02-174-CLC News Fall 2002 - Columbia Land Conservancy

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Public Land Protection 4 Fall 2002 (continued from page 3) Director Judy Anderson. “Projects like Sutherland Pond will provide future generations a place to appreciate and learn about nature and Columbia County’s rural landscapes.” Funding still needed for improvements Having secured over $995,000 to date, including over $800,000 from OSI, the Columbia Land Conservancy is now working to raise the final funds needed to complete the project: as of October 8, 2002, only $115,000 remains. The funds are needed for basic site improvements as well as to complete a stewardship endowment to manage the property over the long-term. “Having a fully-funded stewardship endowment is one of the most important aspects of any successful public acquisition project,” noted CLC’s Board of Trustee Chair Michael Polemis. “The principal remains intact: only the proceeds from this fund will be used to help offset our annual maintenance costs, such as mowing trails and providing quality habitat for field birds, as well as making a payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) to the town and local fire and rescue services.” CONSERVANCY NEWS Sutherland Pond Protected as a Conservation Area Making it happen Please join us in thanking the following individuals who contributed or pledged gifts towards Columbia County’s newest public conservation area: the Ooms Conservation Area at Sutherland Pond. These gifts are greatly appreciated and are above and beyond each person’s annual membership contributions. As of October 8, 2002, only $115,000 is needed before the property can be opened as a Public Conversation Area. Anonymous Alan Devoe Bird Club Ken Benson Mitchel and Margaret Brown Tony and Gail Cashen John Dax and Sandra Knakal Norma Edsall and Alice Corbin Fields Pond Foundation Green Pastures Fund Anne and David Griffin Judith B. Grunberg John C. and Chara C. Haas Craig Hancock Chuck Irose Mark and Maggie Litteken Andrew and Courtney McDonnell National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Norcross Wildlife Foundation, Inc. Open Space Institute, Inc. Douglas and Pamela Paul Michael and Barbara Polemis Bob and Nancy Pollard Ron Toelke Associates Jonathan Schor Charles and Jean Severs Bill and Meg Stratton Willard and Marion Ulmer Cyrus and Peggy Vance George H. Vollmuth and Janet Langlois Wood Hill Veterinary Clinic The conservation area will provide the public with continued nonmotorized recreational opportunities, including fishing, hiking, and canoeing, and free environmental education programs. Prior to opening the site to the public, CLC will need to secure funding from private individuals and businesses to install fencing, a small parking area, and information kiosks, and create a trail system and supporting trail maps. David and Anne Griffin have made a substantial contribution towards the project’s stewardship fund. In addition, an anonymous individual has pledged $30,000 to build a rustic gazebo, similar to the one at the Greenport Conservation Area, in honor of Michael Polemis’ long-time conservation leadership. While still in the early fundraising stage, a number of neighbors also have pitched in to make this project possible (see Making It Happen). With the support of hundreds of individuals, businesses, and family foundations helping to complete this extraordinary project, Sutherland Pond will provide future generations with a place to fish, canoe, hike, and enjoy one of Columbia County’s most scenic landscapes. ❧ Help us meet the challenge! Sutherland Pond is a local treasure. Please help us meet the challenge of an anonymous donor to raise the remaining funds we need to establish the Ooms Conservation Area at Sutherland Pond. CLC has already secured four $5,000 donations and will receive a most generous gift of $20,000 if: Eight additional donors pledge in 2002 to contribute to the project at a level of at least $5,000 by the end of 2003 (can be paid over a two-year period); and CLC receives at least 100 additional contributions (non membership gifts) towards the project by the end of 2002. As you consider year-end donations and holiday giving, please consider making a gift, beyond your annual membership support, that leaves a lasting legacy—contribute to the Ooms Conservation Area at Sutherland Pond. Call Tom Crowell at (518) 392-5252, extension 209, for more information, or send your tax-deductible contribution to the Columbia Land Conservancy at P.O. Box 299, 49 Main Street, Chatham, NY 12037. Kristina Kwacz
Tom Crowell CONSERVANCY NEWS Fall 2002 Protection of Lampman Farm Completes 2,284-Acre Farmland Protection Project in Ancram The protection of 2,284 acres of farmland and open space in the Drowned Lands Swamp watershed is now complete, made possible by the Town of Ancram’s NYS Farmland Protection grant awarded in 1998. The grant funded the purchase of non-farm development rights from four farms within one mile of each other. This past May, the Lampman family granted their second agricultural conservation easement (through the sale of the majority of their residential development rights) to the Conservancy on 212 acres, the final parcel to be protected as part of this community project. The land stays in private ownership and on the tax roles. “The NYS Farmland Protection grant was a way to conserve important local farmland, while maintaining the agricultural character of Ancram,” remarked Larry Lampman, who conducted initial discussions with neighboring farmers about the state farmland protection program and this farmland protection project. The Lampman farm, owned by Larry, Frank, and Walter Allen Lampman, and Linda Kay Hinchliffe, is comprised of pastures, hayfields, and woodlands. In addition, the land contains a portion of the Drowned Lands Swamp, a NYSdesignated Class I wetland containing rare and endangered plant and animal species. According to the terms of their easement, the landowners may diversify or expand their farming operation, conduct timber harvesting, add or modify farm structures, operate small-scale businesses and home occupations, and construct two new single-family residential dwellings. This project would not have been possible without funding from the NYS Farmland Protection Program, the The Lampman farm is one of several Ancram farms protected thanks to funding from the NYS Farmland Protection Program. support of the Town of Ancram, the donation of a conservation easement by Elizabeth Gilmore and David Anderson who protected their abutting farm as the required match to the grant, and the landowners who protected their farms, including: Bob and Linda Rothvoss and their family, Frank and Helene Bitel, and the Lampman families. The Conservancy wrote and administered the grant, worked with the landowners, and facilitated the required match. Long and Newman Conserve Wetlands and Working Agricultural Land Arolling alfalfa field, deciduous wetlands, streams, and scenic vistas are just some of the characteristics that define land recently protected with a conservation easement owned by Gregory Long and Scott Newman. Located in the Town of Ancram, the 43.38-acre property and six other easement lands within a three-mile radius encompass over 1,500 acres under permanent protection with CLC. “The conservation easement was the perfect vehicle for us to protect what we enjoy about this property, yet still retain ownership,” explained Mr. Long. “At some point in the future when it’s time for us to sell, it’s heartening to know that the property’s rural character will remain intact.” The property contains an existing house and barn; no additional residences will be allowed under the terms of the easement. The perpetual agreement allows for accessory residential and agricultural structures, unimproved A conservation easement on this 43.38-acre property in the Town of Ancram protects the scenic quality and historic beauty of this home and property, owned by Gregory Long and Scott Newman. recreational structures, home occupations, forestry, and farming activities. The easement also provides a buffer for neighboring farms from incompatible development. ❧ Tom Crowell Land Protection with Conservation Easements 5
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02-174-CLC News Fall 2002 - Columbia Land Conservancy

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