Release Date: November 5, 2021

Bedford Hills, NY—Westchester Land Trust (WLT), in partnership with the State of New York and the Town of North Castle, is pleased to announce the permanent protection of 63 acres along Byram Lake and Byram Hill Roads.

The property is part of a significant 700-acre forest block that includes The Nature Conservancy’s Eugene and Agnes Meyer Nature Preserve and Butler Memorial Sanctuary, as well as the drinking water supply lands of Byram Lake Reservoir owned by the neighboring municipality of Mount Kisco. The land has diverse habitats including a pond, wetlands, steep slopes with large rock outcroppings and an upland forest.

“This project was several years in the making and we are pleased to be in the position to help protect land with such high conservation value,” said Lori Ensinger, WLT President. “We were awarded $1,062,000 in funding for this acquisition through a CWIA/EPF Water Quality Improvement Project Grant administered by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), and the Town of North Castle generously contributed $250,000. In addition, two private foundations and many donations to Westchester Land Trust from community members made this conservation victory possible.”

WLT will own the land and the Town will hold a conservation easement on the land ensuring its permanent protection. The two will partner in the management of the property as a nature preserve. The property will be opened to the public for hiking and nature study once initial inventories and management plans have been finalized, and a recreation trail is established.

“Acquiring and protecting this open space has been a long-standing goal of the Town and is now a reality,” said Michael Schiliro, Supervisor of North Castle. “Our partnership with Westchester Land Trust to secure the needed resources to acquire this land demonstrates the true value of public-private partnerships.”

The State of New York, Town of North Castle and WLT were particularly interested in preserving the land due to the groundwater source that it protects. North Castle is notable in that 90% of its drinking water comes from groundwater supplied by public and private wells. Sand and gravel aquifers such as the one that underlies this property are shallow and can be particularly susceptible to contamination that results from nearby development and stormwater runoff. Maintaining a healthy forest cover will play a key role in buffering the groundwater from these pollutants. The property was identified as a priority parcel for preservation by the North Castle Open Space Study Committee in 2003.

“The preservation of this property is crucial to prevent further fragmentation of a large, forested habitat corridor for development-sensitive species, and to protect one of the most fragile groundwater supplies in our community,” noted Kerri Kazak, Chair of the North Castle Open Space Committee.

About Westchester Land Trust

Westchester Land Trust works with public and private partners to preserve land in perpetuity, and to enhance the natural resources in Westchester and eastern Putnam counties. WLT’s conservation efforts impact the long-term health of these communities through the protection of watershed areas, air quality, and food supply. In total, WLT has preserved nearly 9,000 acres of open space including 1,000 acres of preserves owned and managed by the organization.

To support WLT’s local land protection and stewardship work make a donation online by visiting  www.westchesterlandtrust.org or by contacting Susan Leighton, Development Associate, 914.234.6992 ext. 23.

CONTACT: Kara H. Whelan, kara@westchesterlandtrust.org to learn more and to get involved.