The Land Trust has acquired a three acre parcel adjacent to an iconic scenic overlook at the Cortland-Onondaga County line.
Ithaca, NY – The Finger Lakes Land Trust announced today that it has acquired a three acre parcel adjacent to an iconic scenic overlook at the Cortland-Onondaga County line off of State Route 41. The overlook is well known for affording one of the best vistas in the Finger Lakes region.
The overlook lies at the heart of the Land Trust’s Skaneateles Highlands Protection Project. By working with landowners and a variety of other partners, the Land Trust intends to create a greenbelt extending from State Route 41 on the east side of Skaneateles Lake to State Route 41A on the west side. Recent protection projects, such as the Hinchcliff Family Preserve and the Cora Kampfe Dickinson Preserve, will also extend this greenbelt to the north and east.
Aerial Photo of Hinchcliff Family Preserve: Bill Hecht
The new parcel lies in close proximity to High Vista Nature Preserve, one of the Land Trust’s oldest. The Land Trust moved to acquire the parcel primarily to maintain the scenic integrity of the overlook. But the purchase also sustains a hope that additional acquisitions in the area will ultimately create a corridor of conserved lands providing a trail linking the scenic overlook and the High Vista Preserve.
Assembling a greenbelt of the scale envisioned by the Skaneateles Highlands Protection Project requires patience and selectivity, and even small pieces of land such as the newly acquired one can be an important piece of a larger puzzle.
The purchase was made possible by funds from the Land Trust’s Shoreline to Summit campaign and additional fundraising for the project is underway. To make a donation in support of this project, please contact Kelly Makosch at (607) 275-9487 or kellymakosch@fllt.org.
The land will continue to be farmed as the Land Trust works on the protection of additional land in this area. Within the Skaneateles Highlands, the organization is also currently working on the completion of a conservation easement that will buffer a key tributary to Skaneateles Lake as well as an addition to Bear Swamp State Forest.
The Finger Lakes Land Trust is a member supported, non-profit conservation organization that works cooperatively with landowners and local communities to conserve forever the lands and waters of the Finger Lakes region, ensuring scenic vistas, local foods, clean water, and wild places for everyone.
To date, the Land Trust has worked with partners to secure more than 17,000 acres of the region’s undeveloped shoreline, scenic farmland, rugged gorges, and majestic forest. The organization owns and manages over 30 conservation areas that are accessible to the public and holds conservation easements on over 100 properties that remain in private ownership. Additional information on the Land Trust may be found at www.fllt.org.
