Big New Land Project

March 12, 2009 -- Two North Salem residents have worked with Westchester Land Trust to protect 129 acres of forest and agricultural land. It is the largest conservation easement ever donated to the land trust by individuals.

Mopus Brook runs through the protected area.

The easement was donated by LP Partners LLC, which consists of Peter Kamenstein, a North Salem resident and a member of Westchester Land Trust's Board of Directors, and Larry Fink, also a North Salem resident.

We will honor Peter and Jackie Kamenstein, and Larry and Lori Fink, at our annual fundraising party, which will be held at Old Salem Farm on Saturday, June 20. Click here for more details.

The North Salem Open Land Foundation is the back-up grantee on the easement.

Here's how we described the 129-acre easement in our report to our Board of Directors:

The site is forested with young to moderately-aged mixed deciduous woodland with rolling hills and forested stream and wetland systems. The southern portion of the property is a fairly young forest with an upland dominated by sugar maple, black cherry, red maple, tulip poplar, red oak, black birch, and gray birch. The eastern hills also contain the above species but with more red oak, white oak, red cedar and American beech indicating a younger forest with more well-drained conditions. The upland forests at the northern end are more mature but the entire property is a fairly young woodland....

The eaement contains significant natural habitat.

A stream/linear wetland system (Mopus Brook) drains south through the center of the property ....  A closed canopy, red maple swamp forms the stream's floodplain and is dominated by mossy hummocks and a shrubby understory with spicebush, alders, and highbush blueberry in some areas. Pooling exists in some isolated areas of the swamp and may likely sustain pool breeding amphibians such as wood frogs, mole salamanders, and particularly four-toed salamanders which are all declining in the region. A small vernal pool was observed located at the northeastern boundary. This vernal pool appears to be suitable habitat for pool breeding species like the ones mentioned above. These species need intact forestland surrounding breeding pools to sustain populations. A small area in the southwest corner seems to have been recently disturbed and is open in some areas with invasive shrubs, vines, and some young trees....

This easement protects significant relatively natural habitat of fish, wildlife, plants and similar ecosystems.  The property is in the watershed for, and its wetland and riparian waters flow into the Titicus Reservoir, a part of the New York City drinking water system, which provides drinking water for the people of New York City and surrounding areas.  Other properties contiguous to the property have been placed under conservation easement.  The protection of the property through this conservation easement therefore creates an extensive corridor of protection for diverse wildlife species.  The property is a significant parcel and a link within the Eastern Westchester Biotic Corridor. This easement preserves open space (including farmland and forest land) for scenic enjoyment and will yield significant public benefit by preserving the proximate and distant scenic views to and across the property ..