The Finger Lakes Land Trust has accepted the donation of three conservation easements from sisters Yolanda Adrean and Dolores Wheeler, permanently protecting 283 acres of scenic land in Steuben County.
The properties are located off Winding Stair Road in the Town of Hammondsport and include open fields, steep forested hillsides, and unnamed tributaries that flow into Keuka Lake. A section of the Finger Lakes Trail system also runs through the land.
The acreage lies entirely within the Keuka Lake watershed and has been in the sisters’ family since the early 1900s. The land has a long history of grape growing and is currently used for recreation, hay production, and cattle pasture. A small portion of the property is also used each year for the Twisted Branch Trail Run, a 100-kilometer trail race.
“It was the best place to grow up,” Yolanda Adrean said. “My father said, ‘They’re never going to make more land.’ And that always stuck with me. Our goal was to make sure the land had proper stewardship. It’s such a precious resource and needs to be protected.”
The conservation easements are designed to safeguard Keuka Lake’s water quality, expand an existing network of protected lands, maintain wildlife habitat connectivity, and provide a permanent buffer along this section of the Finger Lakes Trail and North Country Trail. Nearby conservation areas include Mount Washington State Forest, Cold Brook Wildlife Management Area, and Birdseye Hollow State Forest.
Conservation easements are voluntary legal agreements that permanently limit future development to protect a property’s conservation value. Land under easement remains in private ownership, stays on local tax rolls, and can continue to be used for traditional purposes such as farming and hunting.
The Finger Lakes Land Trust has now protected more than 35,000 acres across the region, including undeveloped lakeshore, forestland, gorges, and farmland. The organization owns and manages more than 45 public nature preserves and holds conservation easements on 200 privately owned properties.
The group focuses on conserving critical wildlife habitat, protecting lands important for water quality, connecting existing conservation areas, and keeping prime farmland in agricultural use. It also offers programs to educate local governments, landowners, and residents about conservation and the region’s natural resources.
More information about outdoor recreation opportunities in the Finger Lakes is available at gofingerlakes.org. Additional details about the Finger Lakes Land Trust can be found at fllt.org.
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