The Finger Lakes Land Trust (FLLT) and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) completed the addition of 26 acres to Robinson Hollow State Forest in the town of Richford, Tioga County. The property was first acquired by the FLLT in 2016.
The property is entirely forested, featuring a diverse mix of mature hemlock-hardwood cover overstory trees and understory forest flora. The property’s continuous forest cover will benefit water quality in the nearby West Branch of Owego Creek, a high-quality brook trout stream.
Photo: FLLT
This new addition to Robinson Hollow State Forest will improve land stewardship and opportunities for recreation. Protection of the property also preserves views of surrounding hills from State Route 79.
The parcel is identified as a Tier 2 Forest Matrix Block. This DEC designation, developed in partnership with the New York Natural Heritage Program and The Nature Conservancy, reflects New York State’s interest in maintaining forest cover and associated wildlife habitat connectivity to surrounding forested areas across the landscape. Additionally, the sustainable management of this forested acreage will contribute to the mitigation of climate change impacts via carbon storage.
The acquisition, and all of Robinson Hollow, will be managed by DEC with the long-term goals and objectives of the Tri-County Uplands Unit Management Plan. The 3,413-acre Tri-County Uplands Unit is comprised of Andersen Hill, Potato Hill, and Robinson Hollow State Forests. These forests are located near the intersection of Cortland, Tioga, and Tompkins counties. DEC manages state lands for multiple benefits to serve the people of New York State, including sustainable forest management, ecosystem health and diversity, wildlife habitat, water quality protection, and public recreation opportunities.
Some of the popular activities on Robinson Hollow are hiking, birdwatching, camping, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing. The existing portion of the forests includes a 2.5-mile section of the Finger Lakes Hiking Trail and a three-mile section of maintained snowmobile trail.
