Westchester Land Trust started off 2020 by permanently protecting 92 acres, pictured here, in Patterson, NY, an important puzzle piece within a 4000-acre contiguous assemblage that includes lands preserved by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), Putnam County, and the State of Connecticut.

Release Date: February 11, 2020

Bedford Hills, NY–Westchester Land Trust (WLT) announced the purchase and permanent protection of 92 acres in Patterson, NY, an important puzzle piece within a 4000-acre contiguous assemblage that includes lands preserved by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), Putnam County, and the State of Connecticut.

The acquisition of this property augments a 273-acre conservation easement that WLT completed nearby at Cranberry Mountain in 2018. These lands buffer the Great Swamp, the second largest freshwater wetland in the State, and the headwaters of New York City’s Croton drinking water supply. The corridor contains habitat particularly suitable for national and statewide Species of Conservation Concern including Indiana bat, Little brown bat, New England cottontail, American woodcock, and Cooper’s hawk.

This area is part of the Highlands region which stretches from Pennsylvania to Connecticut. It is rich in biodiversity, has large tracts of unbroken forest cover, and is home to 250 endangered, threatened or species of special concern. The importance of the Highlands region was extensively documented in the US Forest Service’s Highlands Regional Study (HRS). This property lies within one of the HRS “Conservation Focal Areas” that have been identified as having the highest conservation resource value, but which are most threatened by development.

WLT worked directly with the landowner to acquire the property at market value, with the goal to ultimately transfer the property to NYS DEC ownership. The property will eventually be opened for public access with a trail system that links to the neighboring trails on State and County preserve lands.

“Westchester Land Trust is thrilled to play a critical role in the immediate protection of this important land in the Highlands region, and are gratified to be working closely with the State of New York to see that this land’s conservation values are preserved forever,” said Lori Ensinger, President of Westchester Land Trust. Trust for Public Land assisted WLT early in the project to facilitate the negotiations with the landowner. “Partnerships like these are vital to accelerating the pace and quality of conservation across the region,” Ensinger noted.

PHOTO CREDIT: Westchester Land Trust