Syracuse.com - Land trust receives national grant to secure trout habitat

[HuntingNY-News]

I fished this stream once -- years ago. Glad to see this is being done.

Editor's note: I fished this stream before -- years ago. Glad to hear this is being done.

The following is a Finger Lakes Land Trust press release:

Ithaca, NY -- The Finger Lakes Land Trust today announced that it has received a grant of $12,000 from the conservation organization Trout Unlimited (TU) to cover costs associated with the acquisition of a conservation easement on 128 acres of land bordering the East Branch of Owego Creek in the Town of Richford, Tioga County.

Conservation easements are perpetual legal agreements that limit future development while allowing the land to remain in private ownership. In this case, the proposed easement will provide for vegetated buffers along the creek while allowing for continued use of the land for agriculture and forestry. Landowners who donate conservation easements may be eligible for both state and federal tax benefits.

The award was made through the first ever Coldwater Land Conservancy grants – a program established to support the protection of native trout habitat within the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Funding for the program was provided by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U.S. Forest Service.

“TU has long recognized the importance of private land conservation as a tool to protect cold water fisheries” said Elizabeth Maclin, Vice President for Eastern Conservation at TU. “These grants allow us to put this philosophy into practice throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed where loss of native brook trout has been particularly severe.”

“We’re grateful for the support of TU,” adds Land Trust Executive Director Andrew Zepp, “and we’re delighted to have the opportunity to work with landowners who are interested in continuing their tradition of careful stewardship of our land and water resources.”

The East 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 agencies and non-profits seeking to protect, restore, and enhance brook trout populations throughout their historic range. New York State’s Department of Environmental Conservation provides for public fishing access on land adjacent to the proposed conservation easement.

This latest project is the Land Trust’s third within the watershed of the East Branch of Owego Creek. The organization already holds a conservation easement on land located just south of the Village of Richford and also owns and manages a 140-acre nature preserve on a tributary to the creek.

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. The Land Trust has permanently protected more than 13,000 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 families from throughout the region. Additional information about the Land Trust and conservation easements may be obtained by visiting the organization’s web site (www.fllt.org) 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 at the group's Web site.

View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog