The Finger Lakes Land Trust (FLLT) has acquired 108 wooded acres from the estate of David Connolly in the town of Virgil, Cortland County. The “inholding” property is bordered on all sides by James Kennedy State Forest and serves as a buffer to the Finger Lakes Trail which traverses its southern boundary.
The FLLT intends to transfer the parcel to New York State as an addition to the state forest, adding to a block of protected lands in this area. This newly acquired property is also located near Greek Peak Mountain Resort and 250 privately owned acres protected with perpetual conservation easements held by the FLLT.
For many years before his passing, David made numerous trails on this land where he would take friends and family for rides on his ATV. The landscape here features steep slopes, stands of hardwood trees, a small pond, and 1,400 feet of frontage along a tributary to the East Branch of Owego Creek—located within the Susquehanna River watershed.
Protection of this property will safeguard wildlife habitat, create new public recreational opportunities, and safeguard water quality in Owego Creek. The parcel has over 3,000 feet of frontage on Baldwin Road and over 1,000 feet on a public forest access road, providing additional public access points to the state land.
Conservation easements are voluntary legal agreements that permanently limit future land use in order to protect the land’s conservation value. Lands subject to conservation easements remain in private ownership, on local tax rolls, and available for traditional uses such as farming and hunting.
By working cooperatively with landowners and local communities, the Finger Lakes Land Trust has protected nearly 34,000 acres of the region’s undeveloped lakeshore, rugged gorges, rolling forest, and scenic farmland. The FLLT owns and manages a network of over 45 nature preserves that are open to the public and holds perpetual conservation easements on 200 properties that remain in private ownership.
The FLLT focuses on protecting critical habitats for fish and wildlife, conserving lands that are important for water quality, connecting existing conservation lands, and keeping prime farmland in agriculture. The organization also provides programs to educate local governments, landowners, and residents about conservation and the region’s unique natural resources.
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