The Finger Lakes Land Trust (FLLT) accepted the donation of a conservation easement from Rochester resident Jim Minor that will forever conserve 208 acres in the town of Hector, Schuyler County.

Located between the Finger Lakes National Forest and Connecticut Hill Wildlife Management Area, the property provides a scenic backdrop to State Route 228.

Almost entirely situated within the Taughannock Creek and Cayuga Lake watersheds, the property is a mosaic of woodlands and scenic meadows which support a diversity of wildlife including bobcat, fox, and Wild Turkey.

Photo: Bill Hecht

Jim and his late wife Barbara purchased the land in 1994 to try their hand at forest and habitat management. An active member and former president of the New York Forest Owners Association, Jim worked with a professional forester to develop a management plan to enhance wildlife habitat and timber stands on the property.

“When we first saw this property over a quarter-century ago my wife, Barbara, and I appreciated it as it was in the beautiful Finger Lakes region which we loved,” said Jim Minor. “We want to preserve what we experienced so that future generations will benefit from what the property has to offer.”

Conservation easements are voluntary legal agreements that permanently limit future land use in order to protect the land’s conservation value. Lands subject to conservation easements remain in private ownership, on local tax rolls, and available for traditional uses such as farming and hunting.