Westchester Land Trust Receives over $75,000 in Grants from the New York State Conservation Partnership Program and American Farmland Trust

On Thursday, April 25^th, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and the Land Trust Alliance (LTA) announced $2.25 million in Conservation Partnership Program (CPP) grants for 47 nonprofit land trusts across the State.  Over the past 16 years, the Conservation Partnership Program has awarded $19.7 million in grants to dozens of New York land trusts. Westchester Land Trust (WLT), one of the leading conservation organizations working to protect the natural resources in Westchester and eastern Putnam counties, was awarded three grants totaling approximately $65,000. These funds will be used to protect two environmentally significant properties and enable WLT to accelerate the surveying of its nature preserve boundaries.

“We are honored and thrilled to receive these Conservation Partnership Program awards and thank the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Commissioner Basil Seggos, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, and the Land Trust Alliance for recognizing the importance of investing in the local conservation efforts of land trusts like ours as we work to preserve New York’s natural resources, forever,” said Lori J. Ensinger, WLT President.

The first grant partially defrayed the costs to protect more than half of the 61- acre property known as The Mariandale Center, in the Village of Ossining. Mariandale is owned by the Dominican Sisters of Hope and lies along a stretch of the historic Hudson River. The Sisters, who use the property as a retreat and conference center, donated a conservation easement to WLT last summer on the 34 undeveloped acres of the campus, ensuring those acres will never be developed. A conservation easement is a voluntary legal agreement between a landowner and a land trust that permanently restricts the development of a property in order to protect the land’s important conservation values. The conserved land consists of woodlands, meadow, wetlands, and a steep ravine through which a stream flows on its way to emptying into the Hudson River.  The Old Croton Aqueduct Trail, a popular recreational corridor open to the public, runs through the western portion of the property. Preservation of land along the Hudson River is a high priority for WLT and a stated priority of the 2016 New York State Open Space Conservation Plan and the Village’s land use planning documents. The Westchester Community Foundation also provided critical financial support for this land protection project.

WLT was also awarded a grant to facilitate the 2018 conservation easement on 61 acres of the Hudson Pines estate, the former Westchester County home of the late David and Peggy Rockefeller. Located in both the Village of Sleepy Hollow and the Town of Mt. Pleasant, the property is an important component of an already notable conservation corridor including the 1,500-acre Rockefeller State Park Preserve. Its preservation protects diverse woodlands, meadows and valuable wetlands, buffers the nearby Pocantico River–an important tributary to the Hudson River, and preserves an iconic viewshed from Rockefeller State Park and surrounding lands. The Hudson Pines property remains in private hands and is not open to the public.

The final CPP grant will enable WLT to accelerate the pace of professional surveying of many of its 29 nature preserves, many of which are open to the public for recreation. “The community places a great deal of faith in Westchester Land Trust to uphold the obligations that come with the permanent protection of sensitive lands,” said Brendan Murphy, WLT’s Director of Stewardship. “One of these responsibilities is to know exactly where our property boundaries are, and to ensure that our nature preserves are not subjected to encroachment, illegal dumping or other types of vandalism.  It may not sound exciting, but it’s one of the most important things a conservation organization must do.” WLT will prioritize the grant funds across seven of its preserves located throughout Westchester County.

Additionally, WLT was one of 7 conservation organizations in the state to receive a grant from American Farmland Trust to support WLT’s work in the Hudson Valley Farmlink Network (HVFN), a partnership of 15 organizations coordinated by American Farmland Trust that connects farmers and land owners to one another throughout the Hudson Valley. As a partner of HVFN, Westchester Land Trust seeks to keep local farmland in production by linking farmers who need land with landowners looking to cultivate their land. WLT also provides professional assistance and guidance to farm owners looking to preserve their farms through the donation of conservation easements or the sale of their development rights.

Please contact  John Baker at John@westchesterlandtrust.org to learn about how you can help protect open space – forever. We encourage you to contact Kara Whelan at Kara@westchesterlandtrust.org to learn more about WLT’s Farmland Match Program and the Hudson Valley Farmlink or visit hudsonvalleyfarmlandfinder.org for additional information.

About Westchester Land Trust

Based in Bedford Hills, NY the Westchester Land Trust has worked for 30 years with public and private partners to preserve land forever and protect and enhance the natural resources in Westchester and eastern Putnam counties—a densely populated region under persistent threat from the pressures of development. Through the use of conservation easements and outright land acquisition, WLT’s efforts benefit the long-term health of these communities by safeguarding critical watershed areas, air quality, food supply and natural habitats, as well as contributing to climate resiliency.  Since its founding in 1988, WLT has preserved nearly 8,400 acres of open space including 775 acres of preserves owned by the organization which are free and open to the public year-round.