29/2009 - 4:32pm
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| Laurel Ledges, in Patterson, is part of the Great Swamp. |
September 29, 2009 -- The amount of protected land in the region has grown in recent days by 180 acres, as Westchester Land Trust has completed four new conservation easements.
The three bring the total acres we have helped protect to 6,602.
The three bring the total acres we have helped protect to 6,602.
The biggest of the three new easements is actually in the town of Patterson, in Putnam County. At 105 acres, it encompasses the Laurel Ledges Natural Area, which is owned by the Putnam County Land Trust and is an important part of the 6,000-acre Great Swamp.
The conservation easement guarantees that the land will stay protected if anything should happen to the Putnam County Land Trust. It is the first easement we’ve done that is completely within Putnam County (our Danner Family Preserve is split between Yorktown and Putnam Valley).
Westchester Land Trust has previously completed conservation easements on preserves owned by Bedford Audubon and the North Salem Open Land Foundation, and we have given easements to Bedford Audubon on two of our preserves.
Next is a 47-acre easement in New Castle, donated by developer Antonio Velardo, of Ossining, as part of his 77-acre, eight-lot Brandywyne subdivision.
New Castle will own the 47-acre preserve and Westchester Land Trust will protect it with a conservation easement. The property borders the Kisco River, which flows into New York City’s Croton Reservoir. It also borders the southbound side of the Saw Mill River Parkway and is near several other tracts of protected land.
The town plans to put hiking trails on the new preserve and open the land to the public.
The third easement protects 26 acres on Old Church Lane, in Lewisboro, across the road from our Old Church Lane Preserve. The Nature Conservancy acquired the land from a donor, with the idea that it could sell it to raise money. The Nature Conservancy decided to restrict development on the land to only one house and to protect the rest -- 26 acres -- by donating a conservation easement to us.
The final project is the transfer of a four-acre easement in Bedford to Westchester Land Trust from the Beaver Dam Sanctuary, which felt it was ill-equipped to provide the annual monitoring that conservation easement holders are required to perform.
The final project is the transfer of a four-acre easement in Bedford to Westchester Land Trust from the Beaver Dam Sanctuary, which felt it was ill-equipped to provide the annual monitoring that conservation easement holders are required to perform.