The DEC and Finger Lakes Land Trust have announced a perpetual conservation easement will protect 260 acres of land in Cayuga County.
The Hall property is located in the Town of Summerhill and features 10,000 ft of frontage around Fall Creek which serves as the source of drinking water for Cornell University and is the largest tributary of Cayuga Lake. The easement will preserve a 120-acre buffer zone of high-quality wetland in its natural state.
“Completion of this conservation easement is a win for water quality in Fall Creek, the largest tributary to Cayuga Lake,” said FLLT President Andrew Zepp. “We’re grateful to the landowners and New York State for their commitment to this project through the source water protection program.”
Through this easement, the trust hopes to protect water quality and reduce the frequency of Harmful Algal Blooms.
“Clean water begins on land and DEC and our partners are continuing to transform State investments into water quality solutions that will last for generations,” DEC Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar said. “DEC is proud to again partner with the Finger Lakes Land Trust to preserve vulnerable headwaters and help protect Cayuga Lake water quality at the source for generations to come.”
The property also includes upland forests, wetlands, and agricultural fields that will remain in production.
Conservation easements are voluntary legal agreements that permanently limit future land development.
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