North Salem Easement

Peter Kamenstein stands on the roadside near the conservation easement he and his wife donated in partnership with Larry and Lori Fink. Photo by Ashley Tarr of The Journal News.

June 19, 2009 -- Our big conservation easement in North Salem protects 129 acres. The Journal News wrote about it today, in anticipation of our Party with a Purpose tomorrow evening and the presentation of our annual award to the donors.

Here's an excerpt:

Couples Peter and Jackie Kamenstein and Laurence and Lori Fink will be honored tomorrow for their donation to the Westchester Land Trust. The easement is the largest the trust, which has protected roughly 6,400 acres of land, has ever received from individual donors.

Peter Kamenstein, who is a member of the group's Board of Directors, has donated two previous easements. He said North Salem's rural atmosphere is one of its basic charms, and that keeping it that way is up to residents.

"Quite frankly, if we're not proactive about it, it won't remain that way," he said.

Fink said he and his wife, who live on Vail Lane, always see people riding bikes or walking with their dogs or children.

"I thought it was important to have the property preserved as much as possible," Fink said.

The easement stays with the land forever and requires that landowners, who retain the property, preserve it by not building on it. The only exceptions are two, 5-acre "building envelopes" where owners are permitted to put up one residence each.

Aside from that, the easement allows only agricultural changes to the rest of the land. Kamenstein said there are no plans at the moment for any projects.

You can read the whole thing here.