The Finger Lakes Land Trust (FLLT) invites you to help us protect one of the most prominent natural landmarks in the Finger Lakes region – Bluff Point on Keuka Lake. You can double your conservation impact when you make a gift today, thanks to a generous $100,000 challenge pledge from members Dave and Brenda Rickey:
Type BLUFF POINT in the “Comments” field when making your matching gift.
Or to learn more about this opportunity, contact Dawn Cornell at dawncornell@fllt.org or (607) 275-9487.
Photo: Bill Hecht
Visible for miles, Bluff Point occupies the center of the “Y” for which Keuka Lake is well known. Once almost entirely farmed, the Bluff’s slopes are now blanketed by maturing hardwood forests.
These forests play a vital role in helping to prevent erosion and minimize nutrient runoff into Keuka Lake. Bluff Point’s woodlands also host a diversity of wildlife, including neotropical songbirds–some of which nest in the area, and others that continue on to Canadian forests. The Bluff’s forests also help define the character of this area and contribute to the scenic landscapes that attract numerous visitors to Keuka Lake and its watershed.
Photo: Bill Hecht
Today, Bluff Point and its woodlands are under increasing development pressure. Keuka’s shores have long hosted family cottages, but with the shoreline almost completely developed, construction of new homes is increasingly happening on the steep slopes overlooking the lake. Disturbance of these areas frequently results in water quality impacts upon the nearby lake.
Your gift will help ensure the water quality of Keuka Lake and support efforts to mitigate the erosion of BLUFF POINT.
To ensure the future of the Bluff’s scenic woodlands, and the health of Keuka Lake, the Finger Lakes Land Trust is working with landowners to secure these lands through direct acquisition as well as the use of conservation easements that will limit development on lands that remain in private ownership.
The FLLT recently launched this effort through the purchase of two forested parcels located on East Bluff Drive. Together totaling 57 acres, these properties feature mature stands of oak, hickory, and maple, with scattered native white pines. They also feature several rugged ravines that host small tributaries to Keuka Lake.
The development of management plans for the newly protected parcels is now underway and will provide new opportunities for low-impact recreational opportunities, including hiking, bird watching, and dog walking.
It is hoped that this trail system will be expanded in the future as additional lands are conserved.
Photo: FLLT
To date, the FLLT has conserved more than 390 acres within the Keuka Lake watershed. In addition to its recent acquisitions on Bluff Point, the FLLT owns and manages the Botsford Nature Preserve at Big Gully in the town of Jerusalem and holds additional conservation easements on prime farmland near Penn Yan.
-
- Photo: Bill Hecht
-
- Photo: Bill Banaszewski
-
- Photo: Bill Banaszewski
-
- Photo: Bill Banaszewski
-
- Photo: Bill Banaszewski
-
- Photo: Bill Hecht
A fundraising campaign with the goal of $610,000 is underway to cover the cost of acquiring the Bluff Point lands and providing for their long-term management. The campaign was launched with the allocation of $200,000 from existing funds and a generous anonymous gift.
Thanks to the generous $100,000 challenge pledge from Land Trust members Dave and Brenda Rickey, the FLLT must raise $110,000 in additional funds to complete the campaign and receive the match.
Make a Gift Today
Type BLUFF POINT in the “Comments” field to ensure your gift is matched!
Contact Dawn Cornell at dawncornell@fllt.org or (607) 275-9487 to learn more.
