Syracuse.com - Wetland donation protects significant trout habitat in Owego Creek

[HuntingNY-News]

The following is a press release from the Finger Lake Land Trust: The Finger Lakes Land Trust announced this week it has accepted a land donation from Andrew Larkin of his 12-acre wetland property bordering the West Branch of Owego Creek in the Town of Caroline, Tompkins County. Located next to New York State Route 79 near the Tompkins –Tioga...

The following is a press release from the Finger Lake Land Trust:

The Finger Lakes Land Trust announced this week it has accepted a land donation from Andrew Larkin of his 12-acre wetland property bordering the West Branch of Owego Creek in the Town of Caroline, Tompkins County.

Located next to New York State Route 79 near the Tompkins –Tioga County border, protection of this property secures a natural gateway into both Tompkins County and the Town of Caroline.

Larkin, a resident of Upper Montclair, N.J., donated his property in memory of his father, Bud Larkin, a long-time area resident, former Ithaca Town Justice, community leader and local business owner.

Mr. Larkin said, “My father lived his life with a love of nature and the desire to preserve it. He bought this land to maintain its beauty and integrity. The Finger Lakes Land Trust has provided the means to do this. Through my father's gift all can now enjoy the land we call Terreno de la familia Cuervo.” Bud Larkin’s mother’s maiden name was Cuervo. Terreno de la familia Cuervo means “the land of the Cuervo family” in English.

This wetland is a priority for protection because it provides habitat for juvenile eastern brook trout in the West Branch of Owego Creek, one of the region’s premier trout streams. The West Branch of Owego Creek is well known for its trout habitat and has been designated “best for protection” by the Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture – a collaboration of conservation agencies and non-profits seeking to protect, restore, and enhance brook trout populations throughout their historic range.

Funding to cover transaction costs associated with the land donation were provided by a grant from the conservation organization Trout Unlimited (TU) through its Coldwater Land Conservancy Fund – a program established to support the protection of native trout habitat within the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Waters of Owego Creek ultimately drain to the Chesapeake Bay. Funding for this program was provided by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U.S. Forest Service.

Kevin Anderson, Land Conservation Coordinator for Trout Unlimited says, “With the Larkin project and others, the Finger Lakes Land Trust has proven to be an ideal partner. They’re using TU’s modest grant to leverage major conservation benefits, for fish and for anglers.” This latest project is the Land Trust’s third completed with support of TU’s Coldwater Land Conservancy Fund.

“This is a fantastic project,” says Land Trust Executive Director Andrew Zepp. “Thanks to the commitment of the Larkin family, and the support of our funding partners, we are helping ensure the future of native populations of eastern brook trout in Owego Creek.”

The property is also in the Emerald Necklace– a proposed greenbelt that will ultimately link more than 50,000 acres of existing public open space that extends in an arc around Ithaca from east to west. The Emerald Necklace is recognized as a priority project within New York State’s Open Space Plan. By prior arrangement, the Land Trust intends to donate this property to the people of the State of New York as an addition to nearby Robinson Hollow State Forest.

Elsewhere in Owego Creek watershed, the Land Trust has protected an additional 244 acres at the Goetchius Wetlands Preserve and King Nature Preserve. The organization also holds conservation easements on 600 acres. Conservation easements are legal agreements that limit future development while allowing land to remain in private ownership and on the tax rolls.

The Finger Lakes Land Trust is a regional non-profit conservation organization that works cooperatively with landowners and local communities to conserve those lands that are vital to the Finger Lakes and New York’s Southern Tier.

To date, the Land Trust has permanently protected more than 15,000 acres through direct acquisition as well as the use of conservation easements on lands that remain in private ownership. The organization is supported by more than 1,900 individuals and families from the throughout the region.

Additional information about the Land Trust and its conservation efforts may be obtained by visiting the organization’s web site or by calling its Ithaca office at (607) 275-9487.

Trout Unlimited is a non-profit organization dedicated to conserving, protecting, and restoring North America’s trout and salmon fisheries and their watersheds. Additional information about TU may be found its website.

View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog