The Finger Lakes Land Trust has secured permanent protection for 46 acres of land along Taughannock Creek in the Town of Ulysses.
The organization announced it has accepted the donation of two conservation easements on adjacent properties along Waterburg Road, granted by landowners Scott Sutcliffe and Don and Eilene Guy. The protected land includes approximately 3,200 feet of frontage along Taughannock Creek.
Sutcliffe, a longtime supporter of land conservation, already has a separate 58-acre property under easement with the land trust. He helped connect the organization with his neighbors to expand protection efforts in the area.
“I get a lot of personal enrichment from sharing my love of the outdoors,” Sutcliffe said.
Eilene Guy said her family’s history also played a role in the decision to protect the land.
“My mother was a naturalist who planted thousands of trees on this property,” she said. “We wanted to pass it forward by protecting this property for future generations. I think my mother would approve.”
The properties feature a mix of open fields and forested areas, with sections along Taughannock Creek serving as a natural floodplain during major storm events. Land trust officials say protecting the parcels will help preserve water quality in the creek, which flows north over Taughannock Falls and into Cayuga Lake.
The easements will also protect wildlife habitat, including areas used by migratory and breeding birds along the creek corridor.
Funding for the project, including transaction and long-term stewardship costs, was provided through the Tompkins County Natural Infrastructure Capital Program.
Conservation easements are voluntary legal agreements that permanently limit future development to protect a property’s natural features. The land remains privately owned, stays on local tax rolls, and can continue to be used for activities such as farming and hunting.
